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Awards categories

Listed below are 14 categories to enter, we’ve got something for everyone. If you think your business has got what it takes, read the criteria thoroughly and send us your entry.

All companies must fulfil the following general criteria for entry as well as the specific category criteria:

  1. Less than three years old at the time of your entry
  2. Privately owned


Startups Business of the Year

You can’t enter this directly. The winner will be chosen from the winners of the 12 other categories.

Online Business of the Year



This category is for any business which earns at least 60% of its turnover online. You could be a brilliant young cloud business offering software as a service or a retailer selling the majority of its goods online. We’re looking for exciting new businesses with potential to grow into something substantial.

Innovative Business of the Year

Here we are looking for businesses which either offer a groundbreaking product or service, or which are using a great new approach to improve a traditional market.

Mobile Business of the Year


Whether you’re developing apps, making money from them, or are using mobile as a key channel to sell your wares, market your business, or even run things more efficiently, we want to hear from you.

Product Business of the Year

This award is for exciting new products from a new business. We don’t mind whether the new product is digital or not, as long as it is great!

Home or Craft-based Business of the Year

This includes home-based businesses or/and craft-based businesses. We want to recognise the most successful home-based companies. If your business is producing or selling craft whether it be basketry, textiles or millinery and knitwear then this category is also for you.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Calling all you bright young things – this category is for all business owners under 30 years old.

Marketplace Business of the year

This new category is for any new business which is trading extraordinarily well on marketplace sites such aseBay, Amazon, notonthehighstreet or etsy.

Women in Business Award

If you’re a female entrepreneur, enter here.

Green Business of the Year

This award is here to recognise a new business which is either offering a product or service which help others save the planet, or is going about a normal business in a particularly green way.

Angel or VC-backed Business of the Year

Every year business angels and venture capitalists invest in young companies with enormous potential. This award is for young businesses which have raised money from investors and can already demonstrate signs of achieving real greatness.

Social Enterprise of the Year

If you’re a new organisation whose main goal is to benefit a social or environmental cause; or a business that contributes a significant percentage of profits to an ethical cause, this category is for you.

Service Business of the Year

Designers, IT firms, accountants, hairdressers, travel agents, consultancies, retailers and other non-product focused businesses, this is your category.

Franchisee of the Year

For this award we’re looking for franchisees that have launched a new franchise in the last three years and made a great success of it.

Business Plan of the Year

Got a great idea for a new business but haven’t launched yet? Then send us your business plan and see if our judges agree. To enter, simply submit your business plan with any supporting material and the first page of the entry form completed.



  • 3 August 2011Open for entry
  • 7th October 2011Extended entry deadline
  • 25 October 2011Finalists announced
  • 2 November 2011Judging day - if you are selected to be a finalist you need to be contactable by phone on this day
  • 2 December 2011Startups Awards at Kensington Roof Gardens