£15k to amplify
your ambition
Background
SpongeLabs competition is an annual event where we select one ambitious business and invest up to £15,000 of our time, expertise and creative support to help them take their next meaningful step.
The creative support we provide will be shaped around the challenges and opportunities facing the business, whether that’s strengthening a brand, refining a proposition, improving visibility or pushing into new market sectors.
If you’d like £15,000 of creative support, why not apply?
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
31st August 2026
WINNER ANNOUNCED
30th September 2026
What is SpongeLabs Competition?
An annual competition designed to help one ambitious brand take its next meaningful step. Each year, we’ll invest up to £15,000 worth of strategic and creative support into a business we genuinely believe in. This is an opportunity for one organisation to access the expertise, thinking and creative support needed to unlock the next stage of growth.
Who is it for?
The competition is open to all size of business including start-ups. We’re looking for businesses with momentum, ambition and a genuine appetite for growth.
What will the successful applicant receive?
The successful applicant will receive up to £15,000 of strategic and creative support, tailored around the opportunities and challenges facing their business.
This might include brand development, positioning, campaign planning, digital improvements, creative consultancy or specialist expertise. The scope will be agreed upfront, the objectives will be clear and the focus will always be on creating meaningful commercial impact.
Why are we doing this?
The simple answer is that we believe there are ambitious businesses doing great work that could achieve even more with the right creative support behind them.
SpongeLabs gives us the opportunity to work with one of those organisations in a way that’s different from a traditional client relationship. It allows us to invest our time, expertise and creativity into a business we genuinely believe in, helping them overcome challenges, unlock opportunities and accelerate growth.
We also benefit from the partnership through PR opportunities. We’ll gain new insights, tackle fresh challenges and, if the collaboration is successful, share the story as a case study to demonstrate the impact that strategic creative thinking can have.
How to apply
Complete the form below. We’ll review your application before a shortlist is created and one successful business selected.
How will entries be judged?
Entries will be assessed by the Creative Sponge leadership team. We’ll consider
- Business potential
- Commercial viability
- Ambition for growth
- Clarity of objectives
- Commitment to the process
- The potential impact that winning could deliver
We’re not necessarily looking for the biggest business or the most polished application. We’re looking for ambition, potential and a genuine opportunity for our support to make a meaningful difference.
Eligibility criteria
The competition is open to businesses based in the East of England – Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
We’re open to applications from any sector, but you should be able to demonstrate a genuine commercial vision – a viable business model and clear ambition for growth. Good luck!
Application Form
Before you begin, please set aside around 10 minutes to complete your application.
We’re looking to understand where your business is today, where you want it to go and why this feels like the right moment for change. Honest, thoughtful responses will help us assess the opportunity properly.
Every application will be reviewed by the Sponge leadership team. A shortlist may be invited to a short conversation before one brand is selected as the Sponge Labs partner for 2026.
We appreciate the time and care that goes into applying.
Every great result starts with a conversation.
READ
FIND US
Fuel Studios, Pottergate,
Norwich, NR2 1DX