Deadline fast approaching to enter Startups Awards 2017 – don’t miss out!

Exceptional start-ups have until Friday 15 September to submit an entry for the Startups Awards 2017; the longest-running annual celebration of the UK’s most exceptional young businesses.

This is the 14th year for the prestigious ceremony, which gives you the chance to have your business endorsed by a panel of high profile judges and receive widespread publicity and the exposure that comes with such an esteemed accolade.

As well as headline sponsor The Start Up Loans Company, the 2017 event has attracted a number of other big names as bronze sponsors including chartered accountants and tax advisers haysmacintyre, domain name and web hosting services 123Reg, and multinational insurance firm AXA. Learn more about the sponsors here.

Once again, the Startups Awards has assembled a line-up of some of the UK’s best and brightest business talent for its judging panel including Liz Earle Wellbeing founder Liz Earle MBE, Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman, Coffee Republic and Skinny Candy founder Sahar Hashemi OBE, and Ella’s Kitchen founder Paul Lindley.

See more: The Startups Awards 2017 judges

Previous winners of the Startups Awards have gone on to achieve great things and even become household names, such as Ella’s Kitchen, Notonthehighstreet.com, Made.com, Crowdcube, Purplebricks, and last year’s Startups Business of the Year Onfido.

Are you eligible for the Startups Awards?

We’re looking for privately-owned UK-based businesses launched in the last four years that show great potential. As you’ll see from the former winners, if you want to be a contender, your business will have a great concept and be able to show evidence of revenue growth, profitability, and major clients wins.

You can read a detailed description of the application and how the category winners are chosen here.

The Startups Awards 2017 categories

This year there are 15 awards categories to be won, celebrating the huge diversity of businesses in the UK, including App of the Year, Export Business of the Year, Innovative Business of the Year, Tech Business of the Year and the Women in Business Award.

Once again, the People’s Champion Award – won for the last two years in a row by men’s grooming subscription service Cornerstone – will see the public and industry figures choose their favourite business from a shortlist of 50.

One deserving business will be chosen from amongst the category winners to be crowned The Start Up Loans Start-up of the Year.

The Startups Awards 2017 also sees the introduction of two new categories:

• The Start-Up Loans Inspiring Entrepreneur of the Year award – which recognises one great new businesses that has secured a Start-Up Loan to get off the ground.
• The Founders Pledge Social Impact Award – backed by The Founders Pledge, this is awarded to the most socially responsible start-up business.