As with every year, we are indebted to the support of our sponsors who ensure we are able to stage the biggest and best business awards in the county.

Between now and the awards ceremony, we will be highlighting each of our sponsors in our fortnightly email newsletter.

Spotlight on Buckinghamshire LEP

First up in our series of Sponsor in the Spotlight articles, we speak to Buckinghamshire LEP, sponsors of the Innovative Business Award.

The winner of last year’s award was Digital Manufacturing Centre Ltd, with REAS Group Ltd and WhiffAway Ltd the runners-up.

What does it mean to Buckinghamshire LEP to be involved with the Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2023?

"We are delighted to be part of the Business Awards once again. The event really helps to identify the best of Buckinghamshire business, and through the judging process we get to learn much more about the most innovative and dynamic businesses in the county."

What do you love about being the sponsor of the Innovative Business Award in particular?

"By their nature, innovative businesses are fast moving and develop rapidly to develop new products and services and to work in new markets.

"Very often these innovative businesses help to spot new business trends and opportunities, so it is always great to hear about their latest achievements and sometimes help them make new connections as part of the judging process."

What impressed you most about last year’s winner and finalists?

"We were really impressed by the leadership qualities shown by all three of the finalists.

"Each of the leaders had a clear vision for the growth of their business, had realistic plans for how that growth could be realised and showed a passion and drive to enable their teams to deliver and feed in innovative suggestions of their own."

Last year’s final shortlist was made up of businesses with very different innovative activities (additive manufacturing, videos, waterless urinals). Do you think this shows the wide range of businesses that can consider themselves ‘innovative’ when they look at their products and services?

"We think that all businesses have the capacity and duty to be innovative whether they operate in the field of cutting-edge technologies or in a more traditional market.

"Innovation is not just limited to a business’s products or services, it can be shown through all of its working practices, including when and where it operates, how it spots new opportunities, how it listens and responds to its customers, and how it treats its staff."