The search for the region’s best employers, innovative entrepreneurs and most successful businesses is now on as organisations from across The Midlands are being invited to take part in the 2008 National Business Awards Midlands and East of England regional heat.

Sponsored by Orange, the Awards are made up of nine categories. Short listed finalists will be announced on 10 April before preparing to make their presentations in person before an independent, expert judging panel in May and June.

Winners will be unveiled at a glittering gala awards evening at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham on Thursday 17 July 2008. Regional winners will then have the chance to go on and compete against other organisations from all over the country in The National Business Awards, which will be announced on 18 November.

The categories are:

• The 3i Growth Strategy of the Year Award
• The Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award
• The Badenoch & Clark Business of the Year Award
• The Business Innovation of the Year Award
• The Cable & Wireless Award for Customer Focus
• The City & Guilds Employer of the Year Award
• The Hymans Robertson Corporate Social Responsibility Award
• The Credit Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award

To take part, businesses need to register by contacting the entries team directly on 020 7234 8751, by emailing them at nba@cmpi.biz or by downloading the registration form at www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk/regionals.

Recognising and rewarding excellence, innovation and success, these Awards are uniquely open to organisations of all sizes and from any industry sector – public or private.

Allowing the best of British businesses to showcase their achievements and benchmark their successes against firms and bodies of all types, the combined turnover of entrants in 2007’s national programme had a total turnover of £1079bn, profit of £95bn and 2.5 million people on the payroll.

Winners from across the Midlands and Eastern England in the 2007 programme included: The Peach Pub Company (Oxfordshire), Tyrrells Potato Chips (Herefordshire), Texperts (Cambridgeshire) and Pall-Ex (UK) (Leicestershire).

Paul Tollet, vice president business services, Orange UK, said: “Creativity and innovation are key to the success of modern businesses, and the National Business Awards recognises organisations and individuals that push the boundaries and do things differently in order to succeed.

Orange is delighted and proud to be sponsoring the National Business Awards for a seventh consecutive year, as supporting business excellence is something we are extremely passionate about and believe the awards will again highlight the UK's business heroes."  

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 26TH MARCH 2008