j4b Grants - Business funding made clear

Run by lobby group the Federation of Small Businesses, the Bedfordshire Small Business Awards aim to celebrate the success of firms that employ less than 50 staff.

Awards are up for grabs in the following categories:

• Enterprising Business Award - open to businesses that have been established for at least two years. Entrants are expected to demonstrate initiative, innovation, sound management, marketing ingenuity and solid business planning.
• Best New Business Award - open to businesses that have been established within the last two years. Entrants must show how their business has progressed in line with business plans and what potential there is for growth.
• Business Innovation Award - entrants will be asked to show how the business goes about encouraging creativity and new thinking and how knowledge or technology has played an important part in its development.
• Self-Employed Person Award - open to entrepreneurs who can demonstrate both past success and vision for the future.
• Service Excellence Award - open to companies that go further and deliver awesome service. Entrants understand that customers are their lifeblood and treat them as they would wish to be treated in an ideal world.
• Employee of the Year Award - recognising the impact, contribution, ambition, reliability and drive of employees who have gone the extra mile to help their company succeed.
• Best e-Business Award - open to companies that have used computers and ICT to create a significant and exploitable, competitive or operational advantage in any area of their business.
• Environmental Responsibility Award - open to businesses that can best demonstrate a company-wide commitment to minimising its impact on the environment.
• Staff Training and Development Award - open to companies that have the best staff development strategies and plans for continuing professional development.
• Young Person of the Year Award - for the individual aged under 30 who has demonstrated a high degree of entrepreneurship, creativity and vision for the future.

One overall County Winner will scoop the £1,000 cash prize.

Companies can enter a maximum of three categories. Entries must be made by 15 April, with the big winners set to be revealed at a gala ceremony to be held at the Luton Hoo Hotel on 27 May.

For further information about the Bedfordshire Small Business Awards, visit the Federation of Small Businesses website (opens a new window)

Source: Federation of Small Businesses, 01/02/2010