STARTUP: Alex Till, chief executive of MENTA. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: James Waters, leader of Forest Heath District Council and John Griffiths, leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
The Bury Free Press business awards will this year be honouring both those new and those less so at a glittering ceremony on September 20.
Firstly we will be recognising the Best New Startup business in an award sponsored by Suffolk Enterprise Agency MENTA.
Menta, a not for profit organisation supports startup, emerging and existing businesses throughout Suffolk, providing business support, subsidised business courses and networking opportunities including the Menta Trade Fair on September 11.
The awards ceremony is the closing event of the Business Festival which includes the MENTA Trade Fair. Chief Executive of MENTA, Alex Till said: “The MENTA Team are looking forward to the awards ceremony.
“It is always a pleasure to see how many new startup businesses come forward for the award and it is a great opportunity to celebrate their achievements.”
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Business in West Suffolk.
This year that category is being sponsored by Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough councils. They say driving the local economy in West Suffolk through creating the right conditions for sustainable and desirable growth is a priority for both councils.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council Leader Cllr John Griffiths said: “Jobs are the engines of our communities and we do everything we can to help create the right conditions and environment for enterprise to prosper here in West Suffolk.
“Delivering infrastructure, tackling bureaucracy and meeting the challenges for, and alongside business groups, can be complex and often frustrating – but the guidance and contributions of individuals who can bring a lifetime of experience to bear is of real value.”
The award will honour a living individual who has made, or is making, a real difference through having a significant commercial impact on business, or supporting others to do so. People can be nominated by others or may enter themselves.
Forest Heath District Council Leader Cllr James Waters said: “A single person can make a massive difference and we want to celebrate how someone has madeWest Suffolk business work better through their lifetime’s work.
“We are looking for someone who really benefits the wider community, supports individual success, and helps others to get results.”
This year’s awards, which take place at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds, will be hosted by newsman and TV presenter
Nicholas Owen at a black tie event. The closing date for entries is July 31.
A full list of categories, the judging criteria and nomination forms are listed below:
We have profiled each of the awards below and will be speaking to more of the judges to find out what they are looking for in their winners over the next few weeks.
Apprentice / Trainee of the Year Award – Sponsored by WS Training
The judges will be looking for evidence of how an apprentice / trainee has made an exceptional contribution to their workplace. This category is open to apprentices / trainees who have completed at least 50% of their apprenticeship or have completed the programme within the last 12 months.
Entries will be judged on evidence of how the individual is committed to their personal development and progression, their outstanding contribution to the workplace and examples of how they exceed expectations.
Criteria:
The judges will be looking for key elements such as; To what extent has the apprenticeship impacted on their career and contributed to achieving their ambition and goals? To what extent has the candidate demonstrated their commitment to their own personal development and progression through learning? To what extent has the Apprentice exceeded the expectations of their employer? To what extent has Apprentice made an outstanding contribution to workplace?
DOWNLOAD Apprentice / Trainee of the Year nomination form
Contribution to the Community – Sponsored by New Media Business Group
This award will be presented to a business, charity or individual for outstanding service that significantly benefits the community.
Criteria:
The award recipient must have a broad-based, continuing commitment to community service, public service and/or significant charitable contributions of benefit to the community, as reflected in a variety of activities, programmes and initiatives which have served the needs of the community in which it operates and demonstrates a real commitment to the neighbourhood.
DOWNLOAD Contribution to the Community nomination form
The Bid Customer Care – Sponsored by our bury st edmunds
The winning individual in this category will have clearly demonstrated a consistently high level of customer care backed by clear standards, validated monitoring of performance and feedback/evidence from customers. In particular, the judges will be looking for proof of the impact on the business as a consequence of the customer care delivered by the nominee. Open to BID Businesses only.
DOWNLOAD The Bid Customer Care nomination form
Best Marketing Award – Sponsored by Denny Bros
The judges will be looking for a company or organisation:
· whose products/services are selected and developed for profitable fulfilment within identified markets
· who are following a clearly articulated objective-led campaign with effective selection and use of appropriate media and distribution channels
· who are utilising innovation and creativity within their marketing activities
· who can clearly demonstrate a clear relationship between its marketing policy and the progress being made in the venture.
