By Sara Williams
The 11th annual Startups Awards have launched and are now open for entries, including the search for the Restaurant of the Year. To enter simply visit www.startupsawards.co.uk before the entry deadline of 12th September 2014.
There are 15 awards up for grabs this year including the new 2014 category, Restaurant of the Year.
The Awards recognise the success of Britain’s newest businesses which have been trading for three years or less. The Awards are sponsored by Simply Business and organised by Startups.co.uk.
Other categories include Innovative Business of the Year, Service Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, alongside another new award for 2014: Independent Shop of the Year. The main prize is the much coveted title of Simply Business Startups Business of the Year, the winner of which is selected from the winners of the other categories.
Additionally, the People’s Champion award will go to one of 50 companies that make the long list of outstanding entrants before the finalists are announced and will be voted for by readers of Startups.co.uk.
David Lester, founder of Startups.co.uk, said: “Eight years ago, Paul Lindley was starting children’s food business Ella’s Kitchen in his kids’ playroom. In the company’s first year it won the Micro Business of the Year title at the Startups Awards. Last year, Paul sold his multi-million turnover business to a billion-dollar revenue US giant.”
David Lester believes that this is evidence that the Startup Awards spots real winners before the world even knows about them. He continues to say: “We can’t wait to start seeing the entries from businesses that will be market leaders, great employers, and innovators admired throughout the UK and beyond in years to come."
The Startups Awards’ headline sponsor, Simply Business, returns for a second year as the sponsorship to the Startups awards give them “enormous pride and enthusiasm for the years to come.”
Jasper Martens, Head of Marketing & Communications at Simply Business, commented: “There is simply no better celebration of business achievement in the UK right now than these awards and we’re more proud than ever to be a part of it.”
Joining Simply Business are sponsors such as haysmacintyre (Venture Funded Business of The Year), The Made Simple Group (Young Entrepreneur of the Year), Big Red Cloud
(Service Business of the Year) and Nominet (Tech Business of the Year).
Judges from Startups.co.uk and those representing key sponsors will be joined by a high-profile and experienced group of entrepreneurs, former winners, investors and business journalists.
Previous winners of the Awards have included some of the UK’s fastest rising brands, such as BeatThatQuote.com (sold to Google for £37.7m), The Cambridge Satchel Company, Raspberry Pi, Ella’s Kitchen, Naked Wines, Notonthehighstreet.com, YPlan, Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn and Secret Escapes.
Could you be the next business to win an award?
Here's some important information you need to know in order to bag yourself the prize!
To enter simply visit
www.startupsawards.co.uk.
The deadline for submissions is 12th September 2014.
The Awards ceremony will take place on the Thursday 27th November 2014 at the Kensington Roof Gardens, London. Finalists, judges, journalists and sponsors will be attending this prestigious event.
The 2014 Startups Awards Categories are…
- Simply Business Startups Business of the Year
- Venture Funded Business of the Year (sponsored by haysmacintyre)
- Service Business of the Year (sponsored by Big Red Cloud)
- Tech Business of the Year (sponsored by Nominet)
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by The Made Simple Group)
- Innovative Business of the Year
- People’s Champion
- Crowdfunded Business of the Year
- Franchisee of the Year (Small & Sweet)
- Home-based Business of the Year (Small & Sweet)
- Independent Shop of the Year
- Mumpreneur of the Year (Small & Sweet)
- Product Business of the Year
- Restaurant of the Year
- Women in Business Award
To be eligible to enter, businesses must have been trading no earlier than August 1st 2011, must be privately owned and based in the UK, what are you waiting for, go and enter!
