Entry opens for Cambridge Independent Business Awards 2025
The Cambridge Independent Business Awards 2025 are now open for entry.
Following the success of our inaugural awards last year, we are delighted to announce that the search is now on for the best in the business once again.
We will be returning to the spectacular Great Hall at King’s College, Cambridge, for the ceremony, which will be held on Thursday, 25 September.
The winners across 14 categories – spanning the full breadth of business in the Cambridge region – will be revealed on the night.
Entry is free via our dedicated website at cambridgeindependentbusinessawards.co.uk.
Entrants can nominate themselves, or be nominated by others.
Entry will close at 11.59pm on 4 July.
Editor Paul Brackley, who will chair the judging panel, said: “Our inaugural awards were a wonderful celebration of the extraordinary business community in our area, showcasing talent and achievements across all sectors and sizes.
“These awards offer an opportunity to have the work of your team recognised and celebrated. We can’t wait to see this year’s entries.
“We are also grateful to our sponsors for enabling us to host these annual awards in such style at the Great Hall at King’s.”
Headline sponsor Barr Ellison is returning to support the awards.
A leading Cambridge law firm that serves clients across East Anglia, it has been offering trusted legal advice to successful individuals and businesses since 1874.
Barr Ellison says: “Based in the heart of the city, we’re dedicated to promoting our clients’ interests – delivering more than legal solutions by identifying opportunities and empowering our clients to succeed. We don’t just provide great service, we work to deliver your success.”
Also returning as sponsor of the Employer of the Year category is Pure, the professional recruitment consultancy for the East of England, which specialises in accountancy, human resources, technology, marketing, professional office and supply chain and engineering roles.
David Culley, executive director at Pure, said: “We’re delighted to be part of the Cambridge Independent Business Awards – an event that shines a light on everything that’s great about our local business community: the innovation, the resilience and the ambition. We’re especially proud to be sponsoring the Employer of the Year category, which speaks directly to our passion for helping organisations build thriving teams and outstanding workplace cultures.”
In recognition that companies come in all shapes and sizes, there are three categories for Business of the Year – Small (for organisations with one to 24 employees), Medium (25-249 employees) and Large (250-plus employees).
Conscious Communications is returning to sponsor the awards and will support the Business of the Year – Medium category this year.
Zoë Scorer, managing director of the public relations agency, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Cambridge Independent Business Awards for the second consecutive year. Sponsoring the Business of the Year Medium category allows us to celebrate the incredible innovation and resilience of Cambridge's growing enterprises.
“These medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and, at Conscious Communications, we're passionate about celebrating organisations that are making a real difference in their communities while building sustainable operations.
“The awards showcase the exceptional talent and entrepreneurial spirit that makes Cambridge such a dynamic business hub.”
Also returning as a sponsor is Kale & Damson, Cambridgeshire’s wholesale fresh fruit and vegetable supplier, which has a team of people who combine passion with a deep understanding of ‘farm-to-fork’. Kale & Damson will support Hospitality Business of the Year, celebrating those in the sector that get it right for their guests and customers.
Cambridge BID (Business Improvement District) is back too, and will support Retailer of the Year, a category that will shine a light on those offering a great product range and brilliant customer service.
We are also delighted to welcome Mantle Space as a new sponsor this year, supporting Innovation of the Year. The property investor and flexible serviced office operator has eight dynamic centres: four in Cambridge, and at Chelmsford, Stansted, Stevenage and Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
Often, our best work is not done in isolation, but in partnership – and our Award for Collaboration recognises exactly that. Companies and organisations that have teamed up can enter this category, which is sponsored for the second year running by AstraZeneca, the global, science-led biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge. Its innovative medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions of patients worldwide.
There are two categories for individuals at the awards.
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year recognises those setting out on their career.
Business Person of the Year, meanwhile, acknowledges a business leader who has made a huge contribution to their organisation and helped it deliver a positive impact.
Last year, the award went to The Cambridge Building Society’s CEO, Peter Burrows, in recognition not only of its stellar business performance, but its impact on the community with charitable support and innovative schemes like Rent to Home, which helps first-time buyers to afford a home.
Following the win, The Cambridge is now sponsoring Business Person of the Year, meaning the inaugural winner will present this year’s winner with the award.
