There is no doubt that it has been a difficult year, but Derbyshire's business industry has shown an inspiring amount of ingenuity and resilience in retaliation to the constant restrictions and uncertainty.
Bringing together the business community for the first time in too long, the , in association with , will provide everyone with the chance to congratulate and celebrate the extraordinary success stories of the past year.
Entries are still open, with the deadline date being Friday, June 11, so don't miss out on your business getting the recognition it deserves: just enter .
Sponsors and finalists will enjoy a drinks and canapes evening on Wednesday, September 22 in anticipation of the big event. The awards final, which will take place on Thursday, October 21 at the Derby Arena, will be attended by hundreds of Derbyshire’s business elite. To find out more, visit the
This year’s headline sponsors are , , , and .
Ward is a waste management and recycling company that won Company of the Year in 2019. Established in 1940, it now employs more than 400 people and is managed by third and fourth generation family members who continue their commitment to developing waste management and recycling techniques by offering metal and waste recycling to homes and businesses throughout the º£½ÇÊÓƵ.
Ward operations director Donald Ward was proud of the team's achievement of being recognised as a leader in its field. He said: "As a local Derbyshire business it was a privilege to be nominated and then go on to win Company of the Year .
"We have some fantastic businesses in Derby and Derbyshire, not just the big names like Rolls Royce and Bombardier, but we have some thriving and innovative small and medium, independently run businesses, so we had some stiff competition."
Since winning the award, the world has been turned on its head with the global pandemic. Ward workers were classed as essential and kept the supply chain going for various industries.
Despite this, the company has ambitious plans for organic growth, with new sites and expanded facilities. It is taking a focus on lowering carbon emissions across the business, recently purchasing a new fleet of fuel efficient vehicles.
Supporting Derbyshire's community is at the core of what Ward does, Donald mentioned: "We regularly liaise with the local community and are committed to creating social value through our sustainability strategy, The Ward Way. This involves staff volunteering days, regular fundraisers, donations to local community projects, sponsorships and more."
2021 DerbyshireLive Business Awards sponsors
This year’s headline sponsors are:
Invictus makes switching to hosted telephony simple and painless for your business.
Its years of experience in the telecoms industry means the team have seen a lot of complicated solutions – and it really doesn’t need to be that way.
That’s why they vow to cut away all the jargon and provide straightforward telecoms solutions.
By getting to know your unique business and needs, they pride themselves on creating the right solutions to increase your productivity, security and flexibility.
Since 2018, careers specialist Futures has supported more than 90,000 adults across the East Midlands and East of England, and thousands of school leavers in Nottingham alone.
Combined with the other contracts, Futures has supported more than 1 million in the past 25 years.
It was launched in 1995 as a result of a Government White Paper that moved careers services from the local authority.
Helping companies improve their performance online since 2011, Diginius is a software and solutions provider that empowers organisations to achieve the maximum impact from their online sales and marketing activities.
Its Diginius Insight Software integrates data feeds into one single, easy-to-understand platform to help identify how clients can get the best results.
Derby Arena is an incredibly flexible space making an ideal venue for a wide range of activities and events, including celebrations, ceremonies, trade fairs, exhibitions, product launches, conferences and meetings.
The Arena’s main space can hold anything up to 5,000 (seated and standing), and there is also a suite of multi-purpose rooms that can be used as a breakout space or for smaller events, meetings, training, conferences and hospitality.
The Arena’s 250m indoor cycle track, sports infield, state-of-the-art gym and exercise studios offer further opportunities to build bespoke corporate packages to meet your needs.
Derby College prides itself on offering the widest range of study programmes in the area.
Whatever your interests and aspirations, it can help you go further, faster, irrespective of your previous qualifications or attainments.
The college group supports around 19,000 students aged from 16 upwards, works in partnership with around 3,000 employers, has a turnover of around £49 million and provides work for around 1,300 people.
There are 16 categories this year, highlighting the innovation and determination of those putting our region on the map by boosting the economy alongside making a positive contribution to the local community. before Friday, June 11.
The categories are:
Company of the Year Sponsored by
SME Business of the Year Sponsored by
Start-Up Business of the Year Sponsored by
Business Entrepreneur of the Year Sponsored by
Employer of the Year Sponsored by
Customer Service Excellence Award
Professional Services Sponsored by
Excellence in Innovation Award Sponsored by
Contribution to the Community Award Sponsored by
Family Business of the Year Sponsored by
Apprentice Employer of the Year Sponsored by
Not-For-Profit-Organisation Award Sponsored by
Education Sector: Business Engagement and Employability Sponsored by
Best Digital Transformation Sponsored by
Excellence in Manufacturing Award Sponsored by
Excellence in Business Growth Sponsored by
- The will take place on Thursday, October 21 at the Derby Arena. To enter your business and find out more information, visit the
