Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is proud to support the county’s businesses by sponsoring the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for the third year running.

Hertfordshire LEP and LEP Network Chair Mark Bretton underlined the LEP’s “firm sponsorship” of the highly-prestigious awards and said the LEP was “very keen to see more start-ups entering”.

The awards are given in recognition of outstanding achievement by UK businesses across four categories: innovation, international trade, sustainable development, promoting opportunity through social mobility.

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce has hosted a Virtual Launch Event for these awards to promote their importance and encourage businesses within Hertfordshire to submit entries since 2020. The 2023 programme was launched on 19 May.

Jeremy Bishop, Chairman, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Achieving the highly-prestigious Queen's Award will definitely elevate your brand. It will drive significant internal and external recognition for your business. It will propel your business and reputation to new heights. The Queen's Award really is a true mark of excellence.”

He added the Chamber would support businesses through the process and would be hosting workshops to ensure businesses achieve the recognition they deserve.

HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss CBE, CStJ, said: “There's no question seeing an award with the name of Her Majesty the Queen, particularly this year, has a very positive impact on a business. It's something hugely significant around the globe, and should not be underestimated.

“I cannot overestimate how huge a benefit it is to companies and I would urge all of you to give it consideration and talk to others to nominate yourselves for what is probably the most significant and well-respected business award not only in this country, but I would dare to suggest around the world.”

He urged SMEs and start-ups to apply saying many businesses found the application “a very useful, cathartic exercise” to go through their procedures and “determine where they are succeeding, where they have holes and where they're missing.”

Outlining the role of the LEP in growing the local economy, following the Levelling Up White Paper, Hertfordshire LEP Chair Mark Bretton said targeted investment would support incubation and innovation space for start-ups, along with co-working and move-on space, skills/training facilities and equipment.

He added: “We have an ambitious programme to deliver whether that's in economic strategy or intelligence, business growth, or in determining local skills priorities.”

The event also heard from businesses who had already won a Queen’s Award.

UK Acute Healthcare at GAMA Healthcare were recipients in 2018. Adam Train, Brand Manager, said: “In winning, we were recognised for business growth and were able to look at bringing on more international distribution partners. It was a massive recognition of the work everyone across the business had done and we had a real celebration when we won.”

Mahmoud Farhadiroushan, Founder and Executive Director at Silixa, a 2021 winner, said: “It creates a great sense of achievement within your organisation and brings a lot of value to your business. It’s a massive boost to staff morale because they really feel proud being part of award-winning company.”

Rashid Lalloo, Chief Executive at Premier Ship Models, another 2021 winner, said: “Winning raises awareness of what you do, makes it much easier to talk to your supply chain including your banks, and it’s great for networking.”

To view the launch event and receive tips and advice on entering from Sarah Minney, Social Media and Stakeholder Manager and Will Arndt, Deputy Head at The Queen's Awards Office, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) visit the Chamber’s website.