Sky Unveils Initiative to Support Black Entrepreneurs

Sky, which earmarked £30 million ($40 million) over three years to tackle racial inequity inside and outside the company, has revealed funding plans targeted specifically at Black entrepreneurs.

In June 2020, Sky committed to improving Black and minority ethnic representation at all levels within the company, making a difference in communities impacted by racism and using the power of its voice and platform to highlight racial injustice. This £1 million ($1.3 million) initiative will support Black business founders in the U.K. by identifying the barriers to succeeding faced by Black entrepreneurs, delivering practical solutions to support Black entrepreneurs and creating the opportunity to access Sky’s supply chain.

The successful delivery partner and recipient of the enterprise initiative has been identified and will be announced in early 2022. The delivery partner will work with Sky to address the unique barriers Black entrepreneurs face when starting their businesses. In addition, the fund aims to create scalable models for supporting Black founders in British business, which will be published and shared.

Dana Strong, Sky’s Group CEO, said: “We believe we have an opportunity to stand against racial injustice and to tackle the barriers to success faced by Black people in the U.K.  This new fund will help Black entrepreneurs to succeed and to drive economic prosperity, which is at the heart of equity.”