Peter said: “It was a great honour to have been recognised as Business Person of the year at the inaugural Cambridge Independent Business Awards. I look forward to handing on the baton this year to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the Cambridge business ecosystem.”
The awards cover businesses at all stages of their life cycle.
Start-up of the Year recognises those who are under three years old, while Scale-up of the Year acknowledges those who have navigated that tricky phase and are now growing strongly, with a repeatable business model.
More than ever, our businesses are judged on their environmental credentials, and The Green Award celebrates those that have made a real impact and put sustainability at the heart of what they do.
And there is an award for Social Enterprise of the Year, for those helping to tackle great challenges in our region.
On the night of the awards, a networking reception supported by HSBC will be held before the black-tie gala dinner in the Great Hall at King’s, where those who win each of these categories will be celebrated.
See the rules and enter now at cambridgeindependentbusinessawards.co.uk. Look out for more announcements soon.
THE CATEGORIES
Business of the Year – Small
Small businesses (1-24 employees) are the lifeblood of the economy. How is yours standing out from the crowd and making its way in a competitive environment? Show us how your offer is unique - and tell us what makes your business special.
Business of the Year – Medium
This award will go to a company (25-249 employees) that can demonstrate real progress in the last year and an increasing market presence or impact. Tell us how your business is delivering for customers, has adapted or diversified and what makes it a success story.
Business of the Year – Large
What has your team achieved over the last year? How are you reaching new customers or markets, and expanding your presence? How are you ensuring you are delivering for your clients? We look forward to hearing about your progress. For companies with 250-plus employees.
Business Person of the Year
This award is for a business leader, owner or key figure who has had a major impact on their company’s success. We are also interested in how individuals are delivering benefits for others, including colleagues and those in the community. Nominees can enter themselves, or be nominated.
The Green Award
This award will celebrate an organisation that has sustainability at its heart. How are you helping meet the environmental challenges of our time? Explain the changes you have made. Perhaps you are also helping others to do so through products or services, and benefitting the wider community.
Social Enterprise of the Year
This award will go to an organisation that is making a great contribution to tackling social and environmental challenges in our region. Explain to us your purpose, demonstrate your impact and give us examples of how you are making a difference.
Employer of the Year
This award recognises a business showing great commitment to its people and the community. Tell us how you are developing talent, perhaps through training, apprenticeships or career progression, and explain what you are doing for others around you, and how you are taking ESG seriously.
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
This award is for a young person in an organisation who is going the extra mile and having a positive impact. They may be demonstrating notable success, have overcome adversity to achieve, or be using their success to help others.
Start-Up of the Year
An award for a business in its first three years that is successfully navigating the challenging start-up phase and has a product or service that is already making its mark. Our judges will particularly look to reward an innovative approach within an industry. Explain to us the story of your origins, your growth and your impact so far.
Scale-Up of the Year
If you've made it through the difficult start-up phase, congratulations. But the tough work doesn't end there. So we want to celebrate scale-up successes. Demonstrate to us how you're scaling and what has been behind your growth. Tell us what has enabled your trajectory, discussing funding and product development. We recognise that there are different definitions of scale-up - but typically, a scale-up is over three years old, has identified a repeatable business model and is growing strongly. Explain to us how you've done it for a chance to win.
Retailer of the Year
A chance to recognise a retailer that provides great service and customer care, along with an amazing choice of products all with a welcoming smile. Explain to us why your offer is special - and share your customer feedback with us.
Hospitality Business of the Year
This award salutes those in the hospitality sector who consistently elevate their guests' experience. Whether it's a hotel, restaurant, bar, coffee shop, conference facility, tour guide or any other business in the hospitality industry, we want to hear why your guests enjoy their time with you and come back for more.
Innovation of the Year
This award celebrates those daring to do something different. We want to hear how you have innovated with a new product or approach. Tell us how you identified the problem, approached the challenge and found a solution. Explain the breakthroughs you made and the progress to date - how has your innovation made a genuine difference and what has been its impact to date?
The Award for Collaboration
We’re often at our best when we work together. This category invites nominations from companies or organisations who have collaborated on a project with stellar results. Tell us how your partnership has helped solve a challenge that improves a product or service.
Enter here. or to get involved in the awards, email paul.brackl;ey@iliffemedia.co.uk.
