Rural Business Awards 2017

Call for Applications: All rurally-based creators, designers and media experts

Rural Business Awards 2017

Rurally-based creative and media companies from across Britain are being invited to get their entries in for an awards scheme designed specifically for the countryside sector.

Now in their third year, the Rural Business Awards (RBAs) are the only UK-wide business awards for rural enterprises. They are sponsored by Janine Edwards Wealth Management Ltd, Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, and operate in partnership with the CLA. The RBAs are split into 13 categories including Best Rural Creative or Media based Business – along with other important aspects of country enterprise such as Best Rural Diversification Project and Best Rural Sports Business.

The RBAs are the brainchild of Leicestershire businesswomen Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, who wanted to showcase the wealth of entrepreneurial talent in rural areas of Britain – a sector of the economy they felt was all-too-often overlooked in favour of large city-based firms.

Awards co-founder Jemma Clifford said: “Creative businesses are often not associated with rural areas so much as large conurbations, but we have found a huge wealth of media and creative expertise based in the Great British countryside. Such businesses are vital to keeping the rural economy afloat, offering as they do their expertise in the all-important fields of digital marketing and connectivity. We feel our creative category is a very important section of our Rural Business Awards and we were very impressed with the high calibre of entries we received.

“As for this year’s awards, we urge as many rural manufacturers to send us their entries as possible! Entry is so quick and simple that all businesses need to do is tell us what they do best, and we’ll do the rest!”

Backed by a range of high profile MPs, the awards are organised by rural businesses for rural businesses and judged by people who understand the rural sector, which is growing rapidly and employs in excess of 3.4million people in more than 600,000 businesses across the UK.

With the partnership of the CLA plus the backing of previous winners, the awards founders feel they are once again positioned to generate considerable excitement, interest and pride in the achievements of the rural business sector.

Winners in the thirteen categories will be decided by an independent panel of judges drawn from the rural business sector, official agencies and rural charitable organisations. The aim is to grow the scheme to become the UK’s most prestigious and respected awards for countryside-based enterprise.

This year’s glittering awards ceremony will be held at Denbies Wine Estates in Surrey on October 5. The application window is now open and entries can be made up to June 30, 2017.

To Enter

Best Rural Start-up
Outstanding Rural Diversification Project
Best Rural Clothing or Accessories Business
Rural Innovation of the year
Best Rural Manufacturing Business
Best Rural Professional Services Business
Best Rural Creative or Media based Business
Social enterprise / community project of the year
Best Rural Tourism Business
Best Rural Sporting Business
Rural Employer of the year
Rural Entrepreneur of the year
Best Food & Drink Business

To enter, visit the website: www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk where you will find details about each category.

Entry Fee

There is a simple form to fill in and an entry fee of just £50.

For More Information

You can also nominate another business who you think deserves to be recognised in our awards. If you would like help with entering or advice on which category to choose, call us 07908 722 497 or email office@ruralbusinessawards.co.uk