A NEW Wrexham business has been shortlisted for a national award.

The Stop Collaborate and Listen Agency Ltd (SCL) has been named a Wales finalist  in the 2024 UK StartUp Awards.

The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK which has accelerated over the last few years with over 900,000 new businesses founded in the UK in 2023, a 12 per cent increase from the year before.

Over 900 businesses have been shortlisted for this year’s UK StartUp Awards and the contribution of these firms - all of which were started in the last three years - is significant, having created nearly 6,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of £480 million.

The SCL Agency is a dynamic and innovative community engagement and involvement (CEI) firm founded by Dr. Kim Ozano and Sarah Glover in 2022.

The business has been nominated for the Business, Consulting & Management StartUp of the Year StartUp of the Year Award in Wales.

Sarah Glover, founder of The SCL Agency, said: “Being a finalist for the UK StartUp Awards is a significant milestone for The SCL Agency, demonstrating our innovative approach to participatory research and our commitment to putting people and communities at the heart of change.

"This recognition allows us to showcase our unique methods of creative dissemination and evaluation, setting us apart in the field. We believe in the power of creative and accessible methods to drive meaningful change and are grateful for this platform to raise the profile of the importance of co-production in research.”

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The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures.

The winners from each region will then be invited to the UK final taking place at Ideas Fest, the Glastonbury for business festival in Tring, Hertfordshire in September 2024.

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the UK StartUp Awards, said: “Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and wealth creation across the UK.

"All the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created amazing new businesses that are creating real impact in their sectors.

"Building on the success of previous years, we are now looking to identify the ‘best of the best’ with all the finalists who win their category in their region going on to represent their region at the first ever UK National StartUp Awards final later this year."