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SME News proudly presents...

Midlands Enterprise Awards (2023)

SME News is proud to announce the Midlands Enterprise Awards are returning once again! Organized by SME News and now in its sixth year, this is a prestigious awards program that showcases the achievements of businesses operating in the dynamic Midlands region.

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Home  »  Awards  »  Midlands Enterprise Awards

Meet our amazing team

The Nomination Team can assist with answering any queries that you have regarding a nomination, or the process involved in taking part in one of our award programmes.

Please get in touch with us via email or over the phone if you have any questions - we are happy to help!

Meet The Team
Our Amazing Team - AI Global Media
Key Dates - Award
Key Dates

Entries Open:Wednesday 15th February 2023

Entries Close:Thursday 18th May 2023

Winners Announced:August 2023

About the SME Midlands Enterprise Awards

SME News is proud to announce the Midlands Enterprise Awards are returning once again! Organized by SME News and now in its sixth year, this is a prestigious awards program that showcases the achievements of businesses operating in the dynamic Midlands region.

With the region accounting for 9.4% of total manufacturing output of the UK and having a strong presence in a variety of sectors, it’s no surprise that businesses based in the Midlands are at the forefront of driving the UK economy forward.

As the UK is due to emerge from its recession from the second half of 2023, Birmingham is set to have one of the fastest growing rates for companies, further reinforcing the Midlands’ position as a hub of business activity. Business confidence in the West Midlands rose nine points during January 2023 to 18%, reflecting the region’s resilience and ability to weather economic challenges. The West Midlands is also the highest placed northern region for attracting Foreign Direct Investment, making it an attractive destination for businesses looking to establish a presence in the UK. What better way to celebrate this achievement than to participate in these awards?

The Midlands Enterprise Awards, organized by SME News, provides a unique platform for businesses operating in the region to showcase their achievements, innovations, and contributions to the Midlands business community. This awards program is designed to recognize and celebrate the successes of businesses in the region, boosting their company profile and increasing visibility.

The process is straightforward; alongside nominations, we have our dedicated in-house research team that source, analyse and reward businesses that we think deserve to be recognised for their achievements. Using this method means that, regardless of industry or size, businesses can be judged on a level-playing ground.

This awards programme is completely free to enter and if your firm is lucky enough to be successful, you will be presented to our circulation of 78,000 and promoted on our official website for a minimum of 12 months.

In addition, our awardees are welcome to choose from our range of competitively priced promotional opportunities to increase exposure of the good news!

By participating in the Midlands Enterprise Awards, organized by SME News, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to excellence and display their dedication to the Midlands business community. In addition to the prestige of being recognized as one of the top businesses in the region, winners will also receive increased visibility, a boost to their brand reputation, and valuable networking opportunities with other businesses in the region.

If you would like to nominate yourselves, or indeed another business you feel is worthy, then please complete the voting form found above. Alternatively, if you would like further information about how the Midlands Enterprise Awards can benefit your organisation, please feel free to contact the awards team at awards@sme-news.co.uk.

FAQ's
FAQ's - Full Width Banner
How long has SME News been in circulation for?
SME News was first launched in 2017 making it one of AI Global Media’s newer publications. SME News is a quarterly magazine circulated to just over 78,000 recipients. The publication seeks to inform, entertain, influence and endorse the start-up and SME business culture in the UK. We aim to achieve this by providing quality editorial and rigorous research utilising a multimedia platform capable of targeting key stakeholders of dedicated advisers, experts and contributors.

SME News is owned by AI Global Media, a UK based publisher which has over 200 issues to its name since 2010.
Where did the nomination come from?
In the interest of nurturing an environment proven to produce a high response rate, we don’t ask nominees to reveal any personal identity. With regards to methodology, we often nominate candidates ourselves and, when it comes to voting, if you didn’t cast a vote through a self-submission, it is likely to have been cast via a colleague or client who has received one of our direct invitations.

One of the main mantras of our awards system is that your ability to succeed is not linked to the number of votes received, meaning your award is presented purely on merit. In the interest of security and fairness, we track unusual behaviour on our website to identify repeat votes and cyber-threats.
What happens if I agree to be shortlisted?
In the interest of focusing our efforts on relevant and eager candidates, we ask all nominees to accept their position on the shortlist giving people complete control in the decision on whether they would like to move forward with the award. Nominees who accept are subject to our scrutiny during the internal vetting procedure and are given the opportunity to present their own data to be considered alongside information collated by our research team. This can take up to 8 weeks for final assessments to be rendered.
Who makes the final decision?
We employ an entirely impartial panel of 5 individuals to conduct all research. At the helm of the panel, is a veteran academic leader with international academic and training experience and is well versed in research, fact-checking and mediation. SME News’ research is overseen by Martyn Walters, who holds a master’s in history and experience in coaching, sales and hospitality.

