As Bedfordshire (and the world) tuned into the King’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May, how many realised that it was also the day the entries opened for Charles III’s (recently renamed) King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024?
And if you didn’t know about the awards, how many of you would consider entering now that you do?
At Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, of course, we want to do everything we can to support a strong showing from our county and our members, and our support of the awards kicked off in earnest on May 18, when we supported a launch event at Cranfield University.
But Bedfordshire’s a county packed with innovation and enterprise, and we know that there are many more organisations out there – both businesses and not-for-profits – that should be putting themselves forward.
So, to make it easier for all you budding winners, here’s what you need to know about the categories the King’s Awards for Enterprise cover, the achievements judges are looking for, how you go about entering, where you can get help with the application process, and when you might learn that you’ve won.
What are the awards, and who can enter?
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be based in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man.
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have a good compliance record with HMRC
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be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services under its own management
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have at least two full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents
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demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility
As mentioned above, entries can be from both businesses and non-pro t organisations, and each category also has its own specific requirements and conditions, which you can read in full on the King’s Awards website.
How to apply
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter, and you can apply for more than one award.
You first need to create an account on the website, which will enable you to submit your entry, as well as receive awards-related updates.
You can also use a marketing agency or consultant to complete your entry for you, but you should still create an account yourself first, and then add your agency or consultancy as a collaborator.
The awards are highly respected in both the UK and abroad, and so the entry process is necessarily rigorous. The King’s Award Helpline offers some guidance on entries but Chamber members are also able to reach out to the Chamber team for any support and guidance.
What happens after you’ve entered?
The entry period closes at midday on September 12, 2023. After that, shortlisted organisations will be notified in October, with a deadline to provide verified commercial figures by November.
Much of the judges’ assessment of your performance as an organisation will be based on those gures, and they won’t progress your entry without them, so providing them punctually and in the required detail is critical.
Winners will be notified in March 2024, with helpful feedback on applications being supplied to non-winners at the same time. These, of course, are gold dust to help you hone next year’s entry!
On May 6, 2024, the winners will be announced in the London Gazette, and in the summer the pomp and finery commence in earnest, as representatives from the winning organisations are invited to attend a Royal reception.
What are the benefits of winning the awards?
I mentioned above that organisations that win the awards are entitled to use the awards logo on their communications and correspondence, and it’s important to understand that the emblem has proven worldwide recognition as the hallmark of an outstanding British company.
It also has a reputation for boosting international trade prospects, delivering marketing opportunities, and contributing materially to turnover.
At the same time, the awards generate significant media coverage, from which the winners naturally benefit, and is a source of pride and positive morale for your organisation, its employees, and other partners and stakeholders associated with it.
After all, who wouldn’t want to say they work with a King’s Award winner? We’ve had countless winners in the past and hope to see many more in the future!
Just another way we benefit our members
Communicating reputation-enhancing opportunities like this to our members, and supporting them to take advantage of them, is just one in a long list of value-adds we bring to our membership.
Becoming a Bedfordshire Chamber member also means you benefit from networking opportunities throughout the year, targeted Meet the Buyer events to connect you one-to-one to the businesses most likely to be interested in your products and services, webinars, online resources, and tools to help you get to grips with everything from export to carbon reduction, and a great deal else besides.
And in addition, we’re a figurehead, representing local businesses at regional and national level, and speaking up on the issues that matter to us and you.
Visit Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce or call 01582 522448 for more information on how to join. Find out more about The King’s Awards for Enterprise.
