Deadline extended for 10th Midlands Family Business Awards

Family-owned businesses now have an additional two weeks to enter the 2019 Midlands Family Business Awards as the deadline has been extended to Friday 26 July.

TheBusinessDesk.com is media partnering the awards again this year.

The extension will cater for the high volume of late requests and applications to the UK’s independent, not-for-profit annual family business awards and all nominations sent up until midnight on 26th July will be considered.

With ten free-to-enter categories including Family Business of the Year, Fastest Growing Family Businesses, Employer of the Year, Best Small Family Business, Manufacturing Excellence, Corporate Social Responsibility and Service Excellence, there is an accolade suitable for every business.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the awards, which are organised and backed by The Wilson Organisation – a Nottingham-based third-generation family business, three new categories have been added to celebrate and recognise the success, achievements and innovations of family-run businesses and raise funds for local charities at the awards dinner.

Next Generation Family Business Leader, Construction & Property Excellence and an extra special category called Rising Stars are the exciting new additions this year.

The Rising Stars category celebrates and supports newly established family businesses that have a bright future by providing a full-service professional growth support package for 2020.

As part of this package, the winning business will receive bespoke support from family business experts and mentoring from successful family business leaders.

Taking place on 7th November at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, the black-tie awards dinner attracts over 300 guests including awards finalists, independent judges and sponsors.

The judges are an independent panel, led by a family business leader, industry expert and the category sponsor, and all finalists are entered into the People’s Choice Award, voted by the public.

Group managing director of The Wilson Organisation, Charlotte Perkins, said: “We’ve experienced a high volume of interest in the awards this year and so this extension will allow for late requests and entries to come through. Our aim for the awards has always been to shine a light on the region’s talented and successful family businesses and to play our part in creating a community of likeminded and supportive individuals.

“Now in our tenth year, we are immensely proud of how the awards have grown year on year and I believe that is testament to the volume and calibre of brilliant firms in our region and the fact that family businesses embrace celebrating their success and that of others.

“We urge family firms not to miss this year’s awards which serve to highlight the great work of companies and put the spotlight on hard work and dedication. We want to wish all the businesses who enter the best of luck.”

Main sponsors for the 2019 awards are OrderWise, Buckles Solicitors, PwC, Shakespeare Martineau, Streets Chartered Accountants and Ward Recycling.

David Hallam who is managing director at OrderWise, winners of the 2017 Midlands Family Business of the Year Award, said: “Receiving recognition at the Midlands Family Business Awards, as well as sponsoring it last year and for the 10th Anniversary this year, has raised our profile regionally. As veterans of many award submissions, we can also say it is one of the more straightforward to enter thanks to their simple-to-use online entry form.

“If you’re a growing family business with a recent success story to tell, these awards provide a great platform to be recognised and I’d certainly recommend entry in 2019.”

In 2018 the awards drew over 130 entries from a range of family businesses across the Midlands. Innovation and commitment to excellence was clear across all winners, alongside strong family values.

The much-deserving Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance and The Midlands Air Ambulance are the charities that the awards will be supporting this year.

Nominations for the 2019 awards close midnight 26th July and can be submitted via the awards website: www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.