2023 FSB Awards offer SMEs a chance to reap the prestige they deserve

"This is the ideal opportunity for SMEs to remind everyone of the incredible work they are doing and showcase how important they are to our communities."

Thriving small businesses in Warwickshire can stake a claim for the recognition they deserve in the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2023.

Entries are now open for the awards which showcase the best small businesses from the length and breadth of the UK, offering national recognition.

Expert small business judges will select category winners in 12 areas across the UK including the West Midlands, in which Warwickshire businesses compete. Those winners will then be entered into the grand final in Birmingham in May 2023.

Winning an FSB Celebrating Small Business Award is a great way to showcase business achievements and celebrate a business' hard work, brilliance and innovation within their own geographical area as well as having the opportunity to win a national award.

For a chance to be recognised as the best small business in the region, as well as in the whole UK, small businesses can enter one or more of 12 award categories. The categories include

· Sustainability Award

· Business and Product Innovation Award

· Micro Business of the Year

· Start-up Business of the Year

· Family Business of the Year

· Larger Small Business of the Year

· Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Aged 30 and under)

· Diversity and Inclusion Award

· Self-employed / freelancer of the year

· Service Excellence Award

· Exporter of the Year

· Community Award (Regional level only)

The 2022 awards produced a record amount of entries and included winners from a wide variety of sectors from across the Greater West Midlands and organisers hope that this year will see an even bigger response from the region’s innovative small businesses.

Warwickshire County Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe said: "We are blessed by such a diverse range of wonderful small businesses in Warwickshire and I would encourage all the people that run them to apply for these awards and challenge for the recognition and lift in profile that they deserve."

FSB West Midlands Regional Chair, Sue Tonks, said “This is a very challenging time for small businesses, so this is the ideal opportunity for SMEs to remind everyone of the incredible work they are doing and showcase how important they are to our communities.

“We were overwhelmed with both the quantity and quality of the entries we received last time, and we hope many more of the amazing West Midlands small business owners and the self-employed will take part this time around to prove again just how diverse and innovative our local small business communities are.’

The West Midlands winners will be announced at an award ceremony on 22 March 2023 at RAF Cosford.

It's free to enter and open to both FSB members and non-members. The closing date for entries is 26 January 2023. For further information and to enter the awards, which are open to both FSB members and non-members alike, please visit www.fsbawards.co.uk