How much does it cost?
Why do I need to pay?
How long does it take to complete an entry form?
If I am successful - what happens next?
Where will the judging take place?
Who are the judges?
What criteria do we need to meet?
Who can enter?
What size turnover do we need to have?
How long do I need to be trading?
Can we get feedback if we are unsuccessful?
Why should we enter?
How many awards are there?
What can we get out of it?

How much does it cost?
We apply an administration fee to cover costs of preparation and to contribute toward the cost of judging. The cost is £170.00 + VAT (£199.75) per entry. Winners of Regional Events will be entered into the National programme free of charge.

The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into before or after the judging. The Benchmark Report included in your entry fee will take the form of a single sheet of feedback showing entrants’ strengths and finalists’ strengths. No further correspondence can be entered into after you have received feedback as the judges do not reconvene at any time.

Why do I need to pay?
Unlike many others, this Awards programme has a very rigorous and robust judging process. The short-listing usually takes a panel of judges more than two weeks and the presentations usually take nearly three weeks. The nominal fee that you are required to pay contributes towards the expenses of some of these judges and also lets us know that entrants are committed to seeing the process through, making planning more convenient.

How long does it take to complete an entry form?
We suggest that you allow at least one day to complete the entry form (view a sample entry form here). All the questions are important and need careful consideration. Entrants will need to collate information from several different sources across the business.

Short-listed companies will be required to present in person to a panel of judges. The presentation will take 15 minutes with a 15-minute question and answer session to follow; additionally you should allow at least 30 minutes to prepare.

If I am successful - what happens next?
Should you make it to the shortlisted stage, you will be required to present in person to a judging panel in Central London. You should ensure that someone senior in your organisation is available to attend the presentation to answer detailed questions from the judging panel.

Where will the judging take place?
Presentations to judging panels will take place in London for the National programme and in major regional cities for the five Regional Events.

Who are the judges?
Judges are drawn from leading businesses, business schools, government, public and private sector organisations and think-tanks. All are selected for their business acumen, experience and knowledge of the specific subject matter. Most judges are very influential in their field, which why it is imperative that presentations are made by senior people within finalists’ organisations.

What criteria do we need to meet?
There are separate criteria for each of the Categories and this appears on the entry form (it is also available on the category pages). The underlying values associated with all Categories are ethics, success and innovation. Judges will be looking for evidence of the entrant meeting all the criteria whilst embracing the underlying values.

Who can enter?
Companies from any sector and of any size and age can enter. These are the only all-encompassing business Awards that are able to consider micro-businesses against PLCs and allow them to compete on a level playing field. There are three Categories which are excluded from self-nomination - The Orange Business Leader of the Year Award, The Credit Suisse Award for the Outstanding Woman in Business and The Daily Telegraph Decade of Business Excellence. There is also one Award for individuals - The Credit Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which you can put yourself or your MD forward for.  Winners of the National Business Awards Regional programme will also automatically be entered as finalists for the National programme. 

What size turnover do we need to have?
Entries are welcomed from companies of all sizes; there is no restriction in terms of turnover or number of employees. The Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award entrants need to have a turnover of no more than £10m.

How long do I need to be trading?
The length of time that you have been trading is not so important provided you can meet the criteria and display innovation, success and ethics. A particularly good category for very young businesses is The Small to Medium Sized Business Award, but many of the other Categories may also be suitable. To support the business success of the company the first years’ figures are usually required therefore it is usual for businesses to have traded for at least 18 months.

Can we get feedback if we are unsuccessful?
A Benchmark Report is included in your entry fee.  No further correspondence can be entered into after you have received feedback as the judges do not reconvene at any time.

Why should we enter?
The National Business Awards is the only all-encompassing Awards programme capable of pitting micro-businesses against PLCs on a level playing field. Entry into this programme is your opportunity to benchmark your performance against other businesses from other sectors.

The press and media coverage for the 2005 event generated over 1300 pages worth of newsprint, the Awards ceremony featured on Sky News and several radio stations continue to profile some of the winners. Entering the Awards will also give you the opportunity to take an inward-focused view of your business in its current state. You will be able to analyse what you are doing well and what needs attention, while at the same time as being able to reward your people for all the efforts that they are making. Shout your success from the rooftops and show your people how proud of them you are.

How many awards are there?
There are 17 awards representing every conceivable business dynamic. Winners of any of these coveted awards will rightly be recognised as excelling in that area of business. The programme is designed to be all-encompassing, therefore there is at least one category that every business in the UK could enter.

What can we get out of it?
The public relations opportunities that emerge for finalists and winners are immense. Our sponsors often want to work with entrants to maximise the PR coverage. Other benefits are: awareness amongst hundreds of other competing organisations; the association with the values of this robust and respected competition; and recognition of effort. Some of our more active entrants have gone on to use the logo on letterheads, maximised their relationships with local media and achieved some lasting partnering arrangements.