Principal Sponsor

We are delighted to be sponsoring the Thames Gateway Business Awards again this year. NatWest has a long history of supporting businesses in the region and we see the awards as a great way to recognise and celebrate successful and proactive companies who have contributed to the growth of the local business community. We choose to sponsor the awards as it highlights our commitment to the region and we see it as a way of giving something back to the companies we work with.

CATEGORY SPONSORS

Innovation

Entrants should illustrate how they have managed successfully to introduce new ideas, techniques or technology into the organisation or within the market place within which they operate. Entries for innovation may take the form of a product, service or a process.

KEY CRITERIA
» What is the idea, how is it innovative to your business?
» How was the idea implemented within your business?
» How has this idea impacted upon the business?

Through the maximisation of the opportunities available to them, entrants for the Growth Business category must be able to demonstrate their business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate.

KEY CRITERIA
» How does your business fit into your marketplace?
» What are your businesses financial figures year on year? (this information will be treated as confidential)
» What were your plans and targets to date?
» What did you do to achieve the growth?
» What are your targets for the future?

New Business/Start Up

This category is open to all businesses that have started within the last two years. Entrants must be able to show how their business has progressed in line with their business plan. Success will be proven by the business and its employees having a clear understanding of their products, competitors and the marketplace in which the business operates.

KEY CRITERIA
» When was your business formed?
» Produce a S.W.O.T. analysis together with a brief business plan.
» How has your business performed against your business plan?
» What plan does your business have for the next 3 years?

Retail Business of the year

This category focuses upon the retail business and highlights the relationship with the consumer. Entrants should show high levels of customer care as well as an innovative or entrepreneurial approach to building the strength of the business.

KEY CRITERIA
» Provide an outline of your business.
» Who is your customer base and what makes your business special?
» What is the internal staff perception of your business?
» What is the customer perception of the business?
» Provide details of your customer care plan.

Entrants for this category should be able to demonstrate evidence of how they have implemented a training and development plan for all employees and how the results have been monitored. This plan should reflect a formal career development plan linked to an appraisal system.

KEY CRITERIA
» Provide details of your appraisal system.
» Show details of your training plan with an example session
» Provide details of how you monitor the evaluation.
» What have been the results.

Environmental business/Green business

This award is to recognise businesses that make a positive contribution to protecting or improving the environment. Companies will be judged on what they do to limit the environmental impact of their business plus anything extra they do to improve the local environment. Tell us how you encourage employees or customers to act in an eco-friendly manner and/or long term strategies that are in place to minimise your business' impact on the environment.

KEY CRITERIA
» Businesses must be able to show how they actively minimise their environmental impact e.g. through workplace travel plans, waste management and recycling initiatives
» Businesses must be able to demonstrate an active environmental policy including green procurement or an environmental management system
» Manufacture or distribute environmentally sustainable materials, products or services, e.g. local, fair-trade or recycled products
» Incorporate environmental equipment within its operation or the use of innovative technology such as alternatively fuelled vehicles, energy efficient equipment, green energy and water saving initiatives
» Provide us with evidence of your environmental credentials

This award recognises the impact of an individual on an organisation’s IT systems. It could be through efficient liaison with external suppliers/service providers or by single-handedly deploying a new solution – this award is for the person that has gone the extra mile to ensure that IT is working for your business. Entrants may either nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague. 

KEY CRITERIA

» State position in the business and describe relevant outstanding achievements to date in the field of IT.

» How has this person impacted on your organisation’s IT systems?

» What is the significance of this person’s contribution?

» Give an example of this person “going the extra mile”.

» What is the perception by peers, subordinates and customers?

In most business disciplines the customer is offered a choice of supplier. To ensure success of a business a customer care policy is paramount. This category encourages entries from any business, team or organisation that can demonstrate established and measurable systems for monitoring service standards.

KEY CRITERIA
» What is your customer care policy both internally and externally, and how does this differ from your competition?
» Provide brief case study example.
» Support your entry with testimonials where possible.

Youth is a hot bed for new ideas and possibilities, forged through energy and enthusiasm. With that in mind, this category encourages nominations from any business, team or organisation who feel they have a young person aged between 16 - 25 years, who has excelled in their field during 2007/2008.

KEY CRITERIA
» State the position in the business/team and describe how this person has excelled/contributed to date.
» How has this person impacted upon the business?
» What is the perception of staff members, peers and customers of this person?

Business acumen is the driving force of industry and as such should be positively encouraged. This award offers the businessman an opportunity to highlight their skills and ability either as the business owner or employee.

KEY CRITERIA
» State position in the business and describe relevant outstanding achievements to date.
» How has this person impacted upon the business?
» What is the perception of peers, subordinates and customers?

The award is to recognize companies that show a positive approach in the equality, inclusion, respect and development of under-represented groups.

KEY CRITERIA
» Demonstrates how you effectively promote
» Has developed a clear organizational ethos that reflects diversity and inclusion of both staff and service users
» Arises aspiration and career level of staff attainment through development and promotion
» Is aware of essential minority dress, language, significant benefits and customs
» Works closely with the community to ensure fairness is services and contract delivery

The Excellence in Marketing Award is designed to recognize the delivery and application of creative and/or innovative marketing principles.

This can relate to the company as a whole, a specific project or a marketing agency. Entries will be required to demonstrate an accomplishment which has had a positive and measurable impact on turnover within the last 12 months.

KEY CRITERIA
» How was the need identified and how did your company become involved?
» The company must have been trading for a minimum of 12 months on the closing date for entries.
» The company must be located within the Thames Gateway.

The company must have successfully delivered a campaign or initiative to promote a product/service/business and will include one of the following:

» A fully co-ordinated campaign
» A pioneering or creative marketing initiative
» A creative concept used in individual media (e.g. advertising, marketing, website, etc)

To be successful within this category businesses must be able to demonstrate an excellence within a number of business disciplines. Judges of this category will be looking for evidence of how a business has been innovative within their field and how this innovation has impacted on the bottom line. How the strategies of the business have enabled it to develop and grow, and through its commitment to investment in product, service and staff has gained a competitive advantage over its competition.

KEY CRITERIA
» Show how your business has grown in-line with or beyond the levels stated in your business plan
» Show examples of how you business has been innovative within the field of operation and how this separates you from the competition
» Give clear indication of what your USP is and how you communicate this message to your audiences
» Demonstrate how your company has embraced new technologies to gain competitive advantages
» Show how through inward investment in staff and resources, performance and efficiency has increased
» Show how all the above has impacted upon your customer base

This award recognises the impact that new or existing Science or Technology has had on your business. It might be a development in IT, use of internet, design, websites, e-procurement, mobile phones, the environment, land remediation, energy conservation, life sciences or manufacturing.

KEY CRITERIA
» Provide details of the science or technology used
» Describe how it was applied in your business
» Demonstrate how the employment of the Science or Technology has benefited your business through one or more of the following: improved productivity, new business achieved, new markets or customers gained, or new products developed.

The Apprentice of the Year Award seeks to acknowledge and celebrate apprentices' exceptional contributions to their workplaces. Judges are looking for apprentices that make a real difference to the organisation they work in by going beyond everyone's expectations and delivering measurable benefits.
Judging criteria
» Examples demonstrating an apprentice's commitment to personal development and progression through learning both at work and in their studies
» An apprentice who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the workplace which has resulted in measurable benefits to the business
» Examples of the entrant's inspirational qualities and overall character.