A brace of Birmingham haircare businesses have each won £150,000 of TV advertising.
Flora & Curl and Nylah's Naturals are among four companies to be named winners in the Black in Business initiative which is run by Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank.
Their prize pot also includes the creation of their own TV adverts, set to air from July, and business mentoring from a senior executive at both Channel 4 and Lloyds.
Both Flora & Curl and Nylah's Naturals sell a range of products aimed at people with curly, textured and afro hair.
It is another big win for Kameese Davis, the founder of Nylah's Naturals, after she successfully pitched the business on hit BBC show Dragons' Den in 2021.
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The Black in Business programme was set up with the aim of tackling obstacles that black entrepreneurs might face when setting up and scaling businesses.
Lloyds published a report in 2022 which claimed that 84 per cent of black business owners said they had been negatively discriminated against in their entrepreneurial efforts.
Research by Channel 4 Sales found that 56 per cent black-owned businesses receive funding only once they had become successful, compared to 35 per cent of white business owners.
Flora & Curl's founder Rose Ovensehi said: "I am incredibly honoured to have been chosen as a winner of this incredible initiative to promote and uplift black-owned businesses on TV.
"Myself and my whole team are buzzing and we can't wait to see the sales uplift and experience the national recognition after a busy last two years of our rebrand project which has been a labour of love. We are just over the moon."
Ms Davis added: "I am delighted to have secured this incredible opportunity.
"Given the disparities black and female founders face in accessing the capital needed to market our initiatives, this opportunity is transformative.
"It will amplify our voices and help us further our mission to promote hair wellness and provide solution-focused products for women dealing with challenges like hair loss."
Dave Atkinson, regional director for the West Midlands at Lloyds, said: "These talented entrepreneurs have shown tremendous passion in starting and scaling their businesses and that passion shone brightly throughout this year's competition.
"Creativity and resilience are key to running a successful business so we look forward to seeing these winners thrive and inspire others."
Ewan Douglas, head of sales nations and regions at Channel 4 Sales, added: "I'm proud that we had the opportunity to be introduced to so many promising businesses through the Black in Business initiative and look forward to the next exciting phase as the winners work with Channel 4 on their adverts.
"We were blown away by the entrepreneurial journeys of our chosen winners and excited at the chance to work with them.
"We're confident that Channel 4 will do our best to provide the expertise and insights needed to supercharge these businesses, helping them to grow from strength to strength."
