The clock is ticking for would-be winners as we count down to the Mercury Business Awards 2025

The clock is ticking for would-be winners as we count down to the Mercury Business Awards 2025.

It’s the 20th year of this prestigious event and over those two decades small businesses through to larger local firms have been among the victorious, taking away a title and a trophy to display proudly for all to see.

Nominations can be made by readers impressed by a local business person, company or charity for their service, staff, community-spirit, enterprise or green credentials, or by those who run, volunteer or work for the outfit. Those nominations can be made right now at www.mercurybusinessawards.co.uk

By entering you will make sure that business is in the running - or you can be a part of the event by becoming an award sponsor.

As well as investing in the community and bolstering a thriving community spirit, sponsors will establish positive relationships with the many other businesses involved in the event, and will engage with a great many potential customers.

To find out more about sponsorship, email our events manager sharron.marriott@iliffemedia.co.uk

Sponsors and shortlisted nominees will be invited to the grand awards ceremony at The Pavilion, Rutland Hall Hotel on the evening of Friday, September 19.

Attendees will be treated to a drinks reception sponsored by Rutland Hall Hotel, followed by a three-course meal served with wine. The winners will then be unveiled during a glittering ceremony.

The awards are the most well- established of their kind in the area, recognising the very best businesses across Stamford, Rutland, Bourne and the Deepings.

Here are the categories:

Best New Start-Up - Sponsored by Alltech

Has your business been a roaring success in its infancy? Has it exceeded all your expectations or is it exactly on the right track, looking strong and with excellent prospects for the future? You may be a oneman band looking to expand, or you may have started at a larger scale and already proved your ideas work. This award is open to companies in business for up to three years from April 2025.

Best Independent Retailer -Open for sponsorship

This award celebrates the shops which make the Mercury area special and will be judged on financial performance, product and store innovation as well as excellent customer service.

Employee/Trainee the Year - Sponsored by Inspire Education Group

This award is for the employees or trainees making an exceptional contribution to their workplace and can demonstrate commitment to personal development, dedication to career progression, and outstanding levels of success. The judges will be looking for an outstanding contribution to the organisation and its success. Individuals should be nominated by their employers or line managers.

Team of the Year - Open for sponsorship

This award is to celebrate dedication and commitment to the business. The title will go to the team who always goes the extra mile and exceeds expectations within their company. The judges will be looking for a team who can demonstrate how their attitude, commitment, and dedication to their role have delivered significant benefits to the company they work for.

Business Innovation - Sponsored by PVS Media

This award will go to the organisation that can best demonstrate an ability to create, grow and develop innovations or processes that improve commercial performance or the prospects of the company.

Environmental Champion - Open for sponsorship

This award will be presented to the business that can demonstrate a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint with projects such as cutting its use of fossil fuels, caring for the natural environment, improving the use of resources by cutting waste, reducing pollution and increasing its environmental understanding.

Best Social Enterprise - Open for sponsorship

This award is open to charities and social enterprises who can demonstrate significant commercial and social impact of their activities. Judges will want to see clear evidence of commercial awareness and innovative strategies that complement the altruistic aims of the organisation.

Businessperson of the Year - Sponsored by CLM

The winner of this award will be an individual who stands out from the crowd, has an entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrates outstanding achievement and inspires others around them. The winner of this award will have been instrumental to the success of their business, growing the reputation of both their business and the area in which they operate.

Customer Care

This award will recognise the company, irrespective of size or sector, that can prove it really does put the customer first. Has your business excelled to help one customer in particular or perhaps you have introduced new ways of working to help every customer? The organisation must have objectives for high quality customer service and clear methods of monitoring and evaluating standards.

Small Business of the Year - Sponsored by South Kesteven District Council

This award is open to a business trading for more than three years with up to 20 employees and able to demonstrate excellence and innovation in its field, management with the ability to drive the business forward and funding arrangements and investment plans for the future of the business. It must show it understands its market and has arrangements to respond to change.

Large Business of the Year - Open for sponsorship

This award is open to a business trading for more than three years with more than 20 employees that can show evidence of business growth, a commitment to the local community, a business strategy and vision for the next three to five years, proven success and achievement during the past two years, management with the ability to drive the business forward and a genuine commitment to its staff.

With grateful thanks to our headline sponsor Hegarty, category sponsors CLM, Inspire Education Group, South Kesteven District Council, Alltech and PVS Media, event programme sponsor The George Inn Oakham and host and winners’ champagne sponsor Rutland Hall Hotel.

MAKE A NOMINATION

Any business within the Mercury’s news coverage area can enter from now until the deadline of Friday, June 27. From there, a nomination pack will be sent out and these must be filled in and returned by Friday, July 2. Businesses can enter a maximum of three categories and give as much information as possible. The entry form is at www.mercurybusiness awards.co.uk

After the closing date, the judging panel will shortlist three finalists in each category. The finalists will be contacted by the judges before the winner is revealed at the ceremony.