The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is set to close entries for its Made in the UK, Sold to the World awards programme on Sunday (14 January) after it opened them in November.
The awards are open to any business with 250 or fewer employees. Sunday will mark the last chance for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to enter the running. They can do so here.
As the Daily Update detailed in November, the scheme will give awards across ten categories:
- Agriculture, food & drink
- Consultancy & professional services
- Creative industries
- Education & edtech
- Financial services & fintech
- Healthcare
- Infrastructure & engineering
- Low carbon energy
- Manufacturing, advanced manufacturing & construction
- Retail & consumer goods
Businesses are only able to enter for one category, however. Businesses who enter will be shortlisted and judged before the announcement of winners on 9 April.
Making the shortlist
Institute of Export and International Trade (IOE&IT) director general Marco Forgione spoke to DBT last week to offer his advice to businesses on how to succeed in the awards hunt.
First, Forgione says, it’s important to “provide examples of your achievements”, advising that it helps to “describe how your company has overcome exporting challenges” with concrete examples.
It’s also important to emphasise the adaptability of your business. “Explain how you’ve adapted your goods or services to new cultures,” Forgione recommends.
He adds that businesses looking to win at the awards should “demonstrate [their] ingenuity”. He suggests:
“Share the processes your business has put in place to ensure compliance in different landscapes.”
Speaking on the awards themselves, Forgione says:
“The Made in the UK, Sold to the World awards are a fantastic opportunity for UK businesses to showcase their achievements, promote themselves internationally and inspire others. Hurry up and get your entries in!”
