The last 18 months has been an unbelievably testing period for businesses up and down the country, but it has been truly inspiring to see the creativity, dynamism and resilience of entrepreneurs shining through despite the challenge of the pandemic.

We believe that there is no better time than now to celebrate the incredible achievements of UK business owners.

This is why we have extended the deadline for applications to the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2022 until midday on Wednesday 22 September. We want as many businesses as possible to have the chance to apply and be recognised for their achievements.

With Her Majesty ’s Platinum Jubilee taking place next year, this is the ideal time to throw your hat in the ring for a prestigious Queen’s Award.

The Awards are UK-wide and reflect the remarkable diversity of firms in every corner of the country. Last year’s winners included a company in Aberdeen that has been making quality mattresses for 170 years, a low carbon manufacturer in South Wales making sustainable construction materials, a bakery in London working with survivors of domestic abuse and a social enterprise in Barnsley helping to tackle poverty and food waste.

We’re backing businesses through the pandemic and beyond as well as levelling up every region and nation of the UK, promoting opportunity for all. Celebrating business through the Queen’s Awards is a central part of achieving this.

The Queen’s Awards are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses and a Royal endorsement that helps businesses get noticed, both at home and overseas. Other benefits include:

• excellent marketing opportunities and press coverage
• worldwide recognition as an outstanding British company
• increased turnover in the UK and overseas

Awards are given for excellence in innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility. Whether you excel in one or more of these categories, these Awards are a unique way to recognise what you and your staff have accomplished.

The winners pass a robust assessment process, judged by senior civil servants and experts from industry, academia and the third sector. Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants will be presenting the Awards to successful businesses locally throughout the year.

Winners get to fly the Queen’s Awards flag and use the logo in all their marketing materials – a huge boost for brand visibility, credibility with partners and suppliers, and staff morale. Receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise is an enormous honour and something which business people up and down the land should value and aspire towards.

I encourage businesses to apply for this year’s Queen’s Awards and to submit their application.

Best of luck!

The pan-India competition is being organised to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child.

To apply to be ‘High Commissioner for a Day’, applicants must record and upload a one-minute video on ‘how can young people best support tackling the global challenge of climate change?’ The video must be shared on either Twitter, Facebook or Instagram by tagging @UKinIndia and using the hashtags #DayoftheGirl. The deadline to apply is 22 September 2021.

Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India, said:

The impact of Covid-19 on education around the world will be long term, particularly for girls. This is why at the UK-hosted G7 Summit earlier this year, leaders from around the world agreed ambitious global targets to get more girls into school. Empowering and educating girls is also one of Prime Minister Modi’s central campaigns. I am delighted to note that this year nearly 60% of UK’s Chevening fellowships and 52% of the scholarships for India were awarded to women.

The International Day of the Girl Child is an important moment to recognise that educating all girls everywhere is not just the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest investments we can make to build a better, more equitable world. Through the ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition, I want to shine a light on brilliant young women and for them to show their even younger peers in school, that anything is possible.

The British High Commission has run the ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition annually since 2017. Last year’s competition was won by 18-year-old Chaitanya Venkateswaran, whose day as the High Commissioner included learning about gender representation in the media, interacting with senior police officers from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, and launching the British Council STEM Tracer Study documenting the stories of Indian women scholars.

Further information

The UK and India are learning from each other and sharing expertise to ensure women and girls can reach their full potential around the world. In India, the UK is working hand-in-hand with state governments, law enforcement agencies, education authorities and British businesses to promote gender equality.

The ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition is open to Indian women aged 18 to 23. The deadline to apply is 22 September 2021.

A jury at the British High Commission (BHC) will select the winner, who will be announced on @UKinIndia social media channels by 28 September. Only one entry per participant will be accepted. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. The High Commission’s decision is final and no correspondence relating to the above will be possible.

By applying to the competition, participants transfer the copyright ownership of their videos to the BHC New Delhi. BHC may use these videos to produce content for future communication on its social media channels.

Participants are reminded not to share personal details in their video, post or tweet. The BHC is not responsible for the data that participants make public on these platforms.

The High Commissioner for a Day programme will take place in-person in Delhi (unless Covid-19 advice changes). We cannot fund travel or accommodation to Delhi as part of the competition. In case the winner is not from Delhi/NCR, it is the winner’s sole responsibility to ensure all Covid-19 protocols required for travelling to Delhi are properly followed.

Our ambition is to host in-person meetings; however, this is dependent on the Covid-19 situation. In case Covid cases increase or the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advises against in-person meetings in October, the programme may be run virtually.

For media queries, please contact:

Media queries: BHCMediaDelhi@fco.gov.uk

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