AWARD CATEGORIES

BEST SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

This award is open to charities and social enterprises who can demonstrate significant commercial and social impact of their activities. Judges will want to see clear evidence of commercial awareness and innovative strategies that complement the altruistic aims of the organisation.

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BUSINESS INNOVATION

This award celebrates new ideas, processes, products, services, technologies and applications that have had an impact on an organisation’s success. This award will go to the organisation that can best demonstrate an ability to create, grow and develop innovations or processes that substantially improve the commercial performance or prospects of the company.

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BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

This award is open to a business trading for more than three years with a minimum of five employees that can show evidence of business growth, a commitment to the local community, a business strategy and vision for the next three to five years, proven success and achievement during the past two years, management with the ability to drive the business forward and a genuine commitment to staff.

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ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION

Presented to the business that can demonstrate a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint with projects such as cutting its use of fossil fuels, caring for the natural environment, improving the use of resources by cutting waste, reducing pollution and increasing its environmental understanding.

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APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

This award is for the rising stars of tomorrow within a company apprentice scheme who have made an exceptional contribution to their workplace and can demonstrate commitment to personal development, dedication to career progression and outstanding levels of success.

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BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR

This award will go to an individual who stands out from the crowd, has an entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrates outstanding achievement and inspires others around them. The winner of this award will have been instrumental to the success of their business, growing the reputation of their business.

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CUSTOMER CARE

This award will recognise the organisation, irrespective of size or sector, that can prove the customer really does come first. You will need to be able to demonstrate commercial success and strategies for growth whilst achieving excellence in looking after customers. The organisation must have objectives for high quality customer service and clear methods of monitoring and evaluating standards.

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BEST NEW START-UP

Has your business been a roaring success in its infancy? Has it exceeded all your expectations or is it exactly on the right track, looking strong and with excellent prospects for the future? You may be a one-man band looking to expand, or you may have started at a larger scale and already proved your ideas work. This award is open to companies in business for up to three years at the date of launch (Friday, June 8, 2018).

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EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Individuals may nominate themselves or be nominated by their employers or colleagues. The judges will be looking for an outstanding contribution not only to the organisation and its success, but also to colleagues’ welfare and enhancing the working environment and customer experience.

THE JOHN CUSSELL INDEPENDENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR

This award is open to all independent retail businesses and will be awarded to the business that can best display ‘first-class’ customer service, market and customer engagement excellence, product and services innovation and differentiation, the ability to adapt to consumer/trading trends.

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