Cliff Notes – Apprentice winner could face £200,000 fine after firm accused of breaking rule
- Dean Franklin, the winner of The Apprentice 2025, may face a fine of up to £200,000 after his air conditioning company, ADL, was accused of operating without a required F-Gas licence from May 2020 to October 2021.
- The Environment Agency has confirmed an investigation into ADL, stating that handling fluorinated greenhouse gases without proper certification is illegal.
- Despite the allegations, Franklin claims he has been F-Gas certified since 2014 and was unaware of any ongoing investigation into his company.
Apprentice winner could face £200,000 fine after firm accused of breaking rule
The Apprentice 2025 winner could be handed a hefty fine after his company was accused of breaching a major rule.
Earlier this week, Dean Franklin, 35, secured the £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar after going head to head with Anisa Khan on the BBC show.
The entrepreneur revealed he would use the cash injection to expand his air conditioning company, ADL, which he started during the summer during the Covid–19 lockdowns.
However, the Environment Agency confirmed to Metro that ADL was under investigation for a ‘potential breach.’
It has been accused of not having an F-Gas licence between May 2020 and October 2021. The maximum penalty is a £200,000 fine.
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Companies and individuals who handle fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) are legally required to have an F-Gas licence. F-Gases are commonly used as refrigerants in air conditioning systems.
Apprentice winner Dean could be fined up to £200,000 if his company is found to have broken a rule (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
It has been claimed Dean’s company did not have a legally required licence for several months (Picture: BBC / FremantleMedia Ltd)
The Environment Agency added: ‘We are clear that it is against the law to work with F-Gas without the correct qualifications and certification.’
In a comment shared with The Sun, Dean said: ‘I’m not aware of any review or investigation. I’ve been F-Gas certified since 2014 and have the necessary qualifications for my work.’
Metro has reached out to Dean’s rep and the BBC for comment.
According to the F-Gas register, ADL currently holds a licence. The dates of the licence can not be seen on the register.
Dean created the company during the hot summers in the pandemic when demand for AC units were at a high.
The Environment Agency said it was launching an investigation (Picture: BBC / FremantleMedia Ltd)
Dean said he was ‘not aware’ of the investigation and has held the licence since 2014 (Picture: BBC / FremantleMedia Ltd)
‘I jumped at the opportunity, put all my eggs in one basket, took the risk, made the jump and haven’t looked back,’ he said on the BBC show.
In an interview with Metro, Dean previously said he ‘manifested’ winning The Apprentice.
He said: ‘For years, I’ve been saying to my friends and family that I’m going to go on the show and I’m going to win it, but then you get chucked into the deep end and you realise how hard it is and you start thinking, “Maybe not, maybe I won’t win this”.
‘But I signed up to the process to win it, not just take part or get on the show.
‘I signed up to become his business partner and to actually have done it is just amazing.’
The Apprentice is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.