The King's Awards for Enterprise are the UK's most prestigious business awards, offering recipients global acknowledgment that their company is outstanding in its field. The Awards recognise and encourage the outstanding achievements of UK businesses in the fields of:
- Innovation - Proven commercial success over at least two years through innovative design, products or services.
- International Trade - Demonstrating growth in overseas sales and earnings.
- Sustainable Development - Outstanding sustainable development for more than 2 years and proven benefits or positive outcomes of actions or interventions.
- Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility) - Having a social mobility programme running for at least two years, supporting disadvantaged people improve their jobs skills and chances of finding work.
Benefits of winning the Award
Winners receive a range of benefits including worldwide recognition and extensive press coverage. They are also invited to attend a Buckingham Palace reception and can use the Awards Emblem as an internationally recognised endorsement for 5 years. The award itself is presented locally, usually by HM Lord-Lieutenant.
How to apply
The 2023 application round closes on 6 September 2022, winners will be announced in April 2023.
There is no entry fee.
All entry forms, eligibility criteria and information on how to apply is available on The King's Award for Enterprise website.
Find out more
Working together with Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, we have created a podcast about The King's Awards for Enterprise.
Featuring Deputy Lieutenant, Mr Bryan Gray and previous winners, The Lakes Free Range Egg Company and Clark Door, the podcast has lots of useful information and top tips about applying for a Queen's Awards for Enterprise.
Get in touch
The Cumbria Lieutenancy Office is keen to encourage entries for the 2023 awards which open on 1 May 2022.
The Lieutenancy Office may be able to offer advice and mentoring to eligible applicants in the completion of the online application form.
If you would like to speak to us about your potential application, please contact us by email at: lieutenant@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk and we will be happy to assist.
Alternatively, to contact The King's Awards Office directly, call their helpline on:
Telephone: 020 7215 6880 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Previous winners:
On 21 April 2022, it was announced that two organisations in Cumbria had received a Queen's Award for Enterprise.
Alertacall Ltd and Chimney Sheep Ltd both received their awards for their outstanding performances in Innovation.
We look forward to their presentations.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman said:
"Cumbria has two Queen's Award winners this year: Alertacall in Windermere and Chimney Sheep in Maryport, both winning awards for Innovation. I do congratulate them and am so pleased that their ingenious ideas are both commercially successful but have been recognised with this internationally rated award. The benchmark for a Queen's Award is very high and so there are substantial marketing and reputational benefits to award winners. I would encourage Cumbrian entrepreneurs, whose companies might be eligible, to explore the possibility of applying for an Award (from 1 May) and to let the Lieutenancy know in case we can be of assistance with the application."
On the 29 April it was announced that an organisation in Cumbria had received a Queen's Award for Enterprise. Barrnon Ltd received their award for their outstanding performance in Innovation.
Barrnon Ltd, an engineering services provider based in Appleby, received their Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman and Deputy Lieutenant, Mr Bryan Gray on 23 May 2022.
On the 21 April it was announced that four organisations in Cumbria had received a Queen's Award for Enterprise. Clark Door, Kendal Nutricare and Trade Copiers received their awards for their outstanding performances in International Trade.
The Quiet Site have won one of the 19 awards in the country for Sustainable Development.
We look forward to their award presentations.
Clark Door, a leading manufacturer of specialist door systems based in Carlisle, received their Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman and Deputy Lieutenant, Mr Bryan Gray on 6 October 2021. Clark Door received the award for outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales.
Kendal Nutricare, a leading manufacturer in nutrition products based in Kendal, received their Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman and Deputy Lieutenant, Mr Sam Rayner on 23 July 2021. Kendal Nutricare received the award for outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales.
Trade Copiers, an industry leader in photocopiers and consumables based in Penrith, received their Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman and Deputy Lieutenant, Mr Bryan Gray on 31 August 2021. Trade Copiers received the award for outstanding short-term growth in overseas sales.
The Quiet Site, a carbon neutral holiday park overlooking Ullswater, received their Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman and Deputy Lieutenant, Mrs Sarah Dunning on 16 September 2021. The Quiet Site received the award for providing sustainability leadership in their industry.
Create Technologies Ltd, trading as Createc received their Queen's Award for Innovation from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman on Thursday 19 September 2019.
Createc has a deep knowledge in imaging and computer vision which they use to help people and machines understand the world around them.
The Lakes Free Range Egg, co-owned by Mr and Mrs Brass received their Queen's Award for Sustainable Development from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman on Friday 24 August. The occasion was even more special for staff at The Lakes, because it marked the start of their 21st birthday celebration.
Create Technologies Ltd, trading as Createc received their Queen's Award for International Trade from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman on Thursday 27 September.
The Createc team has a wide experience of the very latest sensor technology, imaging applications and software approaches that they can bring to bear on any problem. They have been successful in developing devices and software systems that are being used around the world. And they enjoy extending their expertise into new areas.
