Awards

Business Person of the Year Award

This category is open to any business person working at any level within a business based in Cherwell district, who have through their efforts brought financial and/or non-financial benefits to their organisation.

The judges will be looking for evidence of how they:

Developed and implemented strategic business plans
Implemented plans to achieve growth and improve profitability
Actively taken steps to exceed customer expectations
Raised their organisation’s profile

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Charity and Community Award

This category is open to any charity, community group or social enterprise based in Cherwell district, irrespective of size.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

Fulfilment of charitable aims
Impact on local disadvantaged groups
Management and leadership influence
Membership/community involvement
Commitment of staff

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Innovation Award

This category is open to any business based in Cherwell district that has introduced an innovative product, process, service or business method within the last 3 years.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

How “open innovation” and collaboration may have been relevant.
A clearly written description of the innovation in the product, process, business model or service and its background.
A plan for continued future implementation and development of the innovation.
The innovation can be shown to have had a demonstrable actual and projected quantifiable operational benefit for example in: –
- Sales Turnover/Profit Growth
- Cost reduction
- Reduction in delivery days or stock holding
- Customer satisfaction
- Staff efficiency and satisfaction

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Large Business Award

This category is open to any business based in the Cherwell district that has been trading for more than 4 years and who have a turnover of £4M+.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

Consistent financial performance over 3 years
A Demonstrable strategy and vision for the next 3-5 years, showing clarity of goals
Innovation and business evolution
Development of management and commitment to staff
Involvement and commitment within the local community
Employee and customer feedback

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Micro Business Award

This category is open to any business based in Cherwell district with 5 or fewer staff. It also includes sole traders.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

How you promote or market your business
How you overcome barriers to growth
Business performance that is sustainable in the long term
Why your business is impressive compared to competitors and peers
The ability, passion, and desire to drive the business forward

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

New Business Award

This category is open to any business based in the Cherwell district that started trading after the 1st January 2021.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

How start-up was achieved
Growth to date
Strength and stability of business
Understanding of the market in which they operate
Vision /Strategy for future development
Funding arrangements and investment plans for the business

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Small Business Award

This category is open to any business based in Cherwell district that employs 25 or fewer staff, and that started trading more than 3 years ago.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

A clearly defined business strategy and vision for the next 3-5 years
Financial arrangements and sustainability plans for the business
Leadership and management with the ability, passion and desire to drive the business forward
Understanding their market, and ability to identify and overcome barriers to growth, along with a marketing strategy.
A clear recognition of who their clients are plus where and how to reach them.

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Sustainable Business Award

This category is open to any business in the Cherwell District that can demonstrate that they have practices which promote and support the protection and/or improvement of the environment embedded within their business or are delivering a product or service to customers with sustainable principles at its core. Any organisation, irrespective of size or industry sector can apply.

Judges will be looking for evidence of continuing waste or emission reduction programmes, employees who embrace consideration for the environment within their daily work, and management support for sustainability initiatives within the business and the wider community, or innovative products or services that are designed with a more sustainable future in mind.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

A 5 year road map of their sustainability journey to come and targets that have been set.
Waste reduction / efficiency: identifiable reductions in business waste sent to landfill and / or increases in waste sent for recycling; increased use of recycled materials within the business; increased use of raw materials from sustainable sources. Reductions in water or energy usage for a given output.
Emissions reduction/ efficiency: progress towards zero or lower carbon emission operations.
Innovation: creative ideas for implementing the above and sustainability more generally within the business without impacting on business efficiency or profitability or an innovative product or service that champions a more sustainable future
Embedded business narrative: management and support for sustainability initiatives within the business and wider community and employees able to demonstrate about how they have embraced these ideas within their work.

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Town Centre Award

To highlight a business, enterprise or initiative that is contributing positively to the vitality of one of our town or urban centres.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

Your aims for your business / organisation
How you are contributing positively to the vitality of your town centre
Your understanding of the market in which you operate
Your vision / strategy for the future
The stand-out quality that makes the business or enterprise or initiative a potential award winner

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Young Business Person of the Year Award

This Award is open to any business person aged 30 years or under on 1st January 2025, working at any level within a business based in Cherwell district, who has through their efforts brought financial and/or non-financial benefits to their organisation.

The judges will be looking for evidence of how they:

Developed and implemented strategic business plans to achieve growth and improve profitability
Actively taken steps to exceed customer expectations
Raised their organisation’s profile
Contributed toward their employer’s CSR agenda

Please note that entries must be endorsed by a business colleague, partner, or client.

Overall Cherwell Winner Award

There is no separate entry for this most prestigious award. The winner will be decided upon by the sponsor of this award and chosen from the finalists of any of the award categories.