Are you an enthusiastic entrepreneur or innovative individual? Is your business booming or did your company diversify its direction? Then you could be an winner.
Don't worry if your business is a start-up or small in size, our awards have been curated to ensure every successful business gets a fair chance at a title. We have broken up the Business of the Year category into five awards, varying in business size, trade and length of establishment. This way we can acknowledge and applaud the diversity across our local business industry, giving free promotion online and in print to those supporting Merseyside's economy
Through a special virtual ceremony on Thursday, June 17, the will celebrate the entrepreneurs and businesses putting Merseyside on the map. will be made available at the start of June. This year's headline sponsor is , a faculty within and an institution seeking to make a significant impact to growth in the Liverpool city region and beyond.
It has been an incredibly tough year for us all, with businesses getting the brunt of the economic turbulence. Being unable to open, making difficult staffing decisions, changing approaches to fit restrictions; there have been daily mountains to climb without any clear road back to normality to follow.
Despite this, our Merseyside business industry has shown remarkable resilience. In amongst adapting everyday to the new guidance and 'new normal', companies and individuals have found a way to flourish. An invaluable asset this past year, there is no doubt that they deserve to be rewarded for their passion and conviction.
Tom Houghton, North West Business Editor for BusinessLive and the ECHO, said: "This year more than ever, the successes of businesses in our city region need to be applauded and given the praise they so richly deserve. Get your applications started now and why you and your business deserve attention and acclaim."
The categories for the Echo Regional Business Awards 2021 are:
Start-Up Business of the Year
The Start-Up Business of The Year award will go to an organisation that has been established within the past two years. A business that can clearly demonstrate evidence of entrepreneurship and/or innovation. A business that has defied challenging economic conditions to succeed, grow and thrive and is able to evidence future growth potential.
Business of the Year (up to 50 employees)
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This award is for businesses established for more than two years which employ up to 50 people and can demonstrate all round business excellence. The judges will be looking for a business that has delivered consistent growth and solid financial performance through great leadership, understanding its customers and engaging employees. The category is open to all sectors.
Liverpool Business School at Liverpool John Moores University is this year's headline sponsor
Making a difference is what Liverpool John Moores University is about. The ambitious, forward-thinking institution challenges convention and believes passionately in the concept of ‘One University’ - a community working together to achieve common student-centred objectives. The university is divided into five faculties, each home to world-leading research, teaching and learning. Its vision is to be recognised as a modern civic university delivering solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.
prides itself on providing a first-rate teaching and learning environment backed by research and scholarship. It also delivers practical business solutions to local, national and international businesses, working alongside the North West’s business community for the past 40 years. The School works with the local business community to improve employability, workforce productivity, innovation and growth in the region.
Business of the Year (51 to 250 employees)
If you can demonstrate outstanding business performance in your industry and employ between 51 to 250 people, then this is the category for you. The judges will be looking for a business that has delivered consistent growth and solid financial performance through great leadership, understanding its customers and engaging employees. The category is open to all sectors.
Business of the Year (over 250 employees)
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If your business employs more than 250 people and can show outstanding business performance, enter this category. The judges will be looking for a business that has delivered consistent growth and solid financial performance through great leadership, understanding their customers and engaging employees. Business from all sectors can enter.
Corporate Social Responsibility Award
The Corporate Social Responsibility Award is for businesses dedicated to building better workforces, creating a sustainable economy and healthy communities. Tell us about how corporate social responsibility is woven into the fabric of your business, whether you are leading the way on diversity, education, community initiatives or addressing global issues and how your efforts have made a difference to your business and commercial success as a result.
Outstanding Charity Support
We’re looking for companies who go above and beyond to help raise funds and support charities or community groups in our region. This could be by organising fundraising events or challenges with its employees, through company donations or matched giving, sponsorship and support of charity events, staff fundraising or volunteering programmes, payroll giving, or just generally raising awareness.
International Business of the Year
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This award recognises a business that has achieved the highest and most sustainable levels of international growth through exporting. The judges are looking for businesses that have not only achieved export growth or an increase in revenues from overseas operations, but which consider increases in market share through exporting, innovation in products, services of processes to enable exporting, international engagement and potential for future growth.
Innovation and Technology Award
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The Innovation and Technology Award will reward the company that has developed the most innovative new product, system or process over the past year, and can demonstrate the positive impact it has had on the business. Judges will be looking for businesses that can show, a clear vision of what the innovation project, product, system or process had to achieve. How the product was developed and what gains in revenue or market share have been recorded.
Creative Impact Award
This category is open to businesses that derive their income from their creative services. This could include design, publishing, film, architecture, the arts and marketing. Entries are welcome from all firms, whether they are acting as agents or principals. The judges will be looking for evidence that creative work has led directly to improved business performance.
Young Business Person of the Year
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For business people aged 35 or under (on March 31, 2021), this category is looking to recognise business leadership, entrepreneurship, creativity and vision for the future. Judges will be looking for a successful entrepreneur or to a senior manager who has made a significant impact on their business, who has set and achieved objectives within its business plans and established a position of sustainable profitability and success. Please state your date of birth on your entry form.
Business Person of the Year
We are looking for a business leader who stands out from the crowd, someone who has helped to grow the reputation of not only of their organisation but the city region. They will have achieved this through inspirational leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit that creates a sense of direction and momentum for development within the business.
before May 7 to be in with a chance of scooping a coveted title.
On Thursday, June 17 the will take place virtually. Tickets are free of charge and will be available from the start of June.