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Eve Williams, General Manager, eBay UK
Celebrating eBay sellers and a fresh start
Happy New Year, sellers! I hope you were able to take some time to relax this holiday season.
We’re starting the year with a real sense of momentum, and it’s all thanks to you. Every day, I see the ambition, creativity and resilience you bring to push your businesses - the way you constantly raise the bar and support one another helps create such a vibrant community.
Below, I reveal the 25 recipients of our Up & Running Grants. Since the programme launched in October, we’ve received numerous applications, each sharing unique stories and ideas for taking businesses to the next level. Read on to discover all the businesses who’ll be receiving a £10,000 cash grant.
Additionally, the launch of eBay Live in the UK last year has bought new ways for businesses to connect with buyers in 2026. With more of you joining the platform than ever, and shoppers streaming everything from clothing to collectables, I’m excited to see what’s coming next for Live selling.
While everyone’s busy setting goals and intentions, it’s also the perfect time to refresh how you make the most of selling on eBay. Thousands of sellers are already using eBay AI Activate, with fully-funded access to ChatGPT Enterprise. How would you use AI to transform your business? Register for eBay AI Activate now to get started.
We also have plenty of Seller Meetups planned for the year ahead, where you can learn how to put AI to work, connect with other sellers and more. Come along to get inspired and build connections that go beyond selling.
And the updates don’t stop there. This month’s blog is packed with plenty more to explore.
As ever, thank you for selling on eBay. Here’s to 2026.
Eve Williams, General Manager, eBay UK
Up & Running Grant winners
Business sellers have always been the heart and soul of our marketplace. That’s why we launched our Up & Running Grants programme in the UK last year, giving 25 sellers a £10,000 cash grant to help them fund ambitions, fuel growth and empower their communities.
Thanks to everyone who submitted videos, business plans and innovative ideas – we received over a thousand applications, and were so impressed by each one. Hearing your ambitions inspires us to keep finding new ways to support you as you grow your businesses, this year and beyond.
Programmes like this remind me of how passionate our eBay sellers are, and I’m happy to congratulate our final 25 businesses:
James Bolding - Boldfinds
James Hedington - Century Carbon
Agata Trojanowska - Chicandcherished
Emily Rostern - Club 500 Italia
Eleanor Forray - Emmaus Hertfordshire
Michelle O'Beirne - Fox Black Ltd
Liam Marriott - Freshmans Archive Ltd
Vytautas Jakstys - Second-Hand Ltd (GHandCoUk)
Russell Bates - Blue Gold Vintage Ltd
Nick Pengelly - JustSeed Ltd
Peter Williams - Maponus Gaming
Ahmed Noori - NovellaHats
Lindsay Hayman - Ojewellery
Olma Edeki - Patricia Anne Preloved
George Phillips - Phillips Hobbies Ltd
Emanuel Lupu - Price Lite
Kate Allan - PropUp Project
Lavrentii Tarasevych - TARRARI Antiques
Emily Benton - The Fluffy Cow
Shakeel Haq - Source Nest
Wayne Carver - TheReWear
Davin Reid-Montanaro - TCG Supplies
Ehsan Darvishi & Mitra Razmi - Tech Cell Limited
Ravi Owan - UK Tech Shop
eBay Live: A breakthrough year in 2025
2025 was the year of real-time selling. The launch of eBay Live in the UK opened new and exciting ways for our business seller community to connect with their buyers by streaming, showcasing their expertise and telling stories. The best part? Shoppers watched in the thousands, buying listings and discovering new favourite sellers. Here are some of our stand-out moments that truly capture what’s possible with Live:
King’s Trust charity fashion stream
Hosted by Trinny Woodall and Gaby Roslin, our pre-loved fashion community came together for a great cause, raising £5,000 in the Ultimate Designer Sale. Sellers saw first-hand how tapping into cultural moments can introduce their Shop to new potential buyers.
Icons Live ft. a special guest appearance
Football legend Michael Owen co-hosted this live shopping event for collectables and sports memorabilia, with around 270 viewers tuning in. Celebrity-led sessions like this helped sellers get exposure, build trust and reach new audiences.
