Created by Real Business, held in association with Lloyds Bank and supported by the CBI, the Growing Business Awards are now in their 17th year and celebrate the very best of British business from Mirco Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year right up toGrowing Business of the Year: Larger Company (Turnover 50m+).
This year, with sponsorship support from Bupa, Canon, Citroen, ECI, Lenovo and Webexpenses, the awards are set to be their biggest yet hosted on 26 November atLondon Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square.
For the three turnover bracket-orientated categories, there is representation from firms including: peer-to-peer lending platform Zopa; subscription food delivery service Gousto; supermarket food supplier Charlie Bingham’s; salary sacrifice business Tusker; and online flight booking system Skyscanner.
Businesses such as Ve Interactive, Blippar, Zoopla, Fever-Tree and Unruly have been recognised in the last five years, and then all gone on to become household names.
After issuing a call for submissions which brought in hundreds of nominations over the last few months, a shortlist has been drawn up that will be presented to the Growing Business Awards’ elite judging panel to select eventual winners.
The panel includes Guy Mucklow, CEO of PCA Predict, Will King, founder of King of Shaves, Richard Chapman, partner at ECI Partners and Busaba Eathai CEO Jason Myers. They will come together with their fellow judges on 8 October, when the leaders of shortlisted companies will put forward their cases to win.
Last year’s awards night saw Xtrac’s Peter Digby scoop Entrepreneur of the Year,First Utility winGrowing Business of the Year (Large Company) and fast-growth technology firm Ve Interactive go home with Innovator of the Year.
A full list of this year’s shortlisted companies can be found below. Congratulations to every business which made it, and good luck on the night.
Visit the Growing Business Awards website to secure your place on 26 November
Growing Business of the Year: Smaller Company (Turnover less than 25m):
- Zopa
- Sign Solutions
- Simply Waste Solutions
- New World Trading Company
- Crimson & Co
- Gousto
Growing Business of the Year: Mid-sized Company (Turnover 25m- £50m):
- Motorclean
- Explore Learning
- Watchfinder
- UKFast
- John Good Group
- Charlie Bingham’s
Growing Business of the Year: Larger Company (Turnover 50m+):
- Myprotein
- Skyscanner
- BJSS
- Tusker
- Gap Hire Solutions
- City & Country
Entrepreneur of the Year:
- John Treharne, The Gym Group
- David Pollock, Chess Telecom
- Gavin Johnstone, Hunter Healthcare
- Debbie Edgar, Dragon Infrastructure
- Paul Wedgwood, Splash Damage
Export Champion of the Year:
- Tangle Teezer
- Clarke Energy
- 2M Holdings
- Ramsden International
- Tetronics International
Innovator of the Year:
- CommuterClub
- ClearScore
- Girl Meets Dress
- Captify
- Celaton
- Kelly’s Storage
Retail Hero:
- H&T Pawnbrokers
- Wolf & Badger
- Saltrock
- LJ Fariburn & Sons
Digital Champion:
- HouseSimple
- PrivateFly
- Eyetease
- Qdos Holdings
- Easel TV
- Contact Group
B2B Business of the Year:
- Adapt
- NetPay Solutions
- IT Lab
- Optionis
- Feefo
- Evaluate
Young Company of the Year:
- Kabbee
- Outlook Publishing
- LOVESPACE
- truRating
- Ormsby Street
- Appear Here
Young Entrepreneur of the Year:
- Jack Horton, Whites Technology Group
- Rahi Daneshmand, Refresh Drinks
- Husayn Kosai, Onfido
- Joe Fogel, The VaioPak Group
- Jodie Cook, JC Social Media
Micro Business of the Year:
- Mobile Vet
- Advance Change
- Cascade Communications
- Bristol Groundschool
- Black Swan Analysis
- Food Innovation Solutions
Employer of the Year:
- Midland HR
- Instinctif Partners
- Greengage Environmental
- JustPark
- Brandwatch
- People Source
