Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness held a special meeting yesterday (Tues) to encourage the county's businesses to apply for the prestigious The Queen's Awards for Enterprise.

The awards, valid for five years, are designed to recognise outstanding achievements in four categories: Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

In her opening address at the event, hosted by Barnsdale Lodge Hotel, Dr Furness told the invited local business leaders: "Business is the backbone of a community.

"We have great ones in Rutland but few winners of the most prestigious of awards, The Queen's Awards for Enterprise.

"Winning this award can make an enormous difference to a business. We want great Rutland businesses to be winners - hence this event.

"The intention of today is to inspire you to apply - not necessarily straight away, but at some time, and to explain how to make your application the best it can be."

Dennis Nathanielsz and Eve Canavan from the Queen's Awards office in London were on hand to provide information about the online application process, top tips for writing applications and how even those who are unsuccessful receive valuable positive feedback from the judging panel which can help finesse any future application.

The fact-filled presentation also explained how winning an award can, among other benefits, boost turnover, create international trade opportunities and increase staff morale.

Key points highlighted by the pair included:

• almost all businesses can apply and the application process is free and straightforward
• feedback found it takes between 15 and 17 hours to complete the application form
• each year between 600 and 700 applications are completed and there is no upper limit for the number of awards given out each year
• in 2019 there were 201 winners, including six double winners - 129 International Trade, 61 Innovation, six Sustainable Development and five Promoting Opportunity.
• 90% of the 2019 winners are SMEs and 30 have less than 10 employees

The 2020 awards opened for applications on the 1st of this month (May) and close on September 10, 2019, with the winners announced on the Queen's birthday, April 21 2020.

Successful businesses are presented with a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and an engraved commemorative crystal trophy by their Lord-Lieutenant, which would be Dr Furness in Rutland. They are also permitted to fly The Queen's Awards flag at their main office, use the globally-recognised Royal Emblem on marketing materials and are invited to a royal reception at Buckingham Palace.

Four Queen's Awards-winning guest speakers - managing director of Photocentric Paul Holt, Anglian Water's head of sustainability Andy Brown, managing director of Welland Power Charlie Farrow and managing director of Fairfax Saddles Rupert Fairfax - each gave a short talk about their applications and the tangible benefits they had reaped as a result of securing an award.

Saddle manufacturer Fairfax Saddles won a Queen's Award for Innovation in 2018 for the research, testing and design of the revolutionary Performance Girth. The girth was developed in conjunction with the British Equestrian Federation to give Equestrian Team GBR an advantage at the 2012 London Olympics.

The Walsall-based company's sales office is in Stamford, after recently relocating from Oakham.

Mr Fairfax told the meeting, held in the same room he had launched Equestrian Team GBR's 'secret weapon' to the market: "The Queen's Awards are the top business awards in the country and a stamp of credibility.

"They recognise a company's role as a good employer and a good corporate citizen.

"A Queen's Award is also fabulous for staff morale and, for us, it has given us a great confidence boost and allowed us to have a greater belief in what we are doing."

Attendees received a brochure, 'The Queen's Awards for Enterprise Rutland Future Winners Guide', with information about the awards, details of the four categories and information for applying.

In it Dr Furness writes: "Together, let us shine a spotlight on business excellence here in Rutland.

"The Queen's Awards for Enterprise offer the opportunity for national and international recognition to those who are leading by example in business excellence.

"A business does not have to be big to win and only needs to be three years old to qualify, so the myth of big and long-established businesses being the only ones who can win is just that - a myth.

"Winning this award can 'turbo charge' your business and I wholeheartedly encourage you to apply."

Photo: Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Sarah Furness (centre) with Dennis Nathanielsz and Eve Canavan from The Queen's Awards office.

For more information about The Queen's Awards for Enterprise click the red button below.