UK Family Business Awards 2023
26th January 2023 / All, Resources
Awards season is upon us, and many UK family business awards are opening their doors again to celebrate the successes of last year.
Entering an award is a brilliant way to share your business story and connect with others in your industry. These events are ripe with opportunities to build reputation, network with industry leaders, and get your name out there. Not to mention if you’re successful, you’ll be going home with a glowing accreditation for yourself, your business, and your team.
Researching these awards can be a time-consuming job, which is why we’ve curated a list of UK family business awards to get you started. These awards contain categories for businesses of all shapes, sizes, and specialties, so take a close look at each one. We’ve highlighted the ones which have a ‘family business’ category, but don’t let us stop you there, because there are lots of specialist categories to choose from as well for those of you excelling in your chosen field.
Please note that all dates are subject to change. Be mindful that some dates may change closer to the time, and so it’s best to keep a close eye on the awards you’re interested in.
If you’re on a budget, not to worry, because while some of these awards will include an entry fee, many of them are free. This list is not comprehensive, and so we recommend that you do your own research in your chosen industry/region. Additionally, if you know of any family business awards that you think ought to be included in our list, get in touch to let us know.
Top Family Business Awards 2023
January
FSB Small Business Awards (Federation of Small Business)
If your family business has fewer than 250 full-time employees, then you may consider The FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards. These awards are open to all small businesses and self-employed people throughout the UK, and there’s a special ‘Family Business of the Year’ category, in which judges will be looking at how your values have contributed to success across the business. As ever, winners from each category secure a spot at the prestigious UK final, and a chance to win the title of UK Small Business of the Year. These awards are also free to enter, so really, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Entry Deadline: Jan-Feb (varies)
Awards Ceremony: March (varies)
Dedicated to celebrating outstanding leadership, innovation, and hardworking teams, the Management Today Business Awards are open to both large and small businesses. These awards offer an excellent opportunity to compete against big names, and while there’s not a specific category for family businesses, there are plenty to choose from. Note: there is an entry fee, ranging between £415-£565 (depending on the size of the businesses).
Entry Deadline: 24th Jan
Awards Ceremony: April
February
If you’re a small family business looking to gain some media coverage, The Small Awards are brilliant, offering all shortlisted entrants multiple coverage opportunities across trade and national media, including print, web, and radio. The purpose of The Small Awards is to bring together small businesses and experts across a wide range of sectors and specialties, and so it doesn’t matter what industry you’re classified within. Note that the ‘Legacy Award’ is dedicated to celebrating family businesses, and so that’s likely where you’ll want to begin your research.
Entry Deadline: 28th Feb
Awards Ceremony: 18th May
Northwest Family Business Awards
Does your family business work out of: Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, or Merseyside? If the answer is yes, then the Northwest Family Business Awards are for you. Celebrating family businesses from across all industries, these awards are organised by The Family Business Network, which is an excellent community to follow if you’re looking to stay in the loop or get more involved in the UK family business community. The network can also offer a whole host of benefits if you do win an award, including increased coverage opportunities, support for your digital profile, and access to a network of experts.
Entry Deadline: 3rd Feb
Awards Ceremony: 19th May
March
To enter the RBAs, you must either be based in a rural location (less than 10,000 inhabitants), serve a primary rural client base, or embrace a rural theme. The Rural Business Awards offer a unique opportunity for family businesses based outside of the UK’s largest cities to gain some recognition and coverage, both regionally and nationally. If you’re considering entry, you may also want to check out RBA’s blog, which is full of tips for a successful entry.
Entry Deadline: 3rd Mar
Awards Ceremony: Sep
April
The Scale-Up Awards, organised by Business Leader, aim to celebrate the achievements and growth of UK businesses and their leaders, which makes them perfect for family businesses. For privately owned businesses and not-for-profit organisations, the Family Business of the Year award category is open once again to family businesses of any size, operating in any sector. The only caveat is that businesses entering must be owned and run by a member of the founding family, and alongside continued growth, judges will be looking for a strong understanding of the history of the business and its family heritage.
Entry Deadline: 28th Apr
Awards Ceremony: 2nd Nov
Business Leader Southwest Awards 2023
Similar to the Scale-Up Awards, Business Leader also runs their own regional awards ceremony. Based in Bristol and the surrounding southwest area, The Business Leader Southwest Awards focus on celebrating outstanding business leadership, growth, and forward-thinking company structures that plan for the future. As with other Business Leader awards, there is a Family Business of the Year category, alongside other sector-specific categories that you may want to try your hand at.
Entry Deadline: 21st Apr
Awards Ceremony: 28th Sep
May
The SME National Business Awards are back for a seventh year running, shining a light on the UK’s best and brightest SMEs. Categories include the ‘Family Business of the Year’ award, in which the judges will be looking at your ability to grow your business while keeping your core family values at the center of everything you do. Additionally, you may also want to look at the ‘Sustainability Award’, ‘High-growth Business of the Year’, and ‘Business Person of the Year’. With entrants able to enter up to three award categories and one public vote category, there are plenty of opportunities for you to put yourself and your business forward. Note: the pre-launch entry fee is £75+VAT per application. This will increase to the standard rate of £95+VAT on 7th March 2023.
