Entrepreneurial Confidence, Community & Possibilities in Barking and Dagenham
We’re thrilled to introduce 10 brilliant local entrepreneurs who will take part in GROW 2026.
Each of them brings passion, skills and a vision for building brilliant businesses in Barking and Dagenham. The entrepreneurs get a £10,000 grant, coaching and peer learning, and access to social investment to help them develop their business.
We had 74 applications for GROW 2026. A group of local business experts helped us select 15 finalists (detailed here) – all of whom are smashing it!
Then around 100 residents helped us choose the final 10 winners at a very special pitch event in our new work space.
We’re proud to support this talented group who show that business can be about purpose and profit:
The 2026 GROWers
- Jason at Elite Coaching
- AcademyKelly at EastbrookEnd
- Country Park Tea Room
- Kunle at Kunle’s Games NighT
- Manny at True Cadence
- Marcel at Soul and Sound
- Olly at So Sow Garden
- Richard & Gina (pictured) at U-turnships
- Valerie at Koala for Work
- Zainab at Wander Wild Forest School
Developing Local Business Benefits the Borough
The GROW Lab – our bespoke business support programme – starts in July, and we’ll be sharing their progress along the way.
New for 2026, we have chosen to open up GROW Lab to two additional entrepreneurs, Tito at Nourishment East and Yuliia at Bee Market who will get the learning and community elements of GROW, alongside the 10 winners.
The GROW Lab is valued at approximately £6,000 per participant and will include workshops on marketing, financial management, storytelling and much more – at no cost to the entrepreneurs. All learning and networking will take place in BD Giving’s new work and events space, which will be the hub of the entrepreneurs community as they develop their businesses together.
We’re GROWing something incredible for Barking and Dagenham! Follow our social media or sign up to our newsletter to follow the entrepreneur’s journeys.
Thanks to funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, BD Giving will run GROW for the fourth time in 2027.
