Since our inception over 20 years ago, we’ve seen fintech evolve from a niche corner of the financial sector to a driving force of innovation and impact.
What started with streamlining payments and reducing friction has grown into a global movement redefining how people and businesses engage with money. Today, fintech is about more than efficiency. It’s about access, inclusion, and building a more equitable financial future.
At Chatsworth, we’ve always been passionate about fintech as a powerful enabler of positive change: supporting more inclusive economies, promoting sustainable practices, and addressing systemic imbalances in society.
However, as the UK fintech landscape becomes increasingly competitive, it’s harder than ever for mission-driven firms to cut through the noise and gain the visibility they deserve.
This is why we’re launching our ‘Fintech for Impact’ competition, offering one UK-based fintech the chance to win six months of pro-bono PR to boost their media profile and support their commercial goals.
We’ve provided pro-bono support since Chatsworth was founded. Alongside making a difference for the organisations we support, it gives our team the chance to collaborate with inspiring people, gain fresh perspectives, and apply their skills to challenges outside the commercial sphere.
The winner will gain access to the expertise of a specialist fintech PR agency, leveraging strategic communications to build brand awareness, accelerate commercial growth and drive meaningful impact in the market.
Nick Murray-Leslie, Director and co-founder at Chatsworth, said:
“Fintech has the potential to solve some of the most pressing challenges we face, from financial exclusion to inequality and beyond, and we believe in the power of communications to accelerate that impact. By launching the Fintech for Impact competition, we want to support a mission-driven fintech that is creating meaningful change but may not yet have the platform to tell its story.”
Liz Fleming, Director and co-founder at Chatsworth, commented:
“Since founding Chatsworth in 2004, impact and inclusion have been at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture, guide our decisions, and shine through in the results we deliver for our clients. We can’t wait to see the inspiring entries to come – the toughest part will be choosing just one winner.”
Get involved:
Launching on Tuesday 26 August 2025, we are inviting applications from all UK-based fintechs demonstrating a clear contribution to social, economic or environmental change in fintech. We’re open to hearing from all sides of fintech, from digital assets and FX to financial crime prevention and everything in between.
The winner will receive a monthly retainer of £4000 worth of PR support for six months provided by a specialist Chatsworth account team. Specific deliverables will include:
- A PR messaging workshop to define your core talking points
- Launch or announcement support
- Media outreach (at least one press release and media pitching)
- Thought leadership planning and at least 1x op-ed placement
- Proactive newsjacking for media comment opportunities
- Social media advisory work
- Inclusion in our agency PR channels (website case study, newsletter or LinkedIn)
The entry process
To take part, simply complete the entry form here and share details about your company, explaining how it contributes to social, environmental, or governance innovation.
The deadline for entries is Friday 26 September, and all entries will be judged by our team of Directors.
All entrants must be registered startups operating in the UK.
Our track record
We have a proven track record of supporting mission-driven fintechs and driving their growth. This is best reflected in our work for Sibstar, a Dragon’s Den-backed fintech designed to help vulnerable adults manage their spending.
Following its Den appearance, Chatsworth worked to support Sibstar in its goals to grow its brand reputation by undertaking proactive media engagement to position the brand and its CEO as a thought leader.
We secured coverage in CNN, City AM and The Sun, among many others, supported Sibstar on its ‘Safe Spending for All’ campaign and secured them multiple award wins. Find our more about our work with Sibstar here.
Terms & Conditions
The Promoter for this competition is Chatsworth Communications Limited (“Chatsworth” or the “Promoter”).
1. Eligibility
1.1 The competition is open only to fintech startups that:
Are incorporated and have been operating for less than five (5) years at the time of entry;
Have a clear purpose-driven or inclusive mission aligned with ‘fintech for good’ or social impact principles;
Are early-stage fintech businesses (e.g. pre-seed, seed, or Series A)
1.2 Employees, officers, directors, agents, and representatives of the Promoter, their immediate family members or household members are not eligible to enter.
1.3 The Promoter may require an entrant to provide proof that it is eligible to enter the competition.
1.4 By submitting a competition entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions.
2. Competition Mechanic
2.1 You enter this competition by submitting a maximum of 500 words via the application form referred to in clause 3.1.
2.2 The submission must detail how your company or organisation drives social, environmental or governance innovation.
3. Entry
3.1 Eligible startups must complete and submit the official application form via the competition landing page within the stated entry period.
