The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with thousands of businesses. We want to celebrate those which are showing exceptional innovation, delivering prosperity to their local communities, and championing free trade.

Our staff care passionately about the businesses they support. The Board of Trade Awards allow us to recognise businesses that we believe deserve special recognition for their role within their communities.

We also want to showcase successes in trade and investment across the whole of the UK, from all sectors, and amongst businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Board of Trade Awards will be given out on an annual basis at Board of Trade meetings as it travels round the UK, during domestic visits and missions, and at an annual business reception. Award recipients are nominated and selected by Civil Servants from the Department for International Trade – we want to ensure that all businesses, not only businesses that have the resources to submit applications for awards, can be recognised.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for an award, your business must:

• be known to DIT and/or territorial office and/or devolved administration staff
• be headquartered and registered in the UK
• have been recommended against one or more of the criteria by a DIT staff member/contractor or territorial office
• pass our internal and/or outsourced screening process with no red or amber flags (eg media profile, any credit/bankruptcy issues, sanctions, regulatory standing)
• pay tax in the UK

To win an award, your business must have made an outstanding contribution to international trade in one or more of the following ways:

• champions free trade through exporting and inspires others to export
• drives notable investment into the UK, generating wealth and jobs
• demonstrates outstanding use of finance in international trade
• demonstrates an innovative approach to opening up international markets
• makes a significant contribution to security and stability in the UK and/or abroad through trade and investment

How we’ll choose the winners

Relevant national or regional teams from the Department for International Trade and territorial offices will choose and shortlist nominees at the beginning of the year.

When we finalise the shortlists, we’ll inform businesses. The relevant regional or national teams will then work with them to agree a case study.

A panel of senior leaders within DIT (none of whom are in positions that involve regular contact with any of the nominees) will choose the winners. We’ll present the awards across the UK nations and regions.

Award winners will receive:

• an engraved Board of Trade medallion
• a framed certificate
• use of the Board of Trade award winner logo on their websites and products/services

Winning businesses will need to sign a permissions of use form to use the logo in this way for 12 months only.

Updated: Added historical statistical notice for July 2018.

• Independent review looking at sustainability of S4C published today
• Key recommendations include increased digital input, changes to governance structure, and greater freedoms for S4C in making commercial decisions
• Government commits to maintaining current annual funding of £6.72m until 2020

The review, led by Euryn Ogwen Williams, presents a package of reforms which have the potential to deliver real change to make S4C a better organisation that more effectively serves Welsh speaking audiences. The review’s recommendations will also be instrumental in strengthening the independence of the broadcaster and increasing the transparency of its operations.

As part of its commitment to ensuring a strong future for Welsh language broadcasting, the Government has also announced it will be maintaining UK Government funding for S4C’s funding at its current level of £6.762 million for 2018/19 and 2019/20. This will give S4C the funding certainty it needs for the next 2 years to deliver the much-needed reforms set out in the review.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

S4C undeniably makes an enormous contribution towards the creative industries in Wales, and crucially, to promoting the Welsh language and our culture around the world.

The UK Government recognises the importance the people of Wales place upon S4C. Broadcasting across the UK is a reserved function, that is why this Government will continue to provide funding certainty to the channel as it navigates the recommendations set out in the review over the coming two years.

I am confident that the future is bright for S4C. We want to see the channel continue to evolve to meet the needs of the digital age, and develop some of the UK’s most innovative, authoritative and entertaining programming now and in the years to come.

Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, Margot James said:

S4C has a unique cultural and social value as the world’s only Welsh language broadcaster. We want to see it continue to thrive, but, as with all broadcasters, it needs to adapt to the changing media landscape. This review sets out a clear and sensible path for its future, and we are providing the funding certainty that S4C needs to deliver this.

The reviews recommendations are as follows:

• The government should update S4C’s public service remit to include digital and online services and remove the current geographical broadcasting restrictions. This will allow S4C to broaden its reach and offer its content on a range of new platforms in the UK and beyond.
• S4C should establish an in-house digital hub to develop and improve S4C’s digital footprint and form the basis of a Welsh language digital cluster.
• S4C should establish a language partnership with the Welsh Government and others to help deliver the Welsh Government’s commitment to reach 1 million Welsh language speakers by 2050.
• S4C’s public funding should be provided entirely through the licence fee from 2022/23 onwards, with all future funding decisions made as part of the BBC licence fee funding settlement.
• The government should consider amending current approval requirements to give S4C greater freedom to invest and generate commercial revenue.
• The S4C Authority should be replaced with a new unitary board comprising executive and non-executive directors.
• The government should consider whether S4C’s current financial audit arrangements are suitable, including whether it would be appropriate to appoint the Comptroller and Auditor General as S4C’s external auditor.

Chair of the independent review, Euryn Ogwen Williams said:

I was delighted to be asked to lead on this independent review, on a subject very close to my heart.

Being the only Welsh language broadcaster, S4C’s role is one of great importance to Welsh speaking audiences in and outside of Wales and I wanted to make sure it can continue to thrive in this new and fast developing media landscape. I hope that my report and recommendations will guarantee S4C’s status as an independent broadcaster that can play a major role in the Welsh language partnership, having secured the stability to do so for the years to come.

The government accepts all of the recommendations for government made by the review. We also expect S4C to take forward the review’s recommendations and suggestions. Government has now asked S4C to provide a detailed implementation plan by July 2018 on how it will deliver the necessary reforms.

While some of these recommendations will likely require legislative change when parliamentary time allows, the government expects S4C to work flexibly in the interim to deliver these reforms as much as possible within the constraints of the current statutory framework.

Notes to Editors

• The independent review was chaired by Euryn Ogwen Williams. Euryn has over 50 years of broadcasting experience in Wales, and was appointed based on his understanding of the Welsh language broadcasting sector as well as his knowledge of Welsh language, culture and society.
• The Chair conducted an in-depth 3 month review which considers S4C’s public service remit, funding methods and governance structures. During the review the Chair considered a wide range of stakeholder views to inform his conclusions.

The Panning Inspectorate issuing appeal decisions during the local election period.

The Planning Inspectorate always aims to issue decisions promptly after the event. However, in the run-up to Local Elections we are always concerned to ensure that appeal decisions concerning proposals which have raised particular sensitivities or interest in an area cannot be deemed to have influenced the election or have been used to electoral advantage by any interested body. Accordingly those decisions are not issued until the election results have been announced.

The types of cases likely to be affected are where a proposal: i. is claimed to represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt (other than domestic extensions) or ii. represents major green field housing or iii. involves any case where an emerging Neighbourhood Plan is referred to in the evidence or iv. is any other case where there is a reason to believe that the outcome may be electorally sensitive.

Each decision as to whether an appeal decision should be held back is taken on the circumstances of the case by senior managers in the Planning Inspectorate.

We shall of course ensure that any such decision delayed for the reasons above is issued promptly after the election results are announced.

Published 29 March 2018

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