The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise have been given to fewer than 8,000 companies since their inception in 1965, with winners announced on April 21 – the Queen’s birthday – every year.
Now awarded in five categories, for International Trade, Innovation, Export and Technology, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (Through Social Mobility), the awards are valid for five years. Winners are invited to a royal reception and are presented with the award at their company premises, usually by the county’s Lord-Lieutenant. Winners are also able to fly the Queen’s Awards flag at their main office and use the emblem on marketing materials such as packaging and adverts.
Bambino Mio, the eco-friendly baby products company based in Brixworth received its second Queen’s Award this year, following its first success in 2020.
On receiving the firm’s first award, co-founder Guy Schanschieff said:
“We are delighted that our continued international success, dedication and hard work has been recognised at such a high level. Bambino Mio’s eco-friendly baby products are available in countries across the globe, including UK, Germany, France, Australia, USA, Italy, Portugal and Spain – and we’re continuing to grow rapidly.
“Entering these awards gave us the opportunity to talk about all of the impactful work that we’re doing as a business and winning an award such as this simply fuels our passion to raise awareness of the numerous benefits that reusable baby products have for our environment, finances and baby.
“The award for International Trade celebrates business excellence, and recognises Bambino Mio’s outstanding international success, and our ongoing efforts to make reusable nappies and associated products acceptable and available worldwide.”
The only other Northamptonshire firm to win this year was Diamond Hard Surfaces in Towcester. The company, which employs six people, was established in 2004 and produces high-performance, high-endurance diamond-based engineering materials and coatings for Advanced Engineering Markets such as aerospace
and electronics.
Director and CEO of the company, Chris H Walker, said:
“We are delighted that our small, energetic, customer-focused team has been recognised with the highest award in the UK. Adopting an international approach to our business from the outset has resulted in us supplying our unique and patented products to blue chip businesses in over 22 countries globally.”
In 2020, James and James Ecommerce Fulfilment, based on the Brackmills Industrial Estate, was among 128 companies to win in the International Trade category.
James Hyde, CEO and co-founder, said:
“Part of our mission is to help online retailers scale internationally and deliver a consistently brilliant experience to customers, no matter where in the world they are. So, over the last few years, we’ve set up our own fulfilment centre in the USA and brought clients from 27 new countries on board.
“We’re proud that our international expansion is helping other businesses grow globally and has now been recognised with this new Queen’s Award.”
Farrington Oils in Hargrave was awarded the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development in 2021. Managing Director Duncan Farrington, said:
“Winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise is a huge honour, and being awarded it for sustainable development in particular is a real testament to our commitment to the environment.
“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and I am so proud to be recognised for our decades of hard work and dedication in
this area.
“Now more than ever, we all need to put our planet first, working towards a more sustainable future. I hope that seeing a small company from a village in Northamptonshire win such a prestigious award will encourage other small and medium-sized businesses to take the next step in their sustainability journey, so we can all do our bit for the planet.”
In order to apply for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, an organisation must be based in the UK; have a good compliance record with HMRC; be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products and services and is under its own management; have at least two full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents; and demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility. There are further criteria for the individual awards, which can be found at www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise/eligibility
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For further information or guidance on the Queen’s Awards, contact the Lord-Lieutenant’s office by email at Lord-Lieutenant@northamptonshire.gov.uk