3.2 Only one entry per company is permitted.
3.3 Incomplete, false, or misleading entries will be disqualified at the Promoter’s sole discretion.
3.4 The Promoter will not accept competition entries that are:
(a) automatically generated by computer or created by artificial intelligence (including but not limited to chatbots such as ChatGPT or similar software applications);
(b) completed by third parties; or
(c) incomplete.
4. Competition Period
4.1 The competition opens on Tuesday 26 August at 11:00 AM BST (“Opening Date”) and closes at 23:59 BST on Friday 26 September (“Closing Date”).
4.2 All competition entries must be received by the Promoter via the official application form by no later than the Closing Date. All competition entries received after the Closing Date are automatically disqualified.
5. Judging and Winner Selection
5.1 All eligible entries will be reviewed by a judging panel comprising Chatsworth senior leadership.
5.2 Judging criteria may include mission clarity, innovation, societal impact, potential for PR amplification, and overall quality of submission.
5.3 Following the initial review, a shortlist of finalists will be selected and invited to participate in a short interview with the judging panel. This may be conducted via video call and is intended to clarify the applicant’s goals, story, and suitability for PR support.
5.4 After interviews are completed, the judging panel will select one winner based on both the written application and interview performance.
5.5 The selected winner will be notified via email or phone within 15 working days of the close of the competition.
5.6 If the selected winner does not respond within 14 days, Chatsworth reserves the right to select an alternative winner from the shortlist.
5.7 The decision of the judges nominated by Chatsworth is final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
5.8 Chatsworth may make available information that indicates that a valid award took place by placing the information of the winning submission on their website. You hereby agree that Chatsworth may use your submission for these purposes.
6. Prize
6.1 The winner will receive six (6) months of pro bono PR support from Chatsworth, to be used within two years, which is valued at £24,000, including:
PR messaging workshop;
Media outreach, including at least one press release and pitching to relevant outlets;
Support for a launch or news announcement;
Thought leadership planning and a minimum of one op-ed placement;
Newsjacking support where relevant;
Social media strategy advisory;
Inclusion in Chatsworth’s own communications (e.g. newsletter, LinkedIn, case studies).
6.2 The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or any other alternative.
6.3 Chatsworth reserves the right to alter elements of the prize, provided the overall value and scope of support remain equivalent.
6.4 Chatsworth does not accept any responsibility if you are not able to take up the prize.
7. Use of Winner’s Information
7.1 By entering, applicants agree that if selected as the winner, their company name, logo, and a summary of their work may be used by Chatsworth for promotional purposes (including digital content, social media, case studies, and press materials).
7.2 The winner also agrees to participate in promotional activities reasonably requested by Chatsworth to support awareness of the competition and resulting work.
8. Data Protection
8.1 Any personal or business data submitted as part of this competition will be processed in accordance with the UK GDPR and Chatsworth’s Privacy Policy.
8.2 Entrants may be contacted with information related to the competition and Chatsworth’s services but can opt out of communications at any time.
9. Limitation of Liability
9.1 Chatsworth will not accept responsibility for competition entries that are corrupted, not successfully completed or transmitted, false, misleading or damaged regardless of cause, including, for example, as a result of any, equipment failure, technical malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, website, computer hardware or software failure of any kind.
9.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, Chatsworth shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or injury arising from participation in this competition or acceptance of the prize.
10. General
10.1 Chatsworth reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or amend the competition where necessary due to circumstances beyond its control.
10.2 By submitting an entry, entrants agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions. Chatsworth’s decision in all matters related to the competition is final.
10.3 These Terms & Conditions are governed by English law. Any disputes arising in connection with the competition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
11. Ownership of competition entries and intellectual property rights
11.1 You agree that Chatsworth may, in their sole discretion, make your entry available on its website and in any other media, whether now known or invented in the future, and in connection with any publicity of the competition. You grant Chatsworth a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable licence in perpetuity, for the full period of the intellectual property rights in the competition entry and any accompanying materials, to use, display, publish, transmit, copy, edit, alter, store, re-format and sub-licence the intellectual property rights in the competition entry and any accompanying materials for such purposes.
12. Contact
For queries relating to the competition, please contact: fintechforimpact@chatsworthcommunications.com
We were the first communications agency to focus on fintech.
We’ve been building fintech reputations for 20 years, steering start-ups through launch, growth, and onto corporate action while protecting and enhancing established infrastructures.
For intelligent, informed and connected fintech PR which delivers results and value, let us help build your reputation and tell your story.
