SPONSORED: Last chance to enter the Western Morning News Business Awards

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It’s the last chance to enter the Western Morning News Business Awards.

Businesses across the South West have shown immeasurable courage and conviction this past year, adapting to ever-changing restrictions and navigating the changing economy.

To celebrate, the Western Morning News Business Awards is back with 11 awards and an extra special live event, all dedicated to the extraordinary efforts and inspirational ingenuity of our local business community.

On Thursday, October 7 at the Crowne Plaza, Plymouth, the glittering, black-tie awards ceremony will take place for all of our local businesses to enjoy.

And your business could be one of the stars of the show, hearing the applause and collecting the prestigious award on stage in front of fellow business excellence.

August 16 is the last chance to enter online

For more information about categories, sponsors and tickets, visit the online hub.

With growing competition and standards growing constantly, having the independent review that comes from a Western Morning News Business Awards shortlisting or win can open up opportunities for businesses of all types and sizes.

The last event saw Ultrabeam Hydrographic pick up both the Best Business Start Up title and Innovative Business of the Year. Two years on from its double win, the company has been awarded with multi-million pound contracts with the Ministry of Defence and received further local accolades.

Another winner, Ideal Foods Ltd, the Cornish seafood company which scooped the Exporter of the Year title, has been on international display as it joined other top Cornish brands for a G7 Summit exhibit

All local businesses have potential and success in their foundations, and we want to shine a spotlight on that.

From start-ups and apprentices to lifetime achievements and large businesses. Whether your company is renowned for being a good place to work, or takes a specific focus in corporate responsibility or sustainability. Take a look at the diverse range of categories below and, if your business fits the requirements, why not enter online today?

Plus, finalists and winners get free promotion to millions on BusinessLive, DevonLive, PlymouthLive and CornwallLive, as well as in print in the Western Morning News and Plymouth Herald.

The categories for the Western Morning News Business Awards 2021 are:

Start-Up Business of the Year

The Start-Up Business of The Year award will go to an organisation that: has been established within the past two and a half years (since January 2019); demonstrates evidence of entrepreneurship and/or innovation; has defied challenging economic conditions to succeed, grow and thrive; can evidence solid business plans, future growth potential and a determination to succeed.

The judges will take into consideration managerial performance, sales growth, profit achievement, number of people employed and evidence of a satisfied customer base.

SME Business of the Year

This will be awarded to a profitable, growing business, of up to 150 employees, which has had a positive impact on the region’s economy.

The judges will be looking at all aspects of a company’s performance, paying particular attention to: managerial and financial performance; evidence of success against targets set; potential for growth; long-term plans and company strategy; product and service development; staff training and development.

Please supply financial performance to support your application.

Large Business of the Year

This will be awarded to a profitable, growing business, with 150 or more employees, which has a positive impact on the region’s economy.

The judges will be looking at all aspects of a company’s performance, paying particular attention to: managerial and financial performance; evidence of success against targets set; potential for growth; long-term plans and company strategy; product and service development; staff training and development.

Please supply financial performance to support your application.

Innovation Award

Sponsored by Openreach

This award celebrates new ideas, processes, products, services, technologies and applications that have had an impact on an organisation’s success over the past 12 months.

Applications will be measured against:

• Originality of the innovation, its impact, practicality of its application and the measurable benefits to the business.

• All aspects of an innovative new product/service launch, including research and development, launch activity and the actual or likely commercial success of the product/service.

• Key success factors will include: degree of innovation, time taken to market, design process/best practice, market edge, USP, potential for growth/competition and profitability.

• Other factors might include job creation/safeguarding, environmental sustainability, use of teamwork, project management capability, customer delight/novelty factor and use of market research. Development to prototype stage only is expressly excluded from this award.

Business Person of the Year

Sponsored by Go South West

The Business Person of the Year will be an exceptional individual, either a successful entrepreneur or senior manager who has made a significant impact on their business and can demonstrate outstanding achievement whilst inspiring others around them.

Judges will be looking for entrants who have:

• Set and achieved objectives which demonstrate commercial success, ambition, energy, skill and vision.

• Led the development and implementation of practices to strengthen the organisation.

• Provided exceptional and inspirational leadership that creates a sense of directions and momentum for development within the business.

• Worked proactively to exceed the expectations of customers and raised the profile of the organisation.

Best Place To Work

This award will go to the company that believes its environment is the best place to work, whether this is through its workplace set up or through a home working system.

The judges will be interested in how the company establishes credibility in terms of vision, communication and coordinating activities; how employees are treated with respect and equality; how a company encourages employees to take pride in their work; how the atmosphere created is conducive to a successful team environment and employees wellbeing and safety.

Following the challenges and achievements of a national lockdown with many businesses having to move to a homeworking model, we will also consider entries that can demonstrate how the business successfully handled the lockdown and the move to working remotely; how it kept in contact with teams and any new initiatives put in place to help keep the teams engaged and take pride in their work. The award is also open to those businesses who already used flexible working practices prior to lockdown and how this helped their approach.

Corporate Social Responsibility Award

Sponsored by Browne Jacobson

This award will recognise the business which has demonstrated responsible business practices across the four areas of local community, environment, their people and supply chain.

Judges will look for evidence of a contribution to the overall well-being of the community, its environment and general quality of life. Applicants must demonstrate a working partnership using positive influences to support suppliers and other partners to adopt best environmental, workplace and community practice.

Environmental & Sustainability Award

This category recognises outstanding performance in environmental responsiveness and sustainable activity.

The winner of this award will be a company that: is working towards sustainable development goals and can demonstrate the impact; taking active green steps towards more environmentally-conscious operations and ethics; made improvements in energy-efficiency, carbon reduction or sustainable working; has introduced strategies and policies that show foresight and reflect a well-considered green approach – rather than fractional, ad-hoc actions.

Our judges want to feel inspired by your powerful story and are looking to see where you’ve come from, the obstacles you’ve faced, what motivates you to keep going and what your biggest achievements are.

Tourism & Hospitality Resilience Award

The Tourism & Hospitality Resilience Award will recognise businesses within the tourism and hospitality industry that have demonstrated resilience and innovation and adapted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Judges will be looking for businesses which have overcome adversity whether that us through offering a take out option to survive, creating outdoor seating or switching their entire business model. We also want to hear about how these businesses may have supported their local community and their plans for the future.

Apprentice Development Award

Sponsored by CCB Training

This award seeks to recognise the businesses that are making a major contribution to the apprenticeship programme by using apprentices or encouraging their use elsewhere. Any type of company or organisation could be included, but it must be employing apprentices or helping other firms with their apprenticeship programme. Training providers will only be considered if they can explain how they are developing the use of apprenticeships. Judges will be looking for examples of how the business has adapted to a changing marketplace and its strategy for the future.

Apprentice of the Year

This award is open to an apprentice who has shown outstanding progress and commitment to their own personal development. The apprentice is defined as a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award will go to the business person who has made a positive and lasting contribution to their business, the local economy and community – over a number of years. Our judges want to hear about individuals who have made a lasting contribution to and made a significant impact to the region’s business community.

• Enter online before the deadline on Monday, August 16 to be in with a chance of winning.
• The Western Morning News Business Awards 2021 will take place on Thursday, October 7 at the Crowne Plaza, Plymouth. Visit the online hub for more information.