Wales-based consultancy Littlechild & Haley has been named the regional winner in the Professional Services StartUp of the Year category at the UK StartUp Awards 2026.
The firm will now represent Wales at the national final, taking place at Ideas Fest on 9 September 2026 at Champneys, Tring in Hertfordshire.
The UK StartUp Awards were established to highlight the growth of new businesses across the UK. According to organisers, around 832,000 new businesses were registered in 2025, with more than 900 companies shortlisted for this year’s awards across ten nations and regions.
All shortlisted firms were founded within the past three years and collectively have created nearly 5,000 jobs and generated over £150 million in annual sales.
Founded in 2024, Litlechild & Haley is an internal audit, risk and assurance consultancy offering senior-led support to organisations in high‑scrutiny sectors such as the NHS, local government, universities and financial services.
The consultancy was established following an unexpected redundancy, prompting its founders to develop a model they describe as more people‑centred and outcomes‑focused than traditional compliance‑driven approaches. The firm refers to its method as “Success-centred Assurance”, aimed at helping organisations meet their objectives while maintaining strong governance.
Since launching, the consultancy has grown to a team of three, secured places on major public sector frameworks — including the NHS Internal Audit Framework — and expanded its client base across both public and private sectors.
Co-founders Donna Littlechild and Paul Haley said the award reflects growing interest in their approach to assurance and governance. They noted that representing Wales at the national final provides an opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, co-founder of the awards, said this year’s regional winners represent “the very best of British entrepreneurial talent” and praised their contribution to innovation and job creation across the UK.
The UK StartUp Awards, founded by Frankie James and Professor Dylan Jones-Evans as part of Ideas Community, is the UK’s largest independent startup awards programme. Now in its fifth year, it received more than 2,000 entries in 2026.
Regional winners will compete at the national final during Ideas Fest, held on 9–10 September 2026 at Champneys, Tring.

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