King's Award For Enterprise
Celebrating Business Excellence in Suffolk
Suffolk is full of innovation, entrepreneurship and ideas, and our international economy is one of the best connected in the UK.
We are home to a number of the world’s top businesses, with a vast network of thousands more smaller businesses with big ambitions for growth.
From digital technology, financial services, life sciences, and ports and logistics; to tourism, food, drink and agriculture, manufacturing and engineering, energy, health and construction; Suffolk is an enterprise hub for jobs, new skills and investment.
The King's Awards for Enterprise offer the opportunity for national recognition to those who are leading by example in business excellence.
2023 Winners
International Trade Category
Pump Street Ltd
Purple Line Ltd
Sackers
Innovation
PCE Group
Promoting Opportunities
Coracle Online Ltd
2022 Winners
International Trade Category
Bradman-Lake Ltd, Beccles, Suffolk
Geosense Ltd, Bury St Edmunds
Sustainable Development Category
Find out more information about this year's and previous winners here
Benefits of Winning a King’s Award
Thousands of businesses across Suffolk, large and small, are leading the way in boosting growth, pioneering innovation, improving trade, promoting opportunity and delivering sustainable development. Winning a Queen’s Award provides national and international recognition to businesses that lead by this example, and every applicant receives positive feedback and insights from the judges. This helps to support future business development.
Entrants come from all parts of the UK, but we want to see more from Suffolk, so that in years to come we may celebrate more winners from across the county.
The King’s Awards are open to businesses with more than two full-time employees. The majority of winning companies have fewer than 250 employees, but larger corporates are often proud winners too.
The King’s Award is valid for five years and the benefits include:
• National and global recognition
• Excellent marketing opportunities
• Added commercial value to your business and increased trade
• Competitive edge and new business opportunities
• Boost to staff morale
• Use of the Award emblem on stationery, website and advertising
• Permission to fly The King’s Award flag at your premises.
Presentation ceremonies are conducted at the winners’ premises, by the Lord-Lieutenant of the County as HM The King’s representative. The Awards consist of a Grant of Appointment and a presentational item bearing the Emblem. Additionally, HM The King hosts a reception at Buckingham Palace for representatives of the winning companies.
How to Apply or Nominate a Business
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses, designed to recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in four categories:
- innovation
- international trade
- sustainable development
- promoting opportunity through social mobility
• Applications are free and must be made online
• There is a different application form for each Awards category, together with guidance notes and helpful other information
• Applications open each year in May, and close in mid-September
• Awards are announced annually in April.
• For further information, please call The King’s Awards Office helpline 020 7215 6880.
Support for businesses in Suffolk
The Lord-Lieutenant has set up a special group to help and encourage Suffolk businesses to apply and support you through the process. We want to help you to present the best possible business case and to win, just as much as you do. Advice and support are available from:
Mark Pendlington
Chair of Suffolk Lieutenancy Business and Enterprise Group
07885 163470
Sue Bennitt
Secretary to HM Lord-Lieutenant, Clare, Countess of Euston
01473 264004
Categories of King's Awards
International Trade
To apply for the International Trade award, you must also:
• have made a minimum of £100,000 in overseas sales in the first year of your entry and show year-on-year growth
• prove that your organisation has achieved outstanding growth in overseas earnings relative to your business size and sector
• prove steep year-on-year growth (without dips) in overseas sales over three years - or substantial year-on-year growth (without dips) over six years
If you already hold an International Trade award you can only apply for a new award for:
• substantial year-on-year growth over six years if you are in the fifth (final) year of your current award (granted before April 2015)
• steep year-on-year growth in overseas sales over three years if you’re in the second, third, fourth or final year of your current award (granted before April 2017).
Sustainable Development
To apply for the Sustainable Development award, you must either:
• show how your outstanding sustainable development practices have helped to improve your commercial performance over two years
• show how your continuous sustainable development practices have helped to improve your commercial performance over five years.
Your achievements should be in one of the following categories:
• invention, design or production of goods
• performance of services
• marketing and distribution
• after-sale support of goods or services
• management of resources or relationships with people and other organisations.
Innovation
To apply for the Innovation award, you must also:
• have an innovation that has not been sold before
• have had your innovation available on the market for at least two years
• have recovered all the investments made in your innovation or show that the innovation will recover its full costs in future
• show outstanding commercial success as a result of innovation over two years - or continuous commercial success over five years:
Your innovation should be in one of the following categories:
• invention, design or production of goods
• performance of services
• marketing and distribution
• after-sale support of goods or services.
Promoting Opportunity Through Social Mobility
• have had a social mobility programme running for more than two years
• prove that the programme benefits your organisation (for example, it has improved your reputation or led to savings in the business).
Your improvements should be in one of the following areas:
• work experience, careers advice or mentoring for young people
• offering non-graduate routes such as traineeships or changing recruitment practices
• giving equal support and progression opportunities to all employees.
Previous Winners
ADNAMS, SOUTHWOLD
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD 2012
ANGLIA PRINT LTD, BECCLES
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD 2016
ANGLIAN WATER GROUP, SUFFOLK & EAST OF ENGLAND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD 2016
BURLAND TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, GT BLAKENHAM
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2016
C&K MEATS, EYE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2017
PIPESHIELD INTERNATIONAL LTD, LOWESTOFT
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2013
PLANT PARTS LTD, HADLEIGH
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2013
PROSYNTH LTD, SUDBURY
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2016
SEAFAST LOGISTICS LTD, FELIXSTOWE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2015
SEERS MEDICAL LTD, DEBENHAM
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2013
SUPERYACHT TENDERS AND TOYS, HARKSTEAD
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AWARD 2017