Member Article

Duke of York New Entrepreneur of the Year Award opens

The inaugural Duke of York New Entrepreneur of the Year Award is now open for entries to celebrate those starting their first enterprise, with entries invited from founders of all ages.

Forming part of the International Festival for Business (IFB), Vonage, a leading provider of cloud-based, internet telephony for small businesses, is partnering with the National Business Awards to support the campaign to find and celebrate the UK’s best new entrepreneurs.

Open to any first business founder that has been trading for 18 months or less on 1st April 2014, The Duke of York New Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises those demonstrating the entrepreneurial aptitude, commercial acumen, vision, ambition and drive to build a successful enterprise.

Judges will focus on the market opportunity identified, the model to capitalise on it, and how it has been executed within the first 18 months of trading.

The Duke of York said: “It’s become clear to me and to the National Business Awards that there’s a gap. It’s a small gap but a very important gap - and that is for those that are starting out in business.

“To find a way of being able to recognise the excellent work of entrepreneurs who are new to business, the National Business Awards and I have come together to create a new award.”

Simon Burckhardt, Managing Director of Vonage UK said: “As an enabler of the UK’s small business, particularly home-based business, with its award-winning internet telephony services, Vonage is proud to support The Duke of York New Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

“We look forward to working with the National Business Awards in 2014 to celebrate and support Britain’s brightest new business leaders.”

“This award is designed to recognise the full spectrum of new entrepreneurs, from those launching enterprises from school or college to ‘third age’ entrepreneurs who have set up businesses in retirement or following redundancy,” said Alex Evans, Programme Director of the National Business Awards.

The National Business Awards will be working with lead supporter Vonage to promote the campaign and provide finalists of the award with access to its telephony services.

The ten highest scoring entrants will be invited to a live judging event at St George’s Hall Great Hall on 24th June.

Each entrant will present a three minute pitch on their business model, key achievements and elements underpinning future growth to a panel of judges and an audience of NBA Alumni, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and media.

The judging panel will select five finalists based on pre-supplied entry forms, pitches and responses to questions from the panel. The overall winner will be determined by a combination of judges’ scores and a public vote.

Recognising enterprise excellence, innovation and ethics, the thirteenth annual National Business Awards will celebrate a range of achievements through accolades including the ICAEW Sustainable Business Award, Inflexion International Growth Business of the Year, the Smith & WilliamsonEntrepreneur of the Year and the QBE FTSE 100 Business of the Year.

The deadline for entries is 23 May 2014.

The call for entries and nominations comes as the National Business Awards releases their Business Without Barriers study that shows over half of UK businesses say that they are ‘quite confident’ or’ very confident’ about growth for the year ahead when compared to 2013.

The report surveyed over 500 business decision makers in the UK and found that 75% of businesses have seen growth in the last 3 years, with 34% of businesses saying they are offering new products and services.

Businesses report the biggest growth areas in the last 3 years as customer base and loyalty, overall financial growth and development in quality of service, as well as 15% also reporting growth in sustainable practices as an area where their business is currently growing.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .