Deadline: September 1, 2017
Applications are open for the 2017 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. This is an awards programme for UK businesses and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. The Awards are the highest official UK awards for British businesses.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:
- innovation
- international trade
- sustainable development
- promoting opportunity through social mobility
Benefits
If you win you’ll be:
- invited to a Royal reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by Her Majesty The Queen
- presented the award at your company by one of The Queen’s representatives, a Lord-Lieutenant
- able to fly The Queen’s Award flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials (for example, on your packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
- given a Grant of Appointment and a commemorative crystal bowl
The awards are valid for 5 years.
Winners have reported benefiting from worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage and a boost to staff morale.
Eligibility
To apply for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise your organisation must:
- be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
- file its Company Tax Returns with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services and is under its own management
- have at least 2 full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents
- demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility
Your organisation can be business or non-profit.
Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria.
1. International Trade:
To apply for the International Trade award, you must also:
- have made a minimum of £100,000 in overseas sales in the first year of your entry and show year-on-year growth
- prove that your organisation has achieved outstanding growth in overseas earnings relative to your business size and sector
- prove steep year-on-year growth (without dips) in overseas sales over 3 years – or substantial year-on-year growth (without dips) over 6 years
If you already hold an international trade award you can only apply for a new award for:
- substantial year-on-year growth over 6 years if you’re in the fifth (final) year of your current award (granted before April 2014)
- steep year-on-year growth in overseas sales over 3 years if you’re in the second, third, fourth or final year of your current award (granted before April 2017)
2. Innovation:
To apply for the Innovation award, you must also:
- have an innovation that hasn’t been sold before
- have had your innovation available on the market for at least 2 years
- have recovered all the investments made in your innovation or show that the innovation will recover its full costs in future
- show outstanding commercial success as a result of innovation over 2 years – or continuous commercial success over 5 years
Your innovation should be in one of the following categories:
- invention, design or production of goods
- performance of services
- marketing and distribution
- after-sale support of goods or services
3. Sustainable Development: To apply for the Sustainable Development award you must either:
- show how your outstanding sustainable development practices have helped to improve your commercial performance over 2 years
- show how your continuous sustainable development practices have helped to improve your commercial performance over 5 years
Your achievements should be in one of the following categories:
- invention, design or production of goods
- performance of services
- marketing and distribution
- after-sale support of goods or services
- management of resources or relationships with people and other organisations
Promoting Opportunity through social mobility
To apply for the Promoting Opportunity award, you must also:
- have had a social mobility programme running for more than 2 years
- prove that the programme benefits your organisation financially or otherwise (for example, it has improved your reputation or led to savings in the business)
Your improvements should be in one of the following areas:
- work experience, careers advice or mentoring for young people
- offering non-graduate routes such as traineeships or changing recruitment practices
- giving equal support and progression opportunities to all employees
Application
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter. You can apply for more than one award.
You’ll need to:
- create an account and register your details
- answer questions about your eligibility – this should take less than 15 minutes
For more information, visit Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
