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As the beauty industry continues to expand into frontier markets, as customer preferences evolve and as scientific and technological advancements offer new product formulations, entrepreneurship in the global beauty industry is flourishing.

But competition is tough. For every new beauty start-up that succeeds, there are scores — maybe hundreds — of others who don’t make it. Sometimes this is not for lack of good ideas and business potential, but rather because these companies lack global visibility, have limited access to capital and can’t find a pathway to connect with all powerful retailers.

We believe The Business of Beauty can play a unique role in surfacing high potential entrepreneurs and connecting them with industry leaders, retail partners and investors who can help them take their businesses to the next level.

These are exactly the kind of industry insiders who will be attending The Business of Beauty Global Forum 2024 from June 3-5 in Napa Valley, California. Last year, attendees included top beauty retailers from around the world; leading venture capital and private equity investors, as well as executives from the top beauty conglomerates and founders who have successfully scaled and sold their own businesses. Together, they form part of our vibrant community who can really help to make a difference for beauty entrepreneurs who have a demonstrated track record of success.

With this in mind, we’re pleased to announce The Business of Beauty Global Awards, honouring three entrepreneurs shaping the future of the global beauty industry, selected by BoF’s expert editors and a jury of top industry leaders.

We are looking for the following:

• Creative Execution: Entrepreneurs with unique brand concepts based on the creativity of their products, packaging and marketing strategies, creating a demonstrable source of competitive advantage.
• Business Innovation: Entrepreneurs with innovative business models, demonstrating clear business momentum supported by strong financials.
• Social Impact: Entrepreneurs that have a positive net impact on their communities: the people working in their supply chain, the customers they serve and the environment.

The shortlist of selected finalists will be invited to attend The Business of Beauty Global Forum and pitch their businesses to our jury. Winners will be announced at the closing dinner on the evening of June 4, 2024.

APPLY NOW

Deadline: Tuesday April 30, 2024 11:59pm EST

Application fee: $500

Why Enter

• Create Brand Awareness: Winners will be announced at The Business of Beauty Global Forum. The winners will also be featured in an interview on The Business of Beauty and across the BoF ecosystem, including our social media channels with more than 7 million followers.
• Expert Mentorship: Winners will be paired with a member of our jury of top industry leaders for mentoring.
• Attend The Business of Beauty Global Forum: Finalists will be invited to join our programme of talks, interactive workshops and intimate lunches and dinners at The Business of Beauty Global Forum in Napa Valley, California from June 3-5, 2024. (Tickets to the The Business of Beauty Global Forum are invitation-only and valued at $7,500.)
• Access BoF Professional: All applicants will receive complimentary 12-month access to analysis and advice from The Business of Beauty, valued at $270.

Criteria

• Annual Revenues: Your company must have generated a minimum of $250,000 USD (or equivalent in other currencies) in revenue in 2023.
• Market Stage: Your company must already be selling products in at least one active distribution channel:
• DTC through your company’s website
• In your company’s own retail store(s)
• Through wholesale accounts.
• Fundraising: Your company must not have raised more than $10 million USD (or equivalent in other currencies) in funding since founding. If you have not raised any funding, you are still eligible to apply.
• Product: Your company must sell a product in at least one of the following categories: makeup, skincare, hair care, body care and fragrance.
• Applicants must be over the age of 18 as of March 21, 2024.

The Fine Print

• Submissions cost $500 and the entry deadline is Tuesday April 30, 2024 at 11:59pm EST.
• Submissions must meet all of the criteria listed above as of March 21, 2024.
• All information submitted as part of an application will be treated with confidentiality. By submitting your application you agree to these terms and to allow our third party jury to review your application.
• All applicants will be required to send 2 samples (under 50ml each) of one hero product to New York City to be reviewed by the selection committee. Please note the costs of shipment will be covered by the applicant. BoF cannot take responsibility for samples that do not arrive. We advise you to use a shipping service with tracking.
• Applicants should be available to attend The Business of Beauty Global Forum taking place at Stanly Ranch, Napa Valley, California from June 2 - 5, 2024.
• The shortlisted finalists will be given complimentary tickets (valued at $7,500) with accommodation to attend the full event.
• Travel costs will need to be covered by the applicant.
• Only one complimentary ticket will be offered per entry.
• If you are unable to attend The Global Forum in person, you will need to make yourself available on June 2 to pitch to the jury via Zoom.
• The shortlisted finalists will be announced by mid-May.

For The Business of Beauty Global Awards terms and conditions, please click here.

If you have any further questions, please email beautyawards@businessoffashion.com.

If you are interested in partnership opportunities, please contact our team here.

APPLY NOW

Deadline: Tuesday April 30, 2024 11:59pm EST

Application fee: $500

FAQ’s

What are The Business of Beauty Global Awards?

The Business of Beauty Global Awards honour the entrepreneurs shaping the future of the global beauty industry, selected by BoF’s expert editors and a jury of top industry leaders

Why should I enter?

• Create Brand Awareness: Winners will be announced at The Business of Beauty Global Forum. The winners will also be featured on The Business of Beauty and across the BoF ecosystem, including our social media channels with more than 7 million followers.
• Attend The Business of Beauty Global Forum: Finalists will be invited to join our programme of talks, interactive workshops and intimate lunches and dinners at The Business of Beauty Global Forum in Napa Valley, California from June 3-5, 2024. (Tickets to the The Business of Beauty Global Forum are invitation-only and valued at $7,500.)
• Access BoF Professional: All applicants will receive complimentary 12-month access to analysis and advice from The Business of Beauty, valued at $270.

How are the winners selected?

Each application will undergo extensive research before being evaluated on three key criteria:

• Creative Execution: Companies with unique brand concepts based on the creativity of their products, packaging and marketing strategies, creating a demonstrable source of competitive advantage.
• Business Innovation: Companies with innovative business models, demonstrating clear business momentum supported by strong financials.
• Social Impact: Companies that have a positive net impact on their communities: the people working in their supply chain, the customers they serve and the environment.

The shortlist of selected finalists will be invited to attend The Business of Beauty Global Forum and pitch their businesses to our jury. The jury will score each pitch based on the above key factors. The highest scoring entries will be selected as the winners.

Confidentiality

All individuals involved in the judging process will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement and will be required to keep all application material confidential. Permission will be sought from winners to disclose any information before publishing.

Who can enter The Business of Beauty Global Awards?

Anyone over the age of 18 may enter.

Can I start my application and finish it later?

We strongly recommend you start and finish your application in one sitting, as you cannot save your progress.

You can use the arrows in the bottom right corner of the screen to view the application in full before you submit your responses. Please click here to download all the application questions in a document, to prepare before submitting your responses.

As part of your application you are required to upload a 60 second video answering the following: why does the beauty industry need your brand and vision? The video must be shot horizontally. You will be required to include a video embed link from a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Please also ensure you have your payment card ready to submit your entry fee.

Can I edit my entry after I have submitted my application?

No.

When will the finalists be contacted?

Finalists will be contacted by mid-May.

If you have any further questions, please email beautyawards@businessoffashion.com.