DOWNLOAD Best Marketing Award nomination form
Independent Retailer – Voted for by Bury Free Press readers
• Understand and meet the needs of shoppers
• Respond to specific needs
• Show true innovation
• Maintain the highest store standards
• Show commitment to the community
• Show commitment to meeting the challenges facing the industry
• Differentiate your store from the competition
• Make improvements to the business with tangible results.
DOWNLOAD Independent Retailer nomination form
Best New Start-Up – Sponsored by Menta
An award for the businesses of tomorrow and beyond. Judges will be looking for large or small enterprises, who can demonstrate that they have a bright future and that they are geared up for the challenges ahead.
Criteria:
Open to those that began trading on or after April 2011, this Award celebrates the highest performing new companies in the Bury Free Press circulation area and recognises those that have exceeded initial targets for growth and financial performance, best demonstrated an understanding of their competitors, customers, and the markets they operate in and have the foundations in place for continued commercial success.
DOWNLOAD Best New Start-Up nomination form
Green / Environmental Award – Sponsored by Easton & Otley College
The award will be presented to the organisation that has demonstrated the greatest commitment to improving its carbon footprint.
The judges will be looking at all areas of “green thinking” including waste reduction or recycling, alternative fuels, energy conservation and resource management. If you or your business has introduced positive changes that really make a difference to the quality of life in your workplace or community, then you should enter the awards. By doing so you may inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
Criteria:
Your project needs to demonstrate a positive contribution to the environment through, for example, caring for the natural environment, improving use of resources, reducing pollution or increasing environmental understanding.
DOWNLOAD Green / Environmental Award nomination form
The Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Business in West Suffolk – Sponsored by Forest Heath / St Edmundsbury Borough Council
The Lifetime Achievement Award is open to individuals working in a business or businesses within West Suffolk (for the purposes of this award, West Suffolk is defined as being encompassed by the boundaries of Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council). The award honours a living individual who has made, or is making, a real difference through making a significant commercial impact on business, or through supporting others to do so.
Criteria:
The individual must be able to demonstrate outstanding commitment and contribution to business in the West Suffolk area. This could be, for example, through having a proven record of mentoring others to achieve results, benefitting the wider business community, or through having a significant impact on the business for which the individual works, manages or owns. People can be nominated by others or may enter themselves.
DOWNLOAD Lifetime Achievement Award nomination form
Business Person of the Year – Sponsored by Sicon / Suffolk Chamber of Commerce
The award will go to the person who has made a significant personal contribution to drive their business forward in the past 12 months. The Business Person of the Year Award is to acknowledge a successful member of the business community who has demonstrated outstanding business acumen. The category offers the opportunity for a business person to highlight their skills and ability either as a business owner or employee. Individuals may enter themselves for this category or be nominated by someone else.
Criteria:
• The entrant must be a vital part of a successful business or not-for-profit organisation.
• The organisation must be based within the circulation area of the Bury Free Press
• They must be able to demonstrate consistently high levels of business skills and acumen.
DOWNLOAD Business Person of the Year nomination form
Business of the Year – Sponsored by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce / Sicon
This award will go to the business that can demonstrate the best overall outstanding achievements in the past 12 months. This Award will recognise the best companies within the circulation area of the Bury Free Press with over £500,000 turnover. The winner of this category will be clearly demonstrating the use of good ideas, careful planning and a determination to succeed to produce a thriving business.
The judges will be looking for:
• A company which has achieved success
• Demonstration of success in overcoming challenges to develop the business
• A company which can demonstrate a clear relationship between its marketing strategy and the development of the business
• A clear strategy for future expansion of the business
DOWNLOAD Business of the Year nomination form
Completed nomination forms should be returned to: Bury Free Press Business Awards, Bury Free Press, Kings Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3ET, no later than Wednesday 31st July 2013. Completed forms can also be emailed to mark.stanford@jpress.co.uk