Birmingham Comic Con
18 sellers tapped into different fandoms, streaming trading cards, toys and collectables from the showroom floor throughout the day. Live brought Comic Con’s energy to buyers who couldn’t attend in person, plus a special appearance from Roman Kemp.
eBay Live Superstore
Black Friday was our biggest retail moment of the year, putting sellers front and centre. Shoppers tuned in to bid on everything from designer handbags with AJ Odudu and Tasha Ghouri, to unique sports memorabilia with Peter Crouch and Icons.
Let’s hear it for our Live sellers
Pre-loved Tech
Selling refurbished tech live allows us to move stock quickly, increase revenue, and achieve our sustainability goals.
Messina Hembry
The speed and ease of selling stock through eBay Live has been very eye opening, it feels like a new frontier for re-selling.
Barney, 7th City Collectables
Live lets us connect with new and existing customers, deploy inventory dynamically, and bring the in-store experience online.
Now is your moment
We’re scaling Live with better discovery, new tools and more events. Haven’t gone Live yet? Apply to become a Live seller.
eBay AI Activate is in full acceleration mode
In October 2025, we launched eBay AI Activate, partnering with OpenAI to offer fully-funded access to ChatGPT Enterprise. Thousands of you are already putting the new tools to work for your business, with the help of expert training from eBay and OpenAI.
Ready to automate your business this new year? Register for eBay AI Activate now to unlock the tools you need, and keep an eye on our eBay AI Activate Training Hub where we’re constantly releasing helpful new materials.
We’ll also be hosting in-person training throughout the coming months, so register for our Seller Meetups and Roadshows to secure your place.
Meet our AI champion
George shares some of his tips and tricks on how he’s using eBay AI Activate to grow Phillip’s Hobbies.
We’re back on the road in 2026
Now in its fifth year, The eBay Business Roadshow is all about you, offering practical, hands-on support to help you grow your business. Spaces are limited, so follow our Instagram and keep an eye on your email to secure a spot.
From getting to grips with AI tools to improving your listings, boosting visibility and reaching more buyers, you’ll leave with ideas you can put into action straight away. You’ll hear directly from eBay experts, swap tips with fellow sellers and make real progress on the day, so be sure to bring your laptop or device along. We also have a series of Seller Meetups planned for early 2026:
Manchester – Thursday 22 Jan
Northampton – Wednesday 28 Jan
East Midlands – Thursday 5 Feb
Bristol – Thursday 5 Feb
Brighton – Thursday 12 Feb
London – Thursday 12 Feb
Birmingham – Thursday 19 Feb
Wirral – Thursday 26 Feb
Selling on eBay doesn’t have to be a solo journey. From swapping tips to finding support, being part of the eBay seller community helps you grow with confidence and build real connections that last.
Be sure to sign up for seller updates and follow @eBayforSellersUK on Instagram for more announcements and behind-the-scenes moments.
Changes to customs rules for low-value items
We want to let you know about an upcoming change that could affect how you sell to buyers in the EU.
The EU has announced that it will remove the €150 customs duty exemption (de minimis) for low-value imports from July 2026. From that point onwards, a €3 customs duty will apply instead.
We’re already looking into these changes to make sure that selling to EU buyers on eBay stays simple, and we’ll support you every step of the way.
eBay’s Global Shipping Programme continues to be an easy, reliable way for you to sell to the EU and more than 100 other markets worldwide. When you use the programme, we take care of the international shipping and customs process for you and your buyer.
If you’re not already opted in, getting started is easy. Head to your Global Shipping Programme preferences page to sign up and get more information about how the programme works.
Better value on returns with Royal Mail
We're always working to make your selling journey easy and affordable. Now, we're pleased to share an update to our Royal Mail rates that makes returns even better value for UK sellers.
From 12 Jan 2026, Royal Mail return rates on eBay will be reduced across all weight bands, with the majority of labels now priced at less than £3.00.
Our most commonly used band (0–1kg) has seen the largest price reduction, making it easier for you to manage everyday costs.
Take a look at our updated rates below, or find out more about how return postage works for sellers.
