Businesses across Rutland and Leicestershire are being urged to put themselves forward for a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

This year saw Oakham-based bedding company Woolroom recognised in the awards, as previously reported by Nub News.

Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Mike Kapur has launched a new campaign to encourage more companies to apply after noticing that the county was "dramatically under-represented" compared to other similar areas.

He has put together a team of Leicestershire business leaders, chaired by businessman Ian Borley, to try to encourage more entries and support businesses in making their applications.

Mr Kapur said: "For a county the size of Leicestershire, if you take a statistical analysis, we are dramatically under-represented in the awards.

"I think that is because people do not realise that what they do, the great products they produce, the terrific contribution they make, is anything special. They are shy when really, they should be shouting from the rooftops.

"We know Leicester and Leicestershire is home to innovative, enterprising businesses that are making a difference in their sectors and to their customers. We have much to be proud of, and I hope we can support our business community to show that, now more than ever as we emerge from the pandemic."

The Queen's Award for Enterprise is given to outstanding British businesses and are the most prestigious awards a British company can win. There are four categories a business can enter:

international trade

sustainable development

innovation

promoting opportunity through social mobility.

The new committee aims to look at the barriers preventing more applications and provide a point of contact for interested businesses to help them through the application. Chief among its work is raising awareness of the award and supporting applications.

"There can be a belief that it is for the larger companies but in 2020 the sole winner we had in Leicestershire was a company with four employees," said Mr Kapur. "We need to get the message to businesses that this is for them and that we want them to succeed."

Members include Richard Brucciani OBE, Mehmooda Duke MBE, Privesh Patel MBE, LCFC chief executive Susan Wheelan, Scott Knowles, CEO of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce and Helen Donnellan, Director for Business and Enterprise at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), business

Nominations for the 2022 Queen's Awards for Enterprise close in September.