Next week marks start of Wray Forward 2025 programme
Wray and Nephew is bringing its Wray Forward programme back for a fourth year, having supported more than 3,800 Black entrepreneurs in previous iterations.
Sign ups for this year’s edition are now open on Foundervine’s website, an inclusive London-based business training and coaching platform and the Jamaican rum brand’s partner on the programme.
Workshops will start from 9 April.
The free programme was first launched in 2021 with the intention of providing Black founders across the UK with the best possible support through funding, educational workshops and networking events.
So far, it has supported more than 3,800 entrepreneurs, provided £20,000 (US$26,000) in grants, offered more than 200 hours of free learning and represented more than 24 industries.
Alongside the free workshops that the programme has become known for, 2025’s agenda also includes roundtable discussions covering a range of challenges that Black-owned businesses face.
It will also offer networking events, and pitch nights where six founders will be selected within three sessions and have the opportunity to pitch their inspiring ideas and growing businesses. Nine selected winners will have the chance to secure a prize of £3,000 (US$3,900), £1,500 (US$1,930), or £500 (US$651).
The brand said full terms and conditions will follow.
The brand’s Wray Forward Powerbook will also return this year. The initiative will shine light on 25 Black and Mixed-Black business owners, and has been curated by a panel of independent judges following a competitive selection process of Wray Forward programme participants.
Speaking on what the programme hopes to achieve, Izzy Obeng, co-founder of Foundervine, said: “At Foundervine, we’ve supported over 1000+ businesses since 2018 – and we’re just getting started. Through our partnership with Wray & Nephew and the Wray Forward programme, we’re empowering Black founders to break barriers and build thriving businesses.
“In 2025, we’re creating a global network of Wray Forward communities – self-led, powerful, and driven by founders who are reshaping the world.”
Wray & Nephew has previously carried out research that revealed almost seven in 10 (68%) Black entrepreneurs did not have the business tools and resources to succeed, while three-quarters (75%) noted success would have come quicker were they able to access these tools at an earlier stage.
Additionally, one in five (20%) Black business owners have struggled to raise funds for their enterprise, according to a study from Censuswide, which surveyed 1,004 18-and-above business owners and entrepreneurs, with a minimum of 250 Black and/or mixed heritage professionals.
For 2025, the main objective of Wray Forward will be to increase access to funding for Black founders.
Gbemi Sitta, director at SweetDoughThings and Wray Forward member, said: “Wray Forward has been an incredible experience. The mentorship, funding opportunities, and networking have given my business real momentum.
“It’s more than just a programme – it’s a community that genuinely supports Black and minority entrepreneurs, and I’m grateful to be part of it.”
Wray & Nephew is owned by Campari Group and is one of the best-selling rum brands in the world.
In March, it launched limited edition white Jamaican rum exclusively for the UK.
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