Eight finalists have been named in THE ONE competition for 2015, which offers a start-up or early-stage business in East Anglia a prize package of advice and support worth more than £35,000.

The contest, now in its sixth year, is being run by founder Nichola Cain, managing director of Essex-based Voice Communications, together with eight other business service providers.

It was open to firms in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire or Hertfordshire which have been running for up to five years.

The finalists are: Cranes Drink, Cambridge: fruit-flavoured cider; Canesmith & Co, Cambridge: gourmet sweets; Fox Tonic, Cambridge: craft tonic water; uPgrow, Chelmsford: eco fencing; Morgan Collins, Chelmsford: pyjama trousers to counter bed-wetting; Margie & Doll, Brentwood: mobile fashion boutique; The Lampshade Company, Colchester: handmade lampshades, and Jardine of London, Bury St Edmunds: leather handbags.

Each of the finalists will make a presentation to a panel of judges at Layer Marney Tower, near Colchester, on Tuesday, November 24, with the winner to be announced shortly afterwards.

The winner’s prize will involve a package including PR from Voice Communications, design consultancy from Phelan Barker, website consultancy from Rubber Cheese and online marketing from Climbing Trees, each to the value of £5,000.

Also included will be legal support from Goody Burrett Solicitors to the value of £4,000, leadership and management coaching from Julie Clements to the value of £3,500, accountancy advice and annual returns from LB Group to the value of £3,000, business consultancy from Graham Broughton Consulting to the value of £2,500 and telephone recepion services from MyRuby for a year, to the value of £1,500.