Businesses invited to enter Queen's Awards for Enterprise

Businesses are being invited to a launch event in Shropshire to learn more about how winning one of the UK’s most prestigious awards can benefit their companies. 

The Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Sir Algernon Heber-Percy KCVO and Graham Wynn OBE, chairman of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership will launch the Queen's Awards for Enterprise in the county on April 18. 

Guests at the event at the Marches Centre for Manufacturing & Technology in Bridgnorth, from 8.30am to 10.30am, will hear from the Deputy Head of the Queens Award Office in the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy as well as former Shropshire winners of a Queen's Award. 

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity. 

Mr Wynn (pictured) said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to learn about the benefits of taking part in the Awards.

"With entries judged solely on merit, there is a very wide variety of enterprises which can enter and win, with companies varying in size from large international companies to small businesses with just a couple of employees." 

Former Shropshire winners include Shrewsbury-based Cooking Marvellous, and manufacturers Thermserve in Telford and Grainger & Worrall in Bridgnorth. 

"In a recent Queen's Awards survey 76 per businesses said winning an award had brought added commercial value to their business and 55 per cent said the win had delivered new business opportunities. 

"In fact, 73 per cent of winners in the International Trade category directly attributed increased sales to winning a Queen’s Award. We'd like to invite businesses of all sizes to this event to learn more about the Awards and how they can enter when the scheme opens for applications in a few weeks time." 

To book at place at the event, visit http://bit.ly/2Gx2pQ9