THE 2013 East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards have attracted a record total of more than 300 entries.

By the deadline of midnight on April 21, a total of 313 submissions had been received via the dedicated awards website – at www.eadtbusinessawards.co.uk – for the 13 categories open for direct entries.

And the final figure is likely to be higher still, with the Environment and Sustainability category, which was launched later than the rest, remaining open for entries until midnight tomorrow, Wednesday, April 24.

The current total does not include the Outstanding Achievement award, which is to be made at the judges’ discretion, or the overall Business of the Year title, the recipient of which will be chosen from among the other category winners.

Terry Hunt, editor of the EADT, said: “To receive more than 300 entries for the awards is absolutely brilliant and just shows how much business talent there is in the East Anglian business world. The judges have certainly got a tough task ahead of them.”

For the second year running, EDF Energy and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce are the joint main sponsors of the EADT Business Awards, and will be providing the judges for the Business of the Year title.

EDF and Suffolk Chamber are working closely together to ensure that local suppliers are able to benefit from the contract opportunities potentially represented by EDF’s project to a new Sizewell C nuclear power station alongside its existing Sizewell B operation.

The winners of the 2013 EADT Business Awards will be announced at a gala dinner ceremony to he held at Trinity Park, Ipswich, on Thursday, July 4. Three finalists will be chosen in each category, with the judging process taking place over the next two months.

The full line-up of category sponsors is: Anglian Water/Wild Anglia (Environment and Sustainability), Greater Anglia (Customer Care), New Anglia LEP (Director of the Year), University Campus Suffolk (Outstanding Achievement), Birketts (Family Business), Larking Gowen (Medium/Large Business), Suffolk Agricultural Association (Food and Farming), Adnams (Community Involvement), NWES (One To Watch), Suffolk Better Broadband Programme (Business Broadband Initiative), Healthy Ambitions (Health and Wellbeing at Work), EADT (Small Business), Suffolk New College (Young Business Person), Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner (Community Safety and Crime Prevention).