THE north's premier awards specifically aimed at small business (those employing 50 or fewer staff) will be staged for the fourth time this May and have now opened for entries.
Affectionately known as the BEFTAs - an acronym comprising organisers Business Eye and headline sponsor First Trust Bank - they will be held at Belfast’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday May 31.
Fourteen different categories will be contested at this year's awards, which have become an integral part of the business calendar and have produced some notable winners including leading technology company Yelo and engineering firm M&M Contractors.
As well as an overall ‘Small Business of the Year’ Award, top performers in key sectors such as technology, agri-food, manufacturing and tourism and hospitality will also be recognised.
There will also be awards for our leading small business exporter, most innovative and customer focused businesses as well as top marketing and community initiative.
One new category this year will recognise a leading ‘Family Business of the Year’ for the first time.
Winners will be chosen by an elite panel of judges from Northern Ireland’s business community led by First Trust Bank’s head of business and corporate banking Brian Gillan, and Business Eye editor Richard Buckley.
Closing date for entries is Friday April 27 and businesses can enter via a dedicated awards website at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk
Seamus McGuckin, head of business banking at First Trust, said: “Amid ongoing economic and political uncertainties that continue to test the resilience of our business community, we see a commitment to creativity, innovation and ambition from our SME sector.
"The role and the voice of small businesses - which account for the vast majority of our private sector - is therefore more important than ever, and we look forward to celebrating excellence at May's BEFTAs ceremony.”
Mr Buckley says: “Small businesses have to compete with the big names in the business world in most of the awards which exist on the local front, but these awards are different in that they turn the spotlight on the most important part of our economy.”
“The BEFTAs give small businesses right across the spectrum the chance to go head to head with those of a similar size and scale, and we’re confident we’ll be seeing some excellent case studies emerge.”
