The King’s Awards for Enterprise
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the highest official UK awards for outstanding achievement by UK businesses. There are four categories that businesses can be recognised for:
What is a King's Award for Enterprise?
Why Enter?
The Awards can bring substantial benefits to recipients, including:
- Increased staff morale
- Boosts to turnover and international trade
- Greater recognition globally
- Excellent marketing opportunities
- Winning edge over competitors
- Increase in recruiting a highly skilled workforce
What happens if your company wins
If you win you’ll be:
- Invited to a Royal reception.
- Presented with the award at your company by one of The King’s representatives a Lord-Lieutenant.
- Able to fly The King’s Awards flag at your main office and use the emblem on your marketing materials (for example on your packaging advertisements stationery and website).
- Given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy.
Is your business eligible to apply?
To apply for The King’s Award for Enterprise your organisation must:
- Be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).
- Have a good compliance record with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – for example showing you pay the right amount of tax on time.
- Be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services and is under its own management.
- Have at least 2 full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents.
- Demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility.
- have an innovation that has not been sold before.
- have had your innovation available on the market for at least 2 years.
- have recovered all the investments made in your innovation or show that the innovation will recover its full costs in future.
- show outstanding commercial success as a result of innovation over 2 years – or continuous commercial success over 5 years.
- invention
- design or production of goods
- performance of services
- marketing and distribution
- after-sale support of goods or services
- Be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).
- Have a good compliance record with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – for example showing you pay the right amount of tax on time.
- Be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services and is under its own management.
- Have at least 2 full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents.
- Demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility.
- Show how you have achieved outstanding sustainable development for more than 2 years.
- Provide evidence of the benefits or positive outcomes of your actions or interventions.
Your organisation must have a programme that supports people from disadvantaged backgrounds in improving their job skills and their chances of finding work.
This includes doing one or more of the following, for at least 2 years:
- Providing work experience or careers advice.
- Mentoring.
- Offering interview and job-related training.
- Making sure your recruitment process is open to everyone.
- The people you’ve supported.
- Your organisation.
- Your employees.
- The wider community.
You cannot apply if social mobility is the main focus of your organisation.
KAE Ambassadors
Richard Huxley
Cheshire IoD (Institute of Directors)
Phil McCabe
FSB Cheshire & Merseyside (Federation of Small Business)
Debbie Bryce
West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce
Greville Kelly
Groundwork Cheshire
Stephen Fitzsimons
Warrington Chamber & Warrington Borough Council
Damian Waters
CBI (Confederation of British Industry)
Donna Okell
UK for Good
Philip Cox
Cheshire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership)
Case Study
EA Technology
Our Journey with The VisNet Hub
Watch Previous Awardees
What Awardees say...
We were delighted to be recognised with a Queen’s Award for Promoting Opportunity. The publicity related to the receiving the Award has helped to maintain public awareness of our social impact and helped drive renewed interest in our business.
Donald MacKay
Glencraf
When we received the Award in 2021, it gave us a fantastic platform to re-engage existing clients with the increasing profile and success of our work. The Award helped us to win several new, big contracts from global businesses. In the past year our team has grown by 10 new team members due to demand for our services internationally
Pam Hamilton
Paraffin
The following Cheshire businesses have won The King’s Award for Enterprise
2024
- Scott Partnership Holdings Ltd of Holmes Chapel
- ApconiX of Alderley Park
- Gentronix Ltd of Alderley Park
- 2M Group of Sutton Weaver
2023
- ALLpaQ Packaging Ltd of Widnes
- Integrated Air Systems Ltd of Handforth
- TMC Creative Ltd of Congleton
2022
- ApconiX Ltd. of Alderley Edge
- Oliver Valvetek Ltd. of Knutsford
- Xpel Marketing Ltd. of Widnes
2021
- Cobra Braiding Machinery of Congleton
- Illingworth Research Group Ltd of Macclesfield
2020
- Phoenix Cellular Ltd of Crewe
- Rock Chemicals Ltd of Warrington
2019
- DriveWorks Ltd of Thelwall
- 2M Group of Runcorn
- Combined Chemical Services of Appleton
- PortSwigger Web Security of Knutsford
2016
- Anari Ltd of North Rode, Congleton
- Crawford Healthcare Ltd of Knutsford
- Delamere Dairy Ltd of Knutsford
- Elegant Address South of France of Chester
- Genesys International Ltd of Middlewich
- ICC Solutions Ltd of Warrington
- LPW Technology Ltd of Runcorn
- Mobica of Wilmslow
- RSK Group plc of Helsby
- Sandon Global Engraving Technology Ltd of Runcorn
- Wheelwash Ltd of Crewe
2014
- Cygnet Group Ltd of Wincham, Northwich
- Extronics Ltd of Middlewich
2013
- Stirling Lloyd Polychem Ltd (Knutsford)
2012
- The Clinical Trial Company Ltd (Pickmere, Knutsford)
- Oerlikon Fibrevision Ltd (Lyme Green, Macclesfield)
- Oliver Valvetek Ltd (Knutsford)
- ICC Solutions Ltd (Warrington)
2011
- Genesys International Ltd (Middlewich)
2010
- Prism Ideas (Nantwich)
- Flowcrete UK Ltd (Sandbach)
- SMS Mevac UK Ltd (Winsford)
- Astech Projects (Runcorn)
- Aerelink (Widnes)
2024
- EA Technology Ltd of Capenhurst
- Safety Shield Global of Winsford
2022
- Data8 Ltd. of Little Stanney, Chester
2021
- Aerofoil Energy Ltd of Bollington
2020
- Combined Chemical Services(UK) Ltd of Appleton
2019
- DriveWorks Ltd of Thelwall
2017
- ICC Solutions Ltd of Warrington
- Quint Group Ltd of Macclesfield
2016
- AlphaBiolabs of Warrington
- Home Instead Senior Care of Lower Stretton, Warrington
2014
- Heat Trace Ltd of Helsby
2012
- Intetech Ltd (Rowton, Chester)
- ICC Solutions Ltd (Warrington)
2011
- EA Technology (Capenhurst)
2022
- Used Kitchen Exchange Ltd of Widnes
Have Questions? Look Here.
https://www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise
Midday on September 12th 2024
For administration questions around the submission or eligibility you can contact The Kings Awards Helpline on 020 7215 6880 from Monday to Friday between 09.00 and 17.00. You can also email them at kingsawards@beis.gov.uk .For advice from previous Chesire based winners on how to approach writing your submission and what to emphasise you can speak to a Cheshire Kings Awards mentor by emailing your contact details to info@kingsawardscheshire.co.uk
The King’s Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme that recognizes outstanding achievements by UK businesses in four categories: international trade, innovation, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
The King’s Awards are open to all UK-based businesses that meet the eligibility criteria for each category. Smaller businesses make up the majority of applicants, as they do businesses in the UK, but we welcome applicants from all business sizes. The sophistication of applications is expected to increase as businesses increase in size.
The eligibility criteria for each category vary, but in general, businesses must be based in the UK and have at least two full-time employees or part-time equivalents. They must also have a minimum of two years of trading history.
Winning a King’s Award can bring many benefits, including increased international recognition, enhanced brand reputation, and the ability to use the King’s Award emblem on company materials.
The winners of the King’s Awards will typically be announced in April each year.
