£500 for one London event business: the EPlanit Founding Supplier Grant

Small event businesses are usually the last to be backed. You buy your own kit, pay your own insurance and take the risk on every booking yourself, and when one thing breaks or one opportunity comes up at the wrong moment, there is nobody to call.

So before we open to the public on 11 November, we are giving £500 to one London event business. EPlanit pays it. It is free to apply, there is nothing to pay back, and it does not come out of anyone else's fees.

Tell us one specific thing that would help you take on more work, and why now.

Who can apply

Any event supplier working in London with an EPlanit supplier profile: caterers, florists, photographers, venues, DJs and bands, magicians, hair and make-up, decor, hire companies, crew, planners and everyone else who makes events happen. Sole traders and small teams are exactly who this is for.

If you do not have a profile yet, it takes about ten minutes, and Founding Suppliers pay no commission for six months from launch. Create your profile and apply.

What it is for

Something specific that helps you do more: a piece of kit, a year of insurance, a market stall, a course, a first hire you have been putting off. We are not looking for a polished pitch. We are looking for a real one.

How we choose

A panel reads every application and judges it on three things:

• What you would use it for. The more specific, the better.
• Why now. What changes if you have it this autumn rather than next year.
• The difference it makes in six months. More bookings, a new service, fewer jobs turned away.

It is judged on merit. There is no element of chance, and applying does not affect how you appear on EPlanit.

The dates

• Applications close: 31 October 2026
• Winner announced: 11 November 2026, the day EPlanit opens to the public

We only publish the winner's name and story if they agree to it when they apply.

Why we are doing this

I have spent ten years as an event planner relying on small businesses who carry all the risk and rarely get any help. EPlanit exists to make them easier to find and fairer to book. This grant is a small, practical way to start that before we have even opened.

Apply for the £500 grant. The full terms are on the Giving back page.