Our 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch list will champion standout business leaders and founders from across the country, as selected and scored by a panel of judges.

Now open to applications, the list aims to:

• highlight 100 inspiring businesses
• inspire and empower female entrepreneurs
• reward and recognise every entrant

As well as publicity for their business, a place on the list will give the 100 entrepreneurs:

• a Financial Health Check with the bank for their business
• an invitation to the Telegraph’s Women Mean Business conference
• a two-year subscription to the Telegraph

In addition, the highest scoring business will receive:

• £10,000 grant funding from NatWest
• an interview in the Telegraph
• a year’s mentorship with a member of the Rose Review board
• support from the Rose Review Council

The top 10 entrepreneurs selected by the judges will also be invited to a Peter Fiori-prepared dinner at Coutts in London along with a guest list of established entrepreneurs. Each of the 10 will also receive a place on Coutts’ Exit Programme, a one-day course teaching best practice on selling a company.

All applicants will receive a free, two-year digital subscription to the Telegraph, publicity for their business on a national level, and full access to our entrepreneur support.

Our CEO, Alison Rose, announced the initiative at our Enabling Entrepreneurship event in June and will also highlight it later this year at the Telegraph’s Women Mean Business event on 23 November. 

"Getting more funding to female entrepreneurs and unlocking their untapped potential continues to be a priority across our industry,” says Alison.

“Our data shows that last year – and for the first time ever – women have started businesses at a faster rate than men. These companies need support to grow, as this could add an extra £250bn to the UK economy if women start and scale companies at the same rate as men.

“We also need more direct support for businesses across the UK, and we must continue to look at the challenges posed by women’s caring responsibilities.”

Are you a female entrepreneur? Find full details on how to enter and complete your application .

Applicants should meet the following criteria:

• UK-based female-founded/female-led businesses that have been trading for fewer than five years
• less than £500k investment received to date
• fewer than 25 employees

They should also be able to:

• demonstrate being on a growth trajectory
• articulate why they would benefit from mentorship from the Rose Review board
• prove that they are trading profitably in the current financial year

Julie Baker, our Head of Enterprise, says: “We’ll be focusing on businesses that have only been trading for a few years, and we’re looking forward to offering a range of support to help them grow.”