Wirral Investment Network Business Awards Categories

Business Person of the Year
Sponsor: Tranmere Rovers
An individual who has demonstrated initiative, drive and leadership in adding value to their business, bringing financial and non-financial gain to the organisation through their hard work. Someone who has developed and implemented successful business solutions, implemented plans to improve cost and energy efficiency, endeavoured to exceed customer expectations or raised their organisations profile.

Environmental
Sponsor: Stiebel Eltron UK Ltd
Company-wide commitment to minimising its impact on the environment, alongside significant success in minimising its carbon footprint. Resource efficiency, environment focussed products, measures taken to improve energy and waste efficiency, ranging from the use of alternative fuel vehicles to commissioning full environmental management assessments.

Small Business of the Year
Sponsor: Hillyer McKeown Solicitors
Impressive financial figures, strong and steady profit margins, signs of sustainability and potential future growth. An understanding of the market and mechanisms to respond to change and have strong growth potential.
(less than 25 employees).

Business of the Year
Sponsor: Smith and Sons
This category recognises outstanding performance by non-SME businesses or organisations. Judges will look for exceptional financial returns, strong growth and market leadership in its sector.
(Non SMES only, greater than 250 employees and (or) annual turnover exceeds £50M)

Medium Business of the Year
Sponsor: Scantec Personnel
Impressive financial figures, strong and steady profit margins, signs of sustainability and potential future growth. An understanding of the market and mechanisms to respond to change and have strong growth potential.
(more than 25 but less than 250 employees, annual turnover not exceeding £50M and is not part of a larger organisation)

Business Start of the Year
Sponsor: Wirralbiz
Realization of business aims, finding a niche in the market, local job creation, management and leadership skills, involvement in the community, a business plan or any other evidence where hard work and dedication has resulted in a successful business start, that began trading after 1st January, 2010.

Corporate Social Responsibility
Sponsor: Unilever
Commitment to the community that is outside of their main business activity or purpose, excellence in looking after employees, giving time or money to charity or the voluntary sector and any other activity that has supported the local public or business community.

Excellence in Training & Skills Development
Sponsor: Wirral Metropolitan College
An organisation that can best demonstrate how, through company values, the provision of interesting and supportive workplaces and the active development of all employees they have achieved commercial success and invested in the development of their staff.

Innovation & Creativity
Sponsor: T-Systems
A special award to pay tribute to Janet Triggs, for her instrumental contribution in building the Wirral Investment Network Partnership. This award will go to a company or individual that has demonstrated creativity within their business through the development of innovative products, processes or services, or a new way of working.

Investment of the Year
Sponsor: AEV Ltd.
A significant and beneficial investment within Wirral. Customer demand being met, an investment that has attracted further investment from other parties, job creation, recognition of continued investment as a key to success and an investment that has raised the profile of their own organisation as well as Wirral’s.

International Trade
Sponsor: Invest Wirral
Judges will recognise quality, diversity and ingenuity of a successful, local company engaged in international trade. This may reflect export work within increasingly competitive global markets or importing companies securing overseas supplies often for products that are not made or grown in the UK.

Wirral Think Big
Sponsor: Wirral Council
All entries will be automatically entered. The award will go to the company that the judges feel stands out from other entries, in that they have invested and done the most to promote their own business and to improve the reputation of Wirral’s business community.