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.
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