A CALL for entries has been made for an awards scheme celebrating the best of business across north Hampshire.

The INSPIRE Business Awards 2018 is now open for entries ahead of the finals ceremony set to be held in November.

Organised and managed by Destination Basingstoke, the awards were attended by over 500 people last year, representing more than 180 businesses from the region.

Felicity Edwards, managing director at Destination Basingstoke, said: “Often when people think of INSPIRE they think of the awards evening and all its glitz. INSPIRE is an awards programme, not just a good night out, and the most important part of the programme are the businesses themselves and the hard work and passion that makes them award winning.

"We have a huge range of inspiring businesses operating in the north Hampshire region. The INSPIRE Business Awards offer a chance to celebrate and showcase their successes.

"We would like to encourage customers of businesses, friends, relatives and colleagues to recommend great businesses to enter”

This year, with the significant 100 year anniversary of the Suffragette movement securing the vote for women, the steering committee have chosen to celebrate this through the introduction of a new award which will feature alongside the 12 existing award categories which are available for businesses to enter from now until September 7.

The new award has been sponsored by Willmott Dixon whose managing director Richard Poulter said “Willmott Dixon is proud to support the Female Achiever category at the INSPIRE Awards. We believe passionately that the most successful companies are those that embrace inclusion, equality and diversity for their people, so it is a pleasure to support awards that are recognising the achievements of women in business.”

The other awards categories are:

  • Business of the Year Award – Sponsored by Herrington Carmichael

  • Small Business of the Year Award – Sponsored by The Breeze FM

  • New Business of the Year Award – Available to sponsor

  • Business and the Community Award – Sponsored The Basingstoke Gazette

  • Employer of the Year Award- Sponsored by HR Department

  • Apprentice of the Year Award – Sponsored by University of Winchester

  • International Business of the Year Award - Sponsored by FLUOR

  • Innovation Excellence Award – Available to sponsor

  • Service Excellence Award - Sponsored by Vitacress

  • Young Business Person of the Year Award – Sponsored by Minuteman Press

  • Entrepreneur of the Year Award – Sponsored by Inchora

  • Family Business of the Year Award – Sponsored by Brackenwood Windows

Entry into the INSPIRE18 business awards is free.

To enter this year’s awards, go to inspirebusinessawards.co.uk.