The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:
- innovation
- international trade
- sustainable development
- promoting opportunity through social mobility.
To apply for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise your organisation must:
- be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
- file its Company Tax Returns with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services and is under its own management
- have at least two full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents
- demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility
Your organisation can be a business or non-profit.
Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria:
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
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
Sustainable Development
To apply for the Sustainable Development award, you must also:
- show how you have achieved outstanding sustainable development for more than two years
- provide evidence of the benefits or positive outcomes of your actions or interventions
Promoting Opportunity through social mobility
To apply for the Promoting Opportunity award, you must also:
- have had a social mobility programme running for more than two years
- provide evidence of the programme’s benefits (for example, to your organisation and employees)
Your improvements should help socially disadvantaged individuals or groups and 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
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter. You can apply for more than one award.
You’ll need to:
- create an account and register your details
- answer questions about your eligibility - this should take less than 15 minutes
- submit your application by midday on 10 September 2019
What happens if your company wins
If you win you’ll be:
- invited to a Royal reception
- presented with the award at your company by one of The Queen’s representatives, a Lord-Lieutenant
- able to fly The Queen’s Awards flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials (for example, on your packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
- given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy
The awards are valid for five years.
Winners have reported benefiting from worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage and a boost to staff morale.