Entry Deadline: 18th May
Awards Ceremony: 1st Dec
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards
If your business has a great leader at its helm, The Great British Entrepreneur Awards might be for you. Looking beyond just the success of the business itself, these awards celebrate the spirit behind the business, and aim to champion the stories of the entrepreneurs at the heart of it all. The ‘Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ seeks to spotlight family businesses that continue to prosper and evolve under new leadership. Whether you’ve set up a business venture with another member of your family, or recently taken the reins of your 50-year-old family business, this award category welcomes all.
Entry Deadline: May 31st
Awards Ceremony TBC: Shortlist to be announced June 12th
June
British Business Excellence Awards
Looking for a challenge? The Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards will pit you against the best of the UK’s organisations and business people, from start-ups and entrepreneurs, to ready-to-scale businesses, established SMEs, and FTSE 100 powerhouses. Originally set up as a way to celebrate the resilience, innovation, and creativity of the UK’s business community, the British Business Excellence Awards continue to attract attention and notoriety. While there isn’t a category specially for family businesses, you will find plenty of awards for entrepreneurs, sustainability, and business leadership.
Entry Deadline: June 16th
Awards Ceremony: Nov 14th
If you’re running a high-growth, privately-owned business that has seen success in the past year, the Growing Business Awards are for you. With categories for both businesses and their entrepreneurial leaders, these awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate your achievements of the last 12 months. The ‘Family-Owned Business of the Year’ award category is looking for commercial organisations in which the family remains the majority owner, and multiple generations are involved in the decision-making process. Note: the standard entry fee for these awards is £295+VAT.
Entry Deadline: June 23rd
Awards Ceremony: Nov 29th
August
Do you use eBay for your business? If so, you can earn a chance to gain an extra boost for your online profile by entering the eBay for Business Awards. With winners getting to feature on eBay’s website and social media channels, this is a big opportunity to earn some recognition and worthwhile coverage for yourself and your business.
Entry Deadline: Aug
Awards Ceremony: Oct
October
The BIG Awards for Business have been running since 2012 and are part of the Business Intelligence Group awards program. While there isn’t a family business category, there are awards that strive to offer increased exposure for women in business, small businesses, and organisations whose work reduces the impact on our environment. These awards are open to businesses from all industries, offering companies, their products, their people, and their tactics a chance to be globally recognized by a panel of business veterans and leaders.
Entry Deadline: 13th Oct
Awards Ceremony: Nov
November
Family Business Of The Year 2024
It’s not too early to start thinking about 2024, and so while the ‘Family Business of The Year Awards 2023’ are now closed for nominations, you can already be getting started on your entry for the 2024 awards, which will be open towards the end of the year. Organised by Family Business United (FBU), these awards are a chance to get recognition from one of the UK’s largest membership bodies for family businesses. To be considered for an award, family firms can either enter themselves or be nominated. Entries are free, and entrants are broken down into categories based on location. These include East & East Anglia, London & Southeast, Midlands & Central, North of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South & Southwest, Wales, and Yorkshire.
Entry Deadline: Nov
Awards Ceremony: Jun 2024
December
Red Rose Family Business Awards 2024
The Red Rose Awards are organised by Lancashire Business View magazine, and they’re all about promoting the success of businesses throughout the county in order to encourage trade and grow the economy in Lancashire. Their series of awards aim to share business stories from a whole host of industries, and the Family Business Award offers a platform for local family businesses to gain some well-earned recognition. The qualifying factors include that the majority ownership remains within a family and that more than one generation contributes to the success of the business. These awards are free to enter, and a fantastic opportunity for those of you based in Lancashire.
Entry Deadline: Dec
Awards Ceremony: Mar 2024
The Business Champion Awards seek to recognise businesses that go above and beyond for themselves and others, and so if 2023 proves to be a significant year for you in terms of evolution and development, don’t miss the 2024 awards. For family businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and new businesses alike, these awards offer the chance to recognise and celebrate your achievements from the year ahead.
Entry Deadline: Dec
Awards Ceremony: Mar 2024
Further Resources for Family Businesses
If you’re a UK Manufacturer, then don’t miss The UKMFG PR Diary for UK Manufacturers 2023. This guide is focused on the key industry announcements, research and survey dates, UK events, and awards that will help you plan your PR and comms activities throughout 2023. To find out more, head over to our resource page, where you can read about all the great ways to use the guide, as well as a full list of key dates.
If you’re feeling unsure about the results you’re getting from your current PR strategy, you may want to see our recent blog post – Red Flags to Look Out for with Your PR Agency.
You can visit our blog page for more, including B2B content writing tips, and ways to maximise the impact of your PR and comms.
Fancy a hand?
If you want a hand identifying the best awards to enter, or help developing a professional, award-winning entry, we can most certainly help.
We have a particular specialism in writing for and about family businesses, and our B2B Copywriting & Content Creation services include award entries, business storytelling, and content strategy development.
If you’re interested and want to learn more about how we work, book a free consulting call with Ellen Carroll today, or contact us with details about your challenges and business development goals.
