UK Financial Capability Awards spotlight five standout programmes improving money skills nationwide 

July 1st, 2026

Programmes helping people build essential money skills for a changing world have been recognised at the 2026 UK Gala Awards for Financial Capability. The awards were hosted by the London Foundation for Banking & Finance in partnership with the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards on 30 June and held at the Guildhall in the City of London.  

This year’s winners reflect a broad range of approaches to improving financial capability, including primary school financial education, AI-powered money guidance, a national savings campaign, blockchain-enabled learning, and gamified financial education tools. 

Award winners

• Best fintech project: Munny Group – eM: Your AI-Powered Money Coach  

• Best adult education project: UK Savings Week – Building Societies Association  

• Best blockchain education project: realXeducation – Digit Labs Limited  

• Best content creation: 2mins / Emily Boxall  

• Best school-age education project: Year Six Dividend – City Pay it Forward  

Research from LFBF and Leeds Building Society, ‘A Nation of Investors: The Indispensable Role of Savings’ highlights gaps in financial capability across the UK. The research, carried out among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 people shows that: while 59% of people say they feel confident managing their money, only 26% were able to answer the report’s financial capability questions correctly. Almost half (46%) of those with low capability scores still believe they make decisions confidently. 

Shelley Doorey Williams, Chief Executive of the London Foundation for Banking & Finance, said: “The UK Awards for Financial Capability recognise organisations who are turning concern about financial capability into practical, positive action. As financial decisions become more complex, building money skills cannot be left to one part of society alone. It requires collaboration between financial organisations, individuals, charities, policymakers and tech companies. This year’s winners give us reasons to be hopeful in an often challenging and rapidly changing world. We are grateful to support from HSBC and the City of London Corporation to help make the awards happen.” 

Michael Gilmore, Co-Founder of the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards, said: “These five award winners are tackling real financial challenges in ways that are practical, accessible and designed around people’s lives. From helping employees manage debt to giving children and young people stronger foundations, they show that effective financial education is not abstract; it helps people take action, build confidence and make better decisions.” 

The event brought together more than 100 leaders from financial services, education, regulation, charities and social impact organisations to share ideas, celebrate progress and strengthen collective action. 

About the winners

Best content creation: 2mins / Emily Boxall

Financial education can often feature dense text and language, intimidating to some audience groups. Emily Boxall built 2mins to try and change that. The gamified app for ages 16+ uses two-minute storyboards narrated by animal characters to cover money topics. It also utilises original word-based games and now has over 140 storyboards. Emily has been invited to join the Scottish Widows Women’s Retirement Outcomes group, pledging to engage 1,000 young women with pensions. 

Best fintech project: Munny Group – eM: Your AI-Powered Money Coach

Munny Group’s AI-powered tool offers independent financial guidance with 24/7 workplace availability, debt liaison support, and safeguarding. Free from product promotion, it features 14 languages, a neurodiverse mode, and dyslexia-friendly fonts to break through traditional barriers to financial education. More than 20 million employees, individuals, and students are set to have access by the end of 2026, with an international expansion into Canada, the US, and Australia planned for 2027.

Best adult education project: UK Savings Week – Building Societies Association

UK Savings Week is a national campaign that brings together hundreds of employers, charities, and financial services firms. By equipping trusted organisations with free, ready-to-use resources, they saw a huge uptick in adults, 67%, taking positive savings action, rising to 83% among young adults. The campaign has secured backing from HM Treasury and the FCA and features in the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy.

Best blockchain education project: realXeducation – Digit Labs Limited

Digit Labs Limited’s realXeducation project connects university students with pupils aged 14–17 to deliver practical finance sessions. The model features an ‘impact-to-earn’ mechanism: corporate sponsors fund the initiative, and smart contracts release funds only when verified learning outcomes are met – ensuring schools access everything at no cost. This aims to create an alignment of incentives where learners gain credentials, educators earn income, and corporate partners invest in measurable social impact. Following successful pilots at the University of East London, a Memorandum of Understanding is now in progress.

Best school-age education project: Year Six Dividend – City Pay it Forward

As financial education is non-statutory in UK primary schools, many children leave at age eleven without any formal money guidance. City Pay it Forward’s Year Six Dividend campaign, partnered with City A.M., addresses this by offering London state primary schools a £1,000 unrestricted grant to complete a teacher-led, three-lesson financial programme. The curriculum has reached over 130,000 pupils. Now, backed by £2 million from Square Mile businesses, the London campaign aims to reach a further 65,000 pupils across 1,800 schools – targeting the age window where attitudes towards money are formed.

ENDS 

Notes to editors 

1. The London Foundation for Banking & Finance (LFBF) is a registered charity incorporated by Royal Charter. It was founded in 1879 by a group of City-based bank workers who came together to establish leadership and professional practice principles for the industry. Today, its charitable purpose is the advancement of knowledge of and education in financial services, and the conduct and publication of research for public benefit. It awards Chartered status to individuals who demonstrate the highest level of professional competence and is also home to the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI): a think-tank focused on the challenges and opportunities facing the finance sector. www.lfbf.org.uk  

2. The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (The MAIAs) are the world’s pre-eminent financial literacy and education awards, designed to spotlight and support those making a real difference in helping people understand and benefit from money. By celebrating these achievements, the MAIAs aim to inspire a global movement toward better financial awareness and inclusion. For the 2026 awards, 244 entries were filtered down to 138 finalists, both of those record totals, with a 23-member judging panel of global financial experts adjudicating the winners and runners-up across 17 categories. The five UK winners represent the top achievements of entries from the UK. https://www.maiawards.org/  

Contact 

Rebecca Mintrim, Director of Communications,  [email protected]  

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