The Mid-Sized Business of the Year Award
CRITERIA
Have you consolidated your position in the market with clear competitive differentiation and a loyal client base? Have you exceeded growth expectations or stayed ahead of the curve in your industry?
This award celebrates the contribution of Mid-Sized Businesses, or MSBs, to the UK economy in creating employment and value. Contenders for this award can demonstrate exceptional financial returns, sustained growth, effective customer and innovation strategies, and market prominence in their sector.
This Award will go to a company with revenues between £25m and £500m that can best demonstrate the following:
- Mature growth & an established client base
- Plan for sustained growth
- Innovation in products, services or processes
- Engaged and productive staff
- Effective leadership and management
- An ethical approach to business
- Strong business results
SCORING AND WEIGHTING
In this category judges will compare the extent to which each candidate has demonstrated excellence in the following areas:
- Employee & Customer Engagement
- Leadership & Innovation
- Organisational Ethics & Policies
- Financial Performance & Growth
PROPORTION OF OVERALL SCORING
25% Employee, 25% Leadership, 25% Organisational, 25% Financial
ENTRY STATEMENT
In a summary of no more than 350 words, please describe what your business does, the market in which it operates and what differentiates you from your competitors. Please include your key business achievements that are significant for your market sector or industry. (Please note that should you become a finalist the answer to this question will be used in external PR & Communications to explain who you are)
In no more than 1200 words, explain why you should win this award using the bullet points below as a guide:
- Employee & Customer Engagement 25%
- Provide evidence and case study examples of how employees and key stakeholders have been recruited, retained, motivated, developed and optimised to deliver growth objectives
- Provide case study examples and top line data to demonstrate how you have increased your customer base, generated more revenue from existing clients, or increased market penetration over the last 18 months.
- Leadership & Innovation 25%
- How has innovation supported growth? Provide evidence or case studies to demonstrate how an innovative product, service, solution or initiative has driven commercial success.
- How have you optimised new technology, platforms or processes to improve customer service or productivity?
- Show how the management structure, leadership philosophy and culture of your company has enabled innovation, supported scale or improved profitable growth.
- Organisational Ethics & Policies 25%
- How are ethical, environmental or social impact policies or initiatives aligned with your growth objectives?
- How does your approach to diversity, equity and inclusion align with your overall ambition for the business?
- Explain how your ethical or diversity policy or sustainability strategy has improved employee / client attraction and retention.
- Financial Performance & Growth 25%
- Explain your key growth metrics, including financial targets, KPIs, timescales and overall ambitions plus examples of milestones and barriers/challenges that have been overcome.
- How do you benchmark against your peers in terms of sales, profitability or market share?
- How has your company performed against your growth plan and what will help you to sustain future growth?
- Show size of future market opportunities and the capacity and capability of your business to capitalise on them.
- Show examples and/or case studies of what has supported, or will drive further, commercial success.
