AWARD CATEGORIES

 

New product of the year

 

Awarded to a company that has successfully launched a new product or service in the past 12 months.

 

All entries must describe:

• The market conditions and trends prior to the launch
• The planning and development behind the product/service
• Market acceptance (e.g press reviews, market research reports, industry awards)
• Proof of bookings, purchase orders and sales
• Projections for future market share, distribution, sales volumes
• The judges will favour those entries that can supply independent validation of the success of the launch.

 

 

 

 

Green Business of the Year

 

Awarded to a company that has made the most significant and measurable changes to its environmental performance in the past 12 months.

 

This includes companies that have:

• Successfully sold ‘green` products or services
• Successfully introduced new working practises, processes and technologies to reduce their environmental impact
• Demonstrated by their actions environmental leadership in their business sector or geographic locality.

 

The Global Outlook and Expansion Award

 

Awarded to a company that has most successfully expanded or launched its non-UK operations - and grown its non-UK revenues - in the past 12 months.

 

All entries must describe:

• The company`s history of overseas presence and sales
• The target market(s) for the launch/expansion and the reasons for selecting them
• The main hurdles/barriers facing the company in this launch/expansion, and how they were overcome
• Use of third party advice and assistance
• Evidence of sales and market share performance
• The impact of the launch/expansion on the company`s performance

 

 

 

The People and Performance Award

 

Awarded to a company that has most successfully devised and implemented modern people and/or process management practices to transform its overall performance in the past 12 months.

All entries must describe:

• The scale and nature of the company (e.g workforce demographics, number of sites/offices)
• The culture and standard working practices of the company - and how they have been transformed and/or improved during the past 12 months
• How the changes/improvements have been monitored and measured
• The impact of these innovations on the company`s overall performance

 

 

 

 

The Technology and Innovation Award

 

Awarded to a company that has most successfully implemented and used information and communications technology to transform its overall performance in the past 12 months.

 

 

All entries must describe:

• How the strategy and performance of the business has been measurably transformed by the implementation and use of technology (e.g additional sales, access to new markets, creation of a new business model, enhanced productivity/profitability)
• The use of internal/external resources, implementation timescales and particular barriers/obstacles that had to be overcome.

 

 

 

 

The Customer Excellence Award

 

Awarded to a company that has most successfully demonstrated a genuine focus on its customers - and profited as a result.

 

All entries must describe:

• Its current customer profile
• How the company has addressed and improved its customer service and relationship management in the past 12 months
• How the company has addressed and improved its levels of customer acquisition and retention in the past 12 months
• How this focus on the customer has made a positive impact on the company`s overall performance

 

 

 

Young Company of the Year

 

Awarded to a company that started trading after April 2004, has beaten its original forecasts, and can demonstrate outstanding long-term potential

 

The entries must describe:

• Evidence that the original business plan has been delivered - and exceeded
• The commercial success and impact of the company
• The strategy and vision for the company`s future development

 

 

 

Company of the Year

 

Awarded to an outstanding company on a genuine, sustainable growth trajectory, whose growth, ambition and quality of management has enabled it to out-perform its peers and deliver first-class results in the past 12 months.

 

All entries must describe:

• How the company is out-performing its peers in sales and profits growth
• How it is creating new, quality jobs and developing its people
• The distinctive and innovative aspects of its business model and strategy, use of technology, and international approach
• Its excellence in customer attraction, management and retention

 

 

 

 

 

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

 

Awarded to an individual, aged 30 or under, who is already a successful entrepreneur and who can demonstrate their potential to build a significant, scaleable business.

 

All entries must describe:

• The track record of the candidate in starting and growing a business or businesses.
• The strategy and business model behind the entrepreneur`s current enterprise
• The performance of the current business, including sales, profit and employment growth

 

 

 

Entrepreneur of the Year

Awarded to the individual entrepreneur who has made an outstanding contribution to their company, industry sector and the wider economy.

 

The judges are looking for an individual with exceptional energy, vision and charisma, and whose achievements in the past 12 months have been significant - even by their own exacting standards.

 

All entries must describe:

• The candidate`s entrepreneurial history
• The strategy and business model behind the entrepreneur`s current enterprise
• The performance of the current business, including sales, profit and employment growth - and the impact that it is making on the industry sector and the wider economy

 

Click here to find out how to enter and download an entry form for all the categories above

 

 

The Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs

 

The Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs offers a prize of £50,000 to the disabled entrepreneur who can demonstrate their success, the long-term potential of their business and the strongest business case as to why they should win. The award is now in its third year and applications will be accepted from 1^st June.

 

All entrants must:

• Have a recognised disability and a UK registered business
• Have a business that has been in operation for more than 1 and less than 5 years, with an annual turnover in excess of £10,000
• Be able to display the vision and objectives of their company, of which they have to own at least 25%
• Be able to provide examples and evidence of how their actions have been instrumental to the success of the business, along with 1 set of audited accounts

For more information on entry criteria for the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs, please visit www.disabledentrepreneur.org or email steliosaward@lcdisability.org