Business Elite Awards

About the SME Business Elite Awards

SME News is proud to host the SME Business Elite Awards. Since launching in 2018, the SME Business Elite Awards have become an established and significant part of the SME News platform. The awards aim to recognise and showcase the efforts of highly skilled SMEs across the UK.

Our primary objective at SME News is to identify and support the best small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. These enterprises are a crucial part of the country’s business sector, and we pride ourselves in celebrating their hard work and success through our prestigious award program.

Despite the significant contributions and achievements of SMEs, they are often overshadowed by larger multinational corporations. However, we at SME News aim to shine a light on these deserving companies and acknowledge their dedication and efforts through the SME Business Elite Awards. These companies are the backbone of the UK business sector and rightly deserve to be celebrated for their efforts.

Our awards provide a chance for small and medium-sized enterprises across all industries to demonstrate their accomplishments and gain recognition and prestige. As a winner of the SME Business Elite Awards, companies gain access to a readership of 78,000, and excellent marketing opportunities to establish themselves as top UK SMEs. At SME News, we highlight companies that work hard, and receiving our award is a remarkable triumph.

SME News’ in-house research team assesses each potential awardee, using a unique method that ensures impartial judgement, regardless of size or company history. Both start-ups and larger firms are evaluated using the same criteria and recognised based on their achievements. This approach enables SME News to showcase a diverse range of companies from various industries.

As an awardee, you have a plethora of opportunities to display your accomplishments. You can select from an array of promotional materials, social media posts, and web and editorial articles to publicise your success. Furthermore, you have the option to be highlighted in the A-Z winners directory alongside the quarterly magazine and annual supplement. With SME News at your disposal, you have access to excellent marketing tools that can enhance your success, regardless of the medium you choose for promotion.

Please feel free to direct any questions to the Brand Coordinator.

Voting is disabled for the year-round awards as these are determined solely by our team and based on merit alone. We highlight our winners in both our quarterly magazine & the awards page below once the programme is formally announced.

Meet Holly Blackwood, your Award Coordinator

Holly Joined AI Global Media in 2020 after spending much of her career in various marketing roles. With a great insight into how best to support businesses looking to increase their exposure, Holly is passionate about creating valued partnerships and ensuring the best possible customer journey.

Please get in touch with me via email or over the phone if you have any questions - I'm happy to help!

View My LinkedIn

Previous Winners & Clients

Customer Testimonials

The team at SME News have shown professionalism and dedication throughout the entire nomination and awards process, responding promptly and efficiently to my queries. As a small consultancy in the Greater London area, this award marks a significant milestone in my business journey. I am really proud of this achievement and thankful to SME News for their selection.— Ileana Stoica

I found the teams helpful throughout the process and the quality of work was great. We’ve shared the award on our company website and on social media, which has generated engagement and helped to raise our brand awareness. We feel it has been valuable in helping us to stand out from our competitors
— Louise Hillman

We are very excited and most grateful for the recognition and it is definitely helping us with more potential clients around the world. The award has also given a great boost to our team.
— Juwon Lawal

Methodology

Researching of Nominees

At SME News, we're all about celebrating outstanding businesses with our fantastic awards! We like to keep ourselves updated on industry trends and news through various methods, and when it comes to selecting our nominees, we employ a merit-driven process and take the time to conduct thorough investigations.
We begin with set criteria and look at those that meet or exceed this within the range of industry sectors most relevant to the magazine’s circulation, and that we feel are innovators within their particular field. This approach ensures that recipients are being rewarded for excellence within their particular area of expertise and not just because they fit most easily within a select category which often limits the scope.

Research & Judging

The research team at SME News conduct comprehensive investigations on behalf of each nominee using set criteria and diverse public domain sources, including corporate websites & directories, industry journals and associations, press releases and other published works to name a few.
Some factors the team take into consideration include (but are not limited to) sector expertise, industry experience, company profile and highlights, any significant accolades and achievements, client testimonials and recommendations, industry recognition and reputation, demonstrated innovation & company performance, history and establishment, extracurricular activities etc.

Informing Winners

Our winners will be notified prior to the official online announcement taking place on the SME News platform. During this time, our team works closely with winners to coordinate the best marketing strategies for their business and ensure that all involved can make the most of sharing the news both within their wider corporate communications and via external promotion courtesy of the SME News platform.

Celebrating

We’re thrilled to inform you that there are no compulsory costs when it comes to winning an award with us. As a winner, you will be invited to be featured in our A-Z winners directory at no cost, highlighting your achievement to a wider audience.
For those looking to leverage the SME News platform for enhanced industry recognition, we offer additional marketing support through various optional paid packages. These packages are designed to provide supplementary coverage and promotional resources that can help winners maximize the potential of their award and achieve their goals effectively. Rest assured, participation in these optional packages is entirely at the discretion of the winners.

FAQ's

How did I gain entry?

The SME Business Elite Awards are exclusively accessed via an internal recommendation, meaning that all nominees must be elected by us, the publisher.

What specifically led to the selection?

It is the responsibility of our research team to review a wide range of materials to drive the candidates for selection. We rely on a diverse range of public domain sources, including corporate websites & directories, industry journals and associations, press releases and other published works to name a few. If you would like to request specific details, please email the Award Coordinator.

Who decides how we progress through the process?

Again, this is all managed internally. We employ a team of individuals to conduct the initial research and final decisions are agreed in unison with our Senior Researcher, an experienced academic leader who is well versed in research, fact-checking, and mediation.

Is there a ceremonial event?

No, we focus our energy in helping our winners to create publicity around the news, rather than ask them to spend money on a celebratory event. We use our quarterly magazine and the annual winner’s supplement to publish digital content that is optimised for search engines, both of which are also shared with our 78,000-strong circulation of business owners and professionals across the UK.

Do I have to pay for anything?

No, there are no compulsory costs. We do offer a range of additional marketing options should our winners wish to capitalise on their inclusion, but these are entirely optional.
We always have, and always will, offer all our winners a free of charge listing in the online directory and we encourage our them to promote their inclusion on their own channels.

View Our Online Product Brochure

In today's multi-channel world of precise online engagement, being able to target and engage your ideal demographic is very powerful. SME News can help you to successfully connect with our readers and web visitors through our selection of products and services which you can view in our brochure.

VIEW THE BROCHURE

Business Elite Awards (2024)