Major UK business awards call for entries

Entries are still open for The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards, with the event having agreed a media partnership with The Scotsman and The Yorkshire Post along with fellow JPI Media newspaper the i.

The winners of last year's awards - with the annual event recognising and rewarding excellence across all sectors in the UK. Picture: Fotowales.

The awards, now in their 18th year, recognise and reward excellence across all sectors in the UK, with categories including leader and employer of the year as well as innovation and artificial intelligence. This year has a Best of British Growth theme, celebrating diversity.

The Leader of the Year award was in 2018 won by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, who was honoured for her work at the helm of Virgin Money.

Entries close this Friday and are open to any UK company – public, private or third sector, and any size or industry.

The i newspaper’s business editors will judge the SME category and present the winner with their trophy at the event at London’s Grosvenor House in November.

The tie-up with JPI Media has been hailed as giving the awards greater reach nationally and regionally.

Sarah Austin, director of the awards, said the partnership “means the National Business Awards will reach locally focused businesses”. It comes as The Scotsman currently reaches more than two million monthly people in print and online.

Laurie Havelock, the i’s acting business editor, said: “We’re delighted to be the new media partner for these awards, and I’m looking forward to finding out details about interesting SMEs when I judge that category.”