Find out more about the Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire at:
herefordshire.gov.uk/herefordshire-lieutenancy/
Welcome
The King’s Award for Enterprise is a globally recognised badge of excellence, awarded annually to UK-based enterprises who have demonstrated outstanding achievement. The awards are administered by the Department of Business & Trade, and championed by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of each county.
In Herefordshire, our Lord Lieutenant, Edward Harley CBE, is supported by the Herefordshire KAE panel and key local business organisations: Herefordshire Business Board,Hereford & Worcester Chamber of Commerce, Herefordshire Federation of Small Businesses, Herefordshire Means Business, Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire.
Together we promote and encourage the very varied sectors of our business community to apply.
To coincide with the date of HM The King’s coronation, each year on May 6th award winners are announced and the next round of applications opens.
We are immensely proud of our recent Herefordshire-based KAE winners.
| Year | Business name | Category |
| 2024 | To be announced 6th May 2024 | Innovation |
| 2022 | Momentum-Pharma Ltd | International Trade |
| 2021 | M Lloyd Engineering Ltd | International Trade |
| 2020 | SafeLane Global Ltd | International Trade |
| 2019 | Prometheus Medical Ltd | Innovation |
| Spectra Group | Innovation | |
| The Helping Hand Co | International Trade | |
| 2017 | Propath Ltd | International Trade |
| 2015 | Prometheus Medical Ltd | Innovation |
| 2014 | ETL Systems Ltd | International Trade |
| 2013 | Tyrells Crisps Ltd | International Trade |
Why Should I Enter?
The benefits for an organisation of being a KAE winner are hugely impactful, providing long-lasting recognition – these are after all the most prestigious business awards in the UK!
Raise awareness
of its Brand and increase demand for its products
Raised moral
amongst employees and increase productivity
Enhanced ability
to attract the best talent to their team and board
Improved opportunities
to break into new markets
Increased interest
in investment offers and development activities
The awards are valid for 5 years and if a business wins, they will be:
- Invited to a royal reception
- Presented the award by the Lord-Lieutenant at their premises
- Allowed to fly the King’s Award flag at their main offices and use the emblem on marketing materials (packaging, ads, stationery and website)
- Given a Grant of Appointment (and official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy
“It is a huge honour to have won The King’s Award for Enterprise as it recognises our successes in the UK and abroad. This recognition is a real boost for all of the Lloyd Engineering team, our dealer network and our trusted suppliers, and it is an exciting time for the business.”
The Categories
The King’s Award for Enterprise is a globally recognised badge of excellence awarded to UK-based enterprises annually who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in four distinct categories:
Innovation
International Trade
Sustainable Development
Promoting Opportunity Through Social Mobility
Award Eligibility
KAEs are not just for large and multi-national companies; businesses and organisations of all sizes and from all sectors may apply. Your organisation can be a business or a non-profit. Whatever the type of organisation, to apply it needs to:
- Be based in the UK
- Have a good, continuous compliance record with HM Revenue and Customs
- Be a self-contained enterprise
- Have at least two full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents
- Demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices
How to Enter?
All applications are submitted digitally, and the information you provide is confidential and is only seen by the King’s Awards Office in London and the judging panels. It is not seen by the Herefordshire KAE panel, and during the online application process, you can choose not to share notification of your entry with us.
It is important to read fully the entry requirements for each category, especially the financial growth requirements. If you do not meet this criteria you may choose to defer your application to another year, as this is a key requirement. You can enter more than one category, by submitting a separate application for each category you wish to enter.
The King’s Award for Enterprise judging team want to hear YOUR story, read about your organisation, and feel the passion you have for the achievements your staff, products and services.
- As you would expect, this entry process requires careful collating and writing to sell your company to the judging teams, to explain what it has achieved and why it is so special.
- It requires you to upload confidential information about your organisation, which in some cases will be external verification from your accountant.
- There are organisations that will, for a fee, write KAE applications. The advice from the KAE office in London is that it is not necessary to outsource the submission of an award application; the judges want to hear personally from the business
- Applications for the King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024 open on 6th May, for awards which will be presented the following year
- The closing date for entries is mid-September each year; you have 4 months to prepare your application
- The winners of the King’s Award for Enterprise are announced each May 6th
Need some help?
This where our Lord-Lieutenant’s King’s Awards Panel can support you. Made up of Deputy Lieutenants and advisors, the role of the panel is to inform, promote and support applications from Herefordshire based companies. We cannot write your application, but we can connect you with previous winners, help find answers to questions, be a sounding board and provide support for you along the application process.
If you would like to get in touch, please fill in the form contact form below you or contact Tricia Thomas DL, chair of KAE Herefordshire