A record 85 companies are vying to be named Greater Birmingham’s top business in the region’s biggest virtual awards extravaganza next month.
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s annual awards will take place online in an evening of drama and entertainment on Tuesday 27 July.
Supported by headline sponsors Birmingham City University and Inspired Energy PLC, the free-to-watch ceremony will be hosted on the Chamber’s website where the winners of 12 categories will be named before the overall Business of the Year is revealed.
Birmingham City Council are also supporting the event.
As well as the 12 sector awards and the Greater Birmingham Business of the Year, Chamber president Steve Allen will announce the winner of his President’s Award.
The 85 shortlisted firms were chosen by a judging panel including Inez Brown (president, Birmingham Law Society), Stuart Thomas (head of BBC Midlands), Ian Reid (CEO, Birmingham 2022), Kelly Haslehurst (marketing director, NEC Group) and Jodh Dhesi (CEO, The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham).
Chair of the judging panel was the Chamber’s chief commercial officer Katrina Cooke (pictured), who said: "Despite the challenges facing businesses over the past year, we still received a tremendous number of entries for our annual awards. This presented our judging panel with an unenviable task.
"The quality of entries really highlights how businesses have shown resilience and, in many cases, adapted their offering in the most challenging of environments."
The shortlist - from which the category winners and the Greater Birmingham Business of the Year - will be crowned is:
Excellence in Contribution to the Community
(Sponsored by South & City College Birmingham)
5UP CIC
ACE Dance and Music
Birmingham City University
Digital Innovators
Gro-Organic CIC
Midland Sailing Club
Millennium Point
Services For Education
Excellence in Customer Service
(Sponsored by runyourfleet)
Evac+Chair International
Inform Accounting Ltd
Intercity Technology
Lloyds Bank
Midland Health
National Memorial Arboretum
Unique Venues Birmingham
Urban Body
Excellence in Hospitality & Retail
Caviar & Chips
Millennium Point
Selfridges
The Barn at Berryfields
The Night Owl
Touchwood Solihull
Unique Venues Birmingham
United Carpets
Excellence in International Business
Flexeserve
International Synergies Limited
Lakeside Products Ltd
Y International UK Ltd
Excellence in Manufacturing
Deakin & Francis
Evac+Chair International
Hardy Signs Ltd
Selwood Pump Company Limited
Shelforce
Excellence in People Development
(Sponsored by Aston University)
Acorn Analytical Services
Curium Solutions Ltd
EiB Group Ltd
Entec Si Ltd
Fortem
Grant McKnight Ltd
Mills & Reeve
PI-KEM Ltd
Shelforce
Excellence in Responsible Business
Creative Active Lives CIC
Ebikebrum CIC
FareShare Midlands
Lapal Canal Trust
Legionella and Fire Safe Services
Sustainability West Midlands
Unity Trust Bank
Wesleyan
Excellence in Sales and Marketing
Ark Media Productions
Digital Ethos
EiB Group Ltd
Finance 4 Business
Flexeserve
HDY Agency
Lakeside Products Ltd
Midland Health
Osborn Communications Ltd
Excellence in Sustainability
Advanced Engineering (UK) Ltd
Enzen
International Synergies Limited
Northern Gas and Power
RMF Installation & Services Ltd
Sustainability West Midlands
Excellence in Technology and Innovation
(Sponsored by RSM)
Adoption Focus
Air IT
Ark Media Productions
INFINITY IT Solutions
Innovating Minds CIC
Jumar Technology
Mills & Reeve
Northern Gas and Power
Excellence in Third Sector
Beating Time
FareShare Midlands
Forward Carers
Gro-Organic CIC
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
Sense Touchbase Pears
Sport 4 Life UK
The Haven Wolverhampton
Excellence in Training & Education
BMet College
Digital Innovators
Open College Network West Midlands
Oxbridge
Services For Education
To check out the remaining sponsorship opportunities, contact the Chamber’s head of new business Russell Ashman on r.ashman@birmingham-chamber.com
For more information on the event and to book a place, click here.