Chamber Business Awards 2022 - Categories
Business High Growth of the Year
The award is open to businesses of all sizes and recognises businesses that have experienced exceptional growth in sales, profit, market share, jobs or international trade. Judges will be looking for an organisation that can demonstrate the highest levels of growth with a strong plan for sustainable financial performance.
The judges will be looking at:
• Significant growth and/or expansion
• Financial performance (turnover / profitability)
• Workforce / employment growth
• Plans for further growth, expansion & diversification
• Sustainability
Download application form - High Growth Form 2022
Business Innovation of the Year
It’s awarded to a business that can successfully demonstrate innovations by doing something new to their business process or new to their industry.
The judges will be looking at:
• Innovation & creative thinking (How does it differ from anything that has gone before?)
• Creating of a new business unit, product, process or services
• Bottom-line results based on this innovation
• Financial Performance to date
• Plans for further growth, expansion & diversification
• Sustainability
• How successful it is
Download application form - Business Innovation Form 2022
Environmental Impact Award
This is an Award for any size company that has made changes to improve their environmental impact. This is an ideal platform to promote your efforts towards anything from, waste management, sustainable transport, energy consumption through to behavioural change. We are also interested to hear about your responsible use of resources during production and service supply chain monitoring.
The judges will be looking at:
• Innovation and positive impact; new thinking , new procedures , new technologies that make a meaningful contribution to immediate or long term environmental protection and sustainability
• Waste reduction
• Energy usage
• Processes
• How the business improve / lessen their environmental impact
Download application form - Environmental Impact Form 2022
Commitment to Youth Development
This award recognises a business that has been successful in engaging with, supporting, mentoring and motivating young people whilst at the same time providing them with skills to develop their own characteristics, values and habits.
The judges will be looking at:
• Details of the project / initiatives
• Positive aspects of youth involvement and benefits
• Evidence to demonstrate outcomes delivered and any difference made
Download application form - Youth Development form 2022
Community Impact Award
This award is open to businesses that have made a significant positive impact within the community and to the lives of individuals within them.
The judges will be looking at:
• Programmes, events or projects with not-for profit social objectives
• An innovative approach to the way the enterprise operates
• Identification of market or end user
• Activities that stimulate interest in the arts, community engagement, encourage enterprise or raise aspirations
Download application form - Community Impact 2022
Family Business of the Year
This category is for a family business, operating in any sector of the economy, which has enjoyed outstanding success.
The Judges will be looking at:
• Evidence of a strong business performance
• How the business has developed its succession plan
• How it copes with new family members joining, and that it has a clear long-term vision for the business
• How the business has used its family values to grow the business.
Download application form - Family Business of The Year 2022
New Business of the Year
This award recognises new start-up businesses, under two years old, that have translated an idea into a successful business venture.
The Judges will be looking at:
• Market research including market size, customer profile and competitor analysis
• Initial foothold in the market
• How their marketing efforts result in new business
• Financial performance to date
• Plans for further growth, expansion & diversification
• Sustainability
Download application form - New Business of the Year Form 2022
SME of the Year
Awarded to organisations employing up to 250 full time members of staff, this award goes to the company that has achieved consistent growth backed by a strong financial performance, while demonstrating a clear understanding of the markets that it operates in.
The judges will be looking at:
• What differentiates the company’s products/services from their competitors
• Strong managerial and financial performance
• Innovation
• Potential for growth
• Evidence of the businesses commitment to staff
Download application form - SME of the year 2022
Business Resilience
This award recognises a business that has demonstrated ability to quickly adapt and respond to business disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has shown resilience, grit, determination and compassion to overcome challenges successfully.
The judges will be looking at:
• Evidence of how your business model has been adapted to achieve results
• Evidence of a flexible business model already in place which enabled you to absorb the impact of COVID-19
• Accessed funding streams and used these in an innovative way
• Strongly motivated and empowered staff despite the difficulties
• Embraced technology in an innovative way to enable their businesses to pivot
Download application form - Business Resilience 2022
Local Hero
Awarded to an individual who has gone above and beyond for the local community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This individual has creatively adapted their business services/products to support the community. This category is by Nomination only.