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Up-and-coming entrepreneurs and small businesses are being given the chance to showcase their wares in Birmingham city centre for free.

Flexible retail space operator Sook is opening a new site in the Bullring shopping centre later this month and is giving local businesses the chance to use it.

Sook operates accommodation which can be rented out short term by companies looking to host pop-up shops to meet customers in person and drive awareness of their brands.

Its latest base will be in Link Street in the units formerly occupied by men's fashion brand Luke.

Founder John Hoyle said: "We are excited to launch Sook in Birmingham and bring our flexible retail space to both the Bullring and Grand Central.

"There has been a boom in online-only sellers in recent years but many are now looking for real life opportunities where they can open a short-term physical store to help grow their business and meet customers without the expensive overheads.

"We couldn't think of a better way to launch this new space than to create a competition for businesses in the local area, giving them the chance to test out our space for free and to see how they can grow their business with a physical space."

The launch in Birmingham on September 9 is Sook's first in the Midlands region and joins a portfolio of operations across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ.