National Business Awards open for entries

UNITED Business Media’s flagship awards programme the National Business Awards, in partnership with Orange and supported by TheBusinessDesk.com, has launched its Pride of British Business campaign to seek out the individuals and enterprises helping to restore confidence in UK plc.

Oxfam has also been selected as the chosen charity partner for the 2011 awards to help raise funds for its Enterprise Development Programme, which is designed to help entrepreneurs in developing countries world-wide.

TheBusinessDesk.com will take part in the judging of the awards for the first time and profile entrants as well as launching a new initiative to ensure the best of businesses based in the West Midlands and the North are taking part in the National Business Awards 2011.

It is the first time this has been agreed with any regional online business publisher.
Under the agreement, winners of TheBusinessDesk.com’s own Masters Awards, that recognise organisations for their contribution to their regional economies, will automatically be entered into the National Business Awards, as well as the publishers sharing content to encourage entries to the UK’s leading national award for business.

Now in their 10th year, the National Business Awards has launched its 2011 campaign with the support of influential business leaders such as angel investor and entrepreneur champion Julie Meyer, chief executive of Ariadne Capital; Richard North, chief executive of Wow! Stuff, the Wolverhampton-based toy manufacturer; and Sir John Banham, who has chaired a number of blue chip businesses including Whitbread, Kingfisher, Tarmac, West Country Television and, currently, Johnson Matthey.

The awards are also backed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, who is to speak at the awards ceremony in London on November 8.

Supporting the awards, Mr Osborne said: “I want Britain to become the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business. To do that, we need to learn from the many success stories coming out of Britain’s business community.

“The National Business Awards are the perfect way to celebrate the best of British business in every sector and every region.”

More than 100 chief executives and senior directors participated as judges in 2010, and businesses such as Innocent Drinks and moneysupermarket.com have been brought to ther national attention through the awards programme.

The programme has also recognised the leadership styles and achievements of the likes of Paul Walsh, chief executive of Diageo; Harriet Lamb, chief executive of Fairtrade Foundation; Sir Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco; and Martin McCourt, chief executive of Dyson.

Martin Stiven, vice president of business at Orange, said: “In order to encourage confidence in UK business, we need to showcase those companies that are leading the pack and have demonstrated real innovation in the past year.

“Orange is a key supporter of Britain’s businesses, large and small, which is why we believe it is so important for people to highlight their success by entering The National Business Awards.”

Organisations operating in the public and private sector are invited to register for award categories ranging from the Orange Innovation Award, to the Santander SME of the Year Award, through to the ICAEW Sustainability Award.
New award categories for this year include BlackBerry Business Enabler of the Year and WorldPay Online Business of the Year.

In addition to the open to enter categories, there are five nomination only categories where the wider business community can nominate the UK’s leading businesses and individuals to be considered as finalists.

These include the Orange Leader of the Year, the Daily Telegraph Award for a Decade of Business Excellence, the Coutts & Co Large-Cap Business of the Year, the Grant Thornton Mid-Cap Business of the Year and the 3i Private Business of the Year.

To enter or nominate for this year’s campaign, telephone 0207 2348755 or visit www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk.  Finalists will be announced on July 28.

The full list of categories open to entries are:
 
• The Excellence in Marketing Award
• The WorldPay Online Business of the Year
• The Online Small Business of the Year
• The Customer Focus Award
• The Employer of the Year
• The ICAEW Sustainability Award
• The BlackBerry Growth Strategy of the Year
• The BlackBerry Business Enabler of the Year
• The Orange Innovation Award
• The Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• The Santander Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award

Categories run by nomination only are:

• The 3i Private Business of the Year
• The Grant Thornton Mid-Cap Business of the Year
• The Coutts & Co Large-Cap Business of the Year
• The Daily Telegraph Award for a Decade of Business Excellence
• The Orange Leader of the Year