This two-tiered system allows for a neutral mediator which we feel allows a more efficient method when determining individuals and companies most deserving of winning an award and has brought us much success and commendation throughout its use.
Is there a winner’s ceremony/award dinner and if so, when does it take place?
The short answer is, no.

We decided to not focus our efforts on a celebratory event. Despite being an enjoyable occasion, it doesn’t support our group’s philosophy of cost-effective marketing. We follow the belief that optional costs associated with an award are better placed in a year’s worth of online marketing for the winner rather than spending large sums on a ceremonial evening.

Our press announcements are made digitally, online and across our network to enforce our position as digital publishers. We aim to provide you with the tools (both digital and physical) to generate real-world value.
What happens if I am deemed successful?
After you have been notified we enforce a short press embargo while the programme manager will liaise with you to establish your preferred method of coverage. Generally, our coverage takes the form of a digital celebratory magazine, we also offer physical trophies, wall mounted certificates and plaques and digital certificates, web-based advertisements and press releases which can be custom designed for you or your company.
Are there any costs involved?
As mentioned there are no compulsory costs in accepting a nomination or winning an award with SME News. We do offer a variety of paid additional benefits for our winners, but these are completely optional. To demonstrate our commitment to no mandatory fees, all our winners are offered a free of charge promotional package. Our company policy will always remain: regardless of budget, our clients should always be able to garner the full value of the award and our seal of approval. We offer a variety of promotional opportunities to our winners, as we have an extensive network and we know, more than anyone, the wider business benefits from promoting industry awards.
Why does your email domain differ from your website domain?
Because we send a large volume of emails, we separate our campaign email sends from our transactional ones. This structure helps to ensure a prompt and thorough response from one of our diligent team members. The sending email address will always be recognisable but please contact us via the address on this page if you have any concerns.
Methodology
Methodology 1: Researching nominees - Full Width BannerResearching nominees

The SME News team work ardently to identify market leaders, innovators and enterprising start-ups, driving many of the nominations themselves.

We also encourage external nominations via the SME News subscribers, online visitors, social media followers, clients and wider circulation.

Nominating parties are invited to put forward either third-party businesses whom they hold in high regard, or their own organisation.

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Methodology 2: Shortlisting nominees - Full Width BannerShortlisting nominees

All nominees are formally requested to accept their nomination. Should any firm or individual rather decline at this point, they are simply taken out of the running.

Those formally accepting are given the opportunity to submit additional materials in support of their nomination. Although there is no obligation to complete and supply material, we have found that many nominees value this stage, in the process, as much as our research team do.

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Methodology 3: Evaluating and judging - Full Width BannerEvaluating and judging

Our dedicated research team will assess all information presented to them.

The team gather information independently from a variety of publicly accessible sources, which are assessed alongside any material supplied by a nominating party or the nominee themselves.

The research team casts their final judgment, based on various criteria including: client dedication, innovation, business growth, longevity, online reputation, customer feedback and business performance.

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Methodology 4: The lucky winners - Full Width BannerThe lucky winners

Once winners are determined, they are personally notified before any public announcement is made, allowing time for any communications throughout the wider business and the coordination of marketing strategies.

Unfortunately, not everyone can be a winner; however, all who take part are encouraged to come back next year.

Once the press embargo is lifted, details of our SME award winners will be made public via the website, award winners’ magazine and subscriber newsletter.

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Methodology 5: Making the most - Full Width BannerMaking the most

We are prepared to offer a range of promotional packages and items to SME award winners, which vary from inclusion in the free-of-charge winners’ directory, to trophies, content in our magazine and on our website.

We encourage all winners to publicly announce their win independently. Announcements via company websites, social media, via publicly released press releases, and through local and national press are all great ways of maximising the exposure which can be gained from such an amazing achievement. If you have need of further advice, on how to gain maximum exposure from your win, please feel free to get in touch. We are happy to assist our clients with their needs.

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The winners hall of fame

View all winners of the SME Midlands Enterprise Awards.

Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2017

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Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2018

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Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2019

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Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2020

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Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2021

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Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2022

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Hall Of Fame - Year Background Image2023

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