In the BBC series Dragons' Den, what do entrepreneurs present to the Dragons in exchange for investment?

In the BBC series Dragons' Den, entrepreneurs present business proposals to the Dragons in exchange for investment.

The programme centres on entrepreneurs explaining a product or company, requesting a specific amount of money, and offering a percentage of ownership in return. The Dragons then question the entrepreneur about sales, costs, valuation, competition and future plans.

A proposal may concern a physical product, a service, a food brand or a technology company. The entrepreneurs must explain both what the business does and why their requested valuation is reasonable. A televised agreement is also subject to further negotiation and due diligence, so not every handshake becomes a completed investment.

The format is often confused with a straightforward loan competition. In Dragons' Den, the central offer is normally equity: the entrepreneur offers part of the business rather than simply promising to repay borrowed money. That negotiation between ownership and investment is the show's defining business mechanism.