Award Nominations

Nominations are now open for our 2021 North East Entrepreneurial Awards!

For over 18 years we've been celebrating entrepreneurs who have stood out from the crowd, leading dynamic, innovative businesses and making a genuine change to our region.

While we postponed our 2020 awards ceremony, we’re delighted to return this year on Friday 24th September to celebrate the region’s entrepreneurial talent and acknowledge the incredible achievements of both our 2020 and 2021 award winners.

We are looking to recognise those individuals who have shown exceptional leadership, strength and resilience during these unprecedented times. Any individual can be nominated even if they are not a member of the Forum. 

Award categories include:

Emerging Talent - An individual who is building a business of outstanding potential, which has been trading for six years or less (as of Friday 24th September 2021).

Scale-up Entrepreneur - A business owner who is leading a scaling company achieving 20%+ annualised growth in either turnover, profit or employee numbers for any (but ideally all) of the past three years. We are looking for the entrepreneur who has been able to navigate the challenges brought by the pandemic and stay on course to achieve their future growth ambitions.

Mentor of the Year - Selected for their outstanding contribution over the last twelve months to altruistically supporting fellow entrepreneurs and the growth of their businesses.

Entrepreneur of the Year - A seasoned entrepreneur who has shown incredible resilience and strength, particularly this past year, to lead their business to outstanding success through innovation, team work and leadership skills.

Lifetime Achievement - Someone who has shown huge commitment over a significant period of time and made a major impact to the regional economy.