Nominations are now OPEN -  nominate here!

We are looking for nominations of entrepreneurs in each of the following five award categories.  These  should be are individuals who stand out from the crowd, leading dynamic, innovative businesses and making a genuine change to our region.  Anyone can nominate an entrepreneur for these awards!     

Emerging Talent - An entrepreneur who is building a business of outstanding potential, which has been trading for six years or less (as of Friday 29th September 2023).

Scale-up Entrepreneur of the Year - 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 an 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 - An entrepreneur who has been 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 - An experienced entrepreneur who has shown incredible resilience and strength, particularly this past year, to lead their business to outstanding success through innovation, teamwork and leadership skills.

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

Entries to our Emerging Talent, Scale Up Entrepreneur and Entrepreneur of the Year will be judged by our panel of judges. The judging panels will shortlist three entrepreneurs in each category and will visit each of the finalists at their own premises in late June, early July, before reaching their decision. Please note that the entrepreneurs nominated in these categories will be contacted to provide further details to support their nomination.

Nominations for our Mentor of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award are judged by our Board of Directors. No further information will be requested in relation to these categories.

Please note you only need to put forward an individual once for their nomination to be considered in the next stage. This is a nomination NOT a vote.

Nominations will close on Friday 2nd Friday June.