Dorset countryside-based firms urged to enter the Rural Business Awards 2017

Now in their third year, the RBAs are the only UK-wide business awards for rural enterprises. The RBAs are split into 13 categories including Best Rural Diversification Project and Best Rural Sports Business as well as Best Food & Drink Business and Best Rural Innovation.

Previous prize-winners have included Lily Warne Wool from Chudleigh in Devon, which not only won Best Rural Start-Up in the 2015 awards but was also named overall champion of champions on the night. The River Dart Country Park was the winner in the Best Renewable Energy Project Category in that year’s awards, while Somerset’s The British Alpaca Fashion Company – which produces cloth spun from its own herd of alpacas – was crowned winner of Best Rural Apparel Business or Brand.

Awards co-founder Anna Price said, “We are so proud to be holding our Rural Business Awards for the third year running. Over the past two years, our judges have read about an extraordinarily diverse range of rural businesses, and we have been truly humbled by the amazing work that is being done all over the Great British countryside. From cutting-edge engineering to broadband champions to a simple village shop that was going to great lengths to benefit the community’s elderly with its opening hours and range of services – we’ve certainly seen a great deal of business acumen and success.

“Dorset boasts some of this country’s most stunning countryside and it would be great to hear from businesses local to this area in our 2017 awards. Go Dorset!

“From diversification to food to clothes to sport, we hope our categories have got it all covered. 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!”

The overall Champion of Champions at the 2016 Rural Business Awards was Landmark Computer Systems Ltd, from Sussex, which offers tailored software helping agricultural clients manage their business effectively.

So just what is a rural business? The CLA defines rural businesses as fitting into three broad categories: land-based businesses; land-related businesses and other businesses located in rural areas. The category list aims to draw together businesses from across these areas to acknowledge the breadth and depth of opportunity presented by the British countryside, as well as to celebrate the achievements of our rural businesses.

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.

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 Rural Business Awards to become the UK’s most prestigious and respected awards for countryside-based enterprise.

Rural Business Award Sponsor, Janine Edwards of Janine Edwards Wealth Management Ltd, Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, said, “As such a highly regarded event, it is an enormous privilege for my team and I to once again be involved in sponsoring the Rural Business Awards. We strongly believe that accomplished companies in the rural sector deserve real recognition and these awards are the perfect way to go about it. The importance of the awards in the rural community is evident through the efforts and great contribution to the economy that the businesses make all year round.”

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

Categories are:

1. Best Rural Start-up
2. Outstanding Rural Diversification Project
3. Best Rural Clothing or Accessories Business
4. Rural Innovation of the year
5. Best Rural Manufacturing Business
6. Best Rural Professional Services Business
7. Best Rural Creative or Media-based Business
8. Social Enterprise/Community Project of the year
9. Best Rural Tourism Business
10. Best Rural Sporting Business
11. Rural Employer of the year
12. Rural Entrepreneur of the year
13. Best Food & Drink Business