Entries for the 2019 Croydon Business Awards are now officially open following a momentous launch event on the 3rd of April.

The launch was attended by more than 100 guests and featured inspirational business and political leader speakers such as Councillor Manju Sahul-Hameed, Cabinet Member for Business Development at London Borough of Croydon and Natasha Baum, Senior BID manager for Willmott Dixon.

Attendees also got to hear from last year’s winning Croydon entrepreneurs trying to persuade as many people as possible in the Croydon area to enter. Dean Slade, owner and director of 2018 Business of the Year, Bluebird Care Croydon, told guests:

“The key benefit for us from entering the awards was it made us look at how we measure excellent. And winning had a really Positive effect, as it raised our profile – customers see us in a much more positive way and it had been great for our staff morale”

The Croydon Business Awards were set up to celebrate and showcase the shining talent in the borough, highlighting new success stories and bringing well-deserved recognition to people and companies who have been steadily growing and contributing to the community for years. There is a range of categories to enter and business can enter up to three: You can enter or nominate via the website.

Here at Sussex Innovation, we have always enjoyed being a part of this wonderful community event, shedding light on the important and inspirational people in our Croydon community. This year we are sponsoring the Women in Business award, following on from our recent mandate to promote and support women leaders, founders and women in tech. Mike Herd, Executive Director of Sussex Innovation had this to say on this exciting and important event:

“We’ve been proud supporters of the CBEAs ever since our arrival in Croydon 4 years ago. In 2019 we’ve decided to sponsor the Women in Business award, marking the culmination of a year of events celebrating and supporting the borough’s entrepreneurial women. We know that diversity of experience is one of the most crucial conditions that enable innovation to thrive, and that consequently, more gender equality in the workplace has a direct impact on business success. Providing more support for women in business, and taking the time to recognise successful entrepreneurial women, is one of the best things we can do to keep fulfilling our mission of growing Croydon’s innovation economy.”

Entries for 2019 will close on the 21st of June. The next round of judging will be a shortlist of companies who will go forward with face-to-face interviews. The winners will be announced exclusively at a Gala Dinner and Charity Ball in October. This is a must-attend event in Croydon, with the spirit of community at an all-time high. There was a real buzz at the launch event last Wednesday, councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed told guests about the ongoing $5billion regeneration plan for the town. She added:

“We have an incredibly vibrant business community across Croydon, which we’re extremely proud of. These awards are a brilliant way of celebrating that community.”

The categories this year include:

Apprentice Employer of the Year
Best Business for Customer Service
Best Business for Digital Data and Technology
Best Charity or Social Enterprise
Best Employer
Best New StartUp
Best SME, Commitment to the Community
Cultural Impact Award
Enterprising Young Person of the Year
Entrepreneur of the Year
Love your Local Trader
Night Time Economy Awards
Women in Business

For more information on the awards, click here.