Call for entries for BECBC Business Awards

There is just over a week to go until the closing date for entries for this year’s Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) Business Awards (31 May 2012) and both sponsorship and entries are gathering momentum.

On the sponsorship side, EnergySolutions, based on West Lakes Science and Technology Park, was the first major supplier to the energy sector to reserve one of the larger sponsorship packages. Several more companies and organisations such as Britain’s Energy Coast, NMP (Nuclear Management Partners), Tata Steel and the nuclear engineering company, NIS Limited, have come on board since then such that about 70% of the total sponsorship target and most of the Awards themselves are already reserved.

“We’ve tried to make sure that there’s a range of different packages available so that any business wanting to be associated with the Awards and the celebration dinner in November can find something within their budget,” says Phil Jardine, Business Development Manager for BECBC. “The Awards themselves have proved particularly popular so we now need to hear as soon as possible from those companies who are interested in sponsoring other aspects of the dinner event.”

He continues: “We have almost twice as many categories as in 2010 because we’ve created sub- categories for both large and smaller organisations as well as retaining the spread of criteria, from safety to sustainability and from innovation to commitment to West Cumbria.”

“That expansion means that we need plenty of entries so that we can really celebrate the achievements and diversity of BECBC membership,” Phil says. “Whatever the scale and age of the company, there should be an award that’s relevant and that will enable Cumbrian organisations to shout about their
growth, their ideas and their responsible approach to business.”

In June, all entries will be considered by a main judging panel who will then create a shortlist for each
Award.

“The shortlisting panel will be chaired by John Grainger of Invest in Cumbria,” says Phil Jardine, “and I will also be involved alongside Gill Marsden of NIS (based in Copeland) and Tom Gilroy of Britain’s Energy Coast (based in Allerdale). Once we’ve completed the shortlisting process, judging teams made up of experts in each specific area and the sponsors of those awards will follow up with the companies over the summer. Winners in each category will be announced at the gala dinner at
ENERGUS on 8 November.”

Further details of the Awards, the categories and the entry package with information on how to enter are online at www.becbusinesscluster.co.uk. Details of the remaining sponsorship packages are also available online or from the administrator of BECBC via hazel.duhy@becbusinesscluster.co.uk.

Picture shows  Studsvik UK Limited who won the Environment and Sustainability category in 2010 (previous year of Awards) and this was sponsored and presented by VINCI Construction.