Queen's Award 2003 announced
Engineering and manufacturing companies are invited to apply for one of the UK's most prestigious awards.
Companies from the engineering and manufacturing sectors are being urged to apply now for their chance to win the coveted prize of a Queen's Award for Enterprise. The deadline for applications for the 2003 Awards is 31 October 2002.
Winning a Queen's Award is widely regarded as the pinnacle of UK commercial success. Benefits of winning include significant publicity and the right to use the Queen's Award Emblem as an influential "marque of success" for 5 years.
The scheme recognises and rewards outstanding achievements in three core categories: Innovation, International Trade and Sustainable Development. Any type of business unit can enter provided it employs at least two people, is based in the UK and can demonstrate outstanding achievements in its field. There is no limit to the number of Awards made each year, but the standard of excellence required to win is notoriously high. Winners will be announced on 21 April.
In 2002, 903 applications for Queen's Awards were submitted and 131 Awards were made. 45% were first-time winners, 30% employed less than 50 people and 34% came from the service sector, dispelling the myth that the Awards are only relevant to big manufacturers. The smallest winner was a two-person company which had developed a revolutionary level-crossing system; the largest was an international logistics business employing 15,750 people in the UK.
David Moore, head of The Queen's Awards Office, comments:
"It costs nothing to enter the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, but the value of winning an Award can be immense - both for external promotion and for internal motivation. Even those who do not win can gain much from taking part, as feedback reports are provided on all applications. This allows companies to benchmark their achievements and identify areas for further improvement if they are to reach the high standard required of a Queen's Award winner."
To find out more about The Queen's Awards for Enterprise or to obtain an entry form, companies should either phone 0870 5 13 44 86 or visit the website at www.queensawards.org.uk
