Entries Open for Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in the UK

Deadline: 10 September 2019

Entries are open for The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise that are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:

innovation
international trade
sustainable development
promoting opportunity through social mobility

What happens if applicants company wins

If applicants win they’ll be:

invited to a Royal reception
presented with the award at applicants company by one of The Queen’s representatives, a Lord-Lieutenant
able to fly The Queen’s Awards flag at applicants main office, and use the emblem on applicants marketing materials (for example, on applicants packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy
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 Criteria

To apply for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise applicants 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
Applicants organisation can be a business or non-profit.
Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria.
International Trade
- To apply for the International Trade award, applicants must also:
  - have made a minimum of £100,000 in overseas sales in the first year of applicants entry and show year-on-year growth
  - prove that applicants organisation has achieved outstanding growth in overseas earnings relative to applicants 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
Innovation
- To apply for the Innovation award, applicants must also:
  - have an innovation that has not been sold before
  - have had applicants innovation available on the market for at least 2 years
  - have recovered all the investments made in applicants 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
- Applicants 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
Sustainable Development
- To apply for the Sustainable Development award, applicants must also:
  - show how applicants have achieved outstanding sustainable development for more than 2 years
  - provide evidence of the benefits or positive outcomes of applicants actions or interventions
Promoting Opportunity through social mobility
- To apply for the Promoting Opportunity award, applicants must also:
  - have had a social mobility programme running for more than 2 years
  - provide evidence of the programme’s benefits (for example, to applicants organisation and employees)
- Applicants improvements should help socially disadvantaged individuals or groups and 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