March 22, 2021 4.17 pm This story is over 35 months old

Alan Sugar is looking for his next apprentice, perhaps from Lincolnshire

Local business hopefuls invited to apply for the show

Alan Sugar is looking for his next batch of candidates as the popular BBC series The Apprentice gets ready to return to our screens later this year, but could the next winner be from Lincolnshire?

Lord Sugar has already invested £2,250,000 in business start-ups through The Apprentice, which first aired in 2005.

The last series of The Apprentice was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, making 2020 the first time since 2005 without the show airing.

It was announced earlier this month that The Apprentice 2021 applications are now open, where applicants need to fill out a profile, answer questions and upload a video.

The winning candidate will receive an investment of up to £250,000 and will go into a 50/50 business with Lord Sugar.

https://www.facebook.com/BBCApprentice/videos/1587377584800270

Lincolnshire businesswomen have appeared in each of the most recent two series.

In Series 15 in 2019, Stamford-based Risk Management Consultancy owner Marianne Rawlins managed to last until late in the process before being fired after the ninth task. The most recent series was won by Carina Lepore.

Mumpreneur Khadija Kalifa got even further, reaching the final five in 2018 before being fired after the gruelling interviews stage.

Lincolnshire businesswomen Marianne Rawlins and Khadija Kalifa appeared in BBC’s The Apprentice in 2019 and 2018 respectively. | Photo: BBC

Lord Sugar is “very much looking forward to the new series and helping a new entrepreneur to launch a new business with my £250,000 investment”.

He said: “There has been a devastating impact on business throughout the world of late and the economy has taken one hell of a battering recently, but over the coming months businesses across the country will be fighting back against this bloody terrible virus as very best they can.

“It is going to be a huge challenge, make no mistake about that, but it is one I am confident that British business can rise to.

“Speaking of bouncing back, I know that many people will have been disappointed that we weren’t able to make a new series of The Apprentice last year, myself included.

“I am pleased to say that there is some good news to share – we are going to be cracking on with a new series of The Apprentice very soon. In fact, the pre-production phase has already begun and plans are coming together to make sure that we are back on air later this year.”