Dragon Bannatyne to lead judging panel 
Entry Deadline: 14 September 2012
The ninth annual Startups Awards 2012 have launched and are now open for entrepreneurs over 50 to submit their nominations for the Startups Silver Fox of the Year Award.
Sponsored by NatWest and organised by Startups.co.uk, the UK’s biggest and most established independent resource dedicated to starting a business, the Awards recognise the success of Britain’s newest businesses which have been trading for less than three years.
The Siler Fox Award recognises those who have started up a successful new business over 50 years of age.
Previous winners at the Awards over the past eight years have included some of the UK’s fastest rising brands, such as Wonga.com, Naked Wines, BeatThatQuote.com (sold to Google for £37.7m), BLOTTR and The Cambridge Satchel Company.
Commenting on winning the Startups Online Business of the Year Award 2011 David Grimes ofmyparceldelivery.com, comments: “Being named as the Startups ‘Online Business of the Year’ was an unbelievable feeling. Being recognised by such a prestigious Awards scheme has done wonders for myParcelDelivery.com and all the team here.”
There are thirteen awards up for grabs this year, including two new categories; Trade Business of the Year and Freelance Business of the Year as well as Online Business of the Year, Innovative Business of the Year and the overall NatWest Startups Business of the Year, the winner of which is selected from the winners of the other categories.
Duncan Bannatyne, of Dragons’ Den fame, will sit on the judging panel with a number of other highly successful entrepreneurs and business experts including Kate Russell, reporter and journalist for BBC Click and Julie Deane, co-founder of the Cambridge Satchel Company and winner of the NatWest Startups Business of the Year award last year.
The organisers are delighted to have NatWest on board as the headline sponsor for the fifth year running and also welcome category sponsors; Printed.com (Online Business of The Year), The Made Simple Group (Young Start-up of the Year) and Simply Business (Freelance Start-up of the Year).
David Lester, founder of Startups.co.uk, said: “As one in three start-up businesses don’t make it beyond the first year of trading, we are rightly proud of the Startups Awards which recognise those that successfully negotiate these early hurdles.
“Each year we unearth a whole set of innovative new businesses representing the unique diversity the start-up community has to offer, from home businesses to franchisees, and I am confident we will have another fantastic pick of companies and entrepreneurs this year which show that, despite the recession, British innovation is booming.”
The deadline for entries is 14 September 2012. Visit www.startupsawards.co.uk to request your entry pack.
This year’s winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Kensington Roof Gardens, on Friday 7 December 2012. Finalists, judges, journalists and sponsors will be attending these prestigious awards.
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