IT’S time to enter the South Coast Business Awards.

The 2020 awards are due to be launched at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton this afternoon.

The awards, organised in association with Dutton Gregory, celebrate business excellence in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight across a host of sectors which make a huge contribution to the economy.

Principal sponsor Dutton Gregory and the category sponsors invite any company whose head office is based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to enter or to be nominated.

Once received, the nominations will be considered by our judging panel and maybe subject to a “mystery shopper” visit by the category sponsor. The judges will be looking to announce the three finalists in each category in the Daily Echo.

All three category finalists, plus one guest each, will be invited to join their category sponsors at the awards ceremony at St Marys Stadium on Thursday July 9, where the winners will be announced.

This year’s guest speaker will be Green & Black’s co-founder Jo Fairley and the awards will be presented by Daily Echo associate editor Andy Martin.

The winners of each category will receive £250 of advertising in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk and will also be featured in the category winners’ coverage in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk.

The Business of the Year Award will be nominated to the overall winner that will be chosen by the judging panel from all the category winners.

Categories are as follows:

  • Innovation Excellence Award
  • Service Excellence Award
  • Employer Award
  • Entrepreneur Award
  • Business Leader Award
  • Small Business Award
  • Best New Business (opened in the last two years)
  • Best Mid-Large Business Award
  • Business And The Community
  • Best Use Of Technology Award

Enter online at dailyecho.co.uk/awards. Businesses will be required to submit a one page summary of accounts with their application.

Closing date for nominations is June 8.