Nominations open for the CoventryLive and Coventry Telegraph Business Awards

Nominations are now open for the 25th CoventryLive and Coventry Telegraph and Business Awards.

The awards night will take place at the Ricoh Arena on Thursday November 21, and will form the closing ceremony of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Festival.

The awards were launched last night at an event at the Ricoh Arena attended by business leaders from across the region.

This year’s awards are being backed by event partners Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce; while Orbit Group, Barclays, Birmingham Airport, Wasps and Ricoh Arena, have all already signed up as sponsors.

The annual ceremony is the most prestigious business awards night in Coventry and Warwickshire and will again celebrate businesses, entrepreneurs and organisations across 13 different categories - including our overall company of the year.

CoventryLive and Coventry Telegraph editor Keith Perry said: “Last year was a really strong line-up of finalists and winners and we are looking forward to seeing the very best Coventry and Warwickshire has to offer in this year’s nominations.”

Our events team has put together a new-look awards with some new categories to celebrate the achievements of a host of different businesses, charities and public sector bodies operating in fields as diverse as manufacturing, export and retail.

There are new categories for 2019 covering corporate social responsibility,, property, the public sector, and apprentices to showcase the work of young people.

And we are paying tribute to the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, who passed away earlier this year, by naming our manufacturing award category after him.

Lord Bhattacharyya, who was previously given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards, was the founder of Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick and has left behind an amazing legacy in the business and academic landscape of Coventry and Warwickshire.

Nominations close on August 30 and this year’s award categories are:

- Small Business of the Year

- New Business of the Year

- Apprentice of the Year

- Professional Services Firm of the Year

- Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya Award for Manufacturer of the Year

- Property and Construction Business of the Year

- Retail Business of the Year

- Public Sector Organisation of the Year

- Third Sector Organisation of the Year

- CSR Project of the Year

- Green Business of the Year

- International Trade and Export Award

- Company of the Year (chosen from other category winners)

How to enter

Simply go to the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards website here to nominate a company or person in one of our 12 categories.

Company of the Year will be chosen from one of our category winners.

Nominations close on Friday, August 30.

Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya

Lord Bhattacharyya founded a world-class centre of innovation in Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick.

Britain’s first ever Professor of Manufacturing, he was also instrumental in the takeover of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford by Ratan Tata, the then boss of Tata Motors.

Mr Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, and chairman of Tata Trusts, and Lord Bhattacharyya were close friends and both were made Honorary Freemen of the City of Coventry in 2015.

Many tributes were paid to Lord Bhattacharyya following his death in March, including from the Business Secretary Greg Clark, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among those who paid tribute to him at a special service of remembrance held at Coventry Cathedral at the end of March.

Coventry and Warwickshire Business Festival

The awards form the closing event of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Festival, which is now in its third year.

Organised by Coventry and Warwickshire LEP and the Growth Hub, the festival includes a wide-ranging programme of business events hosted by local organisations from across the region to encourage collaboration, networking, innovation, learning and sharing opportunities.

It will run from November 11 to 21 and applications are now open to organise an event. Visit the website here to get involved.

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