Over one hundred UK businesses have been honoured in this year’s Queen’s Awards, with nearly half of them small firms.
In total, the Queen announced 112 winners in the awards’ three categories – International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.
Encouragingly, 48 per cent of the successful companies employed under 50 employees, a significant achievement considering that corporations such as B&Q and Prudential were competing.
The awards, which have honoured nearly 5,000 firms since 1965, were presented by the Duke of Kent, on behalf of the Queen, at a ceremony in central London.
In a speech to winners yesterday, the Duke commended the achievements of UK businesses in “difficult” trading conditions and pointed out the press
Among the 66 winners in the International Trade category included financial services, food manufacturers and small shipping firms.
The Innovation category, which saw 39 winners rewarded, included a firm which developed CCTV products and a company that produces a device for detecting water leaks by noise location.
The seven winners in the Sustainable Development category included countryside centre that specialises in rural arts holidays and a business bank with social, cultural and environmental goals.
Research conducted by organisers of the Queen’s Awards found that winners had enjoyed numerous benefits, with nine in ten saying that the award had added commercial value to their firm.
A further nine in ten said the award had boosted staff morale, 73 per cent had benefited from press coverage and 20 per cent reported new business as result of a the award.
For more information of the Queen’s Awards, go to www.queensawards.org.uk
