Could your business be a winner in the 2018 Suffolk Business Awards?

Winners on stage at the end of last year's EADT Business Awards. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

The awards, being staged for the 21st time this year, are again being run by the East Anglian Daily Times in association with joint main sponsors EDF Energy and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.

As in previous years, there is a broad mix of categories offering the opportunity of recognition for businesses of all sizes, and from from all sectors of the economy.

EDF Energy and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce are joint main sponsors of the awards for the seventh year running, with their support again including the overall Business of the Year accolade.

This title is awarded to a business chosen from among the winners of the other categories and deemed by the judges to represent outstanding all-round strength.

The awards, originally known as the Anglian Business Awards and, more recently, the EADT Business Awards, again this year include dedicated categories for Small, Medium and Large businesses while the Family Business category, for family owned and led businesses of any size, makes its return.

Other categories include Best Employer, Customer Care, Environment & Sustainability, Innovation Award, Showcasing Excellence and Young Business Person.

In addition, there will again be an Outstanding Achievement award, recognising an exceptional contribution to the local business sector and the wider community, by either an individual or an organisation, but, like Business of the Year, this is not open to direct entries.

Full details of the criteria for each category, and the sponsors, can be found here.

In addition to joint main sponsors EDF Energy and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, many category sponsors from last year are also supporting the awards again this year, including Adnams, Ashtons Legal, Greater Anglia, Norse, Scrutton Bland, Suffolk New College, the University of Suffolk and West Suffolk College. New, or returning, category sponsors this year include Birketts and Pure, and the Canine Creche Group is sponsoring the reception on the evening of the awards ceremony.

The East Anglian Daily Times is grateful to all of this year’s sponsors for their support. This year’s awards close for entries on Friday, May 4, with the finalists to be named in June and the winners to be announced at a gala dinner event in July, the date and venue for which are to be confirmed shortly.