Businesses have less than 100 days to enter the Business Champion Awards, with entries closing at 5pm on 31 December 2026 ahead of a black-tie grand final in London on 23 March 2027.
The programme, which describes itself as Britain’s largest dedicated business awards for small and medium-sized businesses, opened for entries on 1 September. Business Matters is the awards’ headline media partner. Finalists will be announced on 1 February 2027.
The organisers, said the awards are open to small and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and fast-growth companies in every UK sector. Gold, silver and bronze awards will be presented in each category.
The 14 categories include SME of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Growth Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, Exporter of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, which is limited to founders under 30. Business Innovation, Sustainable Business, Business Transformation, Community Business and Diversity and Inclusion Programme awards are also open. The Lifetime Achievement and Outstanding Achievement awards are by invitation only.
Entries are made online through the awards’ entry portal, where applicants create an account, can save and return, and complete three sections covering themselves, their entry and their financials. The organisers describe the entry process as carbon neutral.
Winners and finalists receive 12 months of coverage, according to the organisers, and finalists are offered a presentation skills masterclass along with PR and marketing support.
Richard Alvin, director of the Business Champion Awards, said: “We set up the Business Champion Awards to shine a light on the small and medium-sized businesses that do the heavy lifting in the British economy, in every county and every sector, not just the ones that already make the headlines. Reaching the final gives a business something it can’t buy: independent recognition that customers, staff and investors notice.”
He added: “The entries that stand out are the ones that tell a clear story and back it up with evidence. Judges want to see what you set out to do, what you actually achieved and the numbers that prove it. Don’t leave it until the week before Christmas. The strongest entries are the ones that have been drafted, reviewed and polished.”
The awards, first held in March 2022 at East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, where the inaugural winners included Double Dutch Drinks founders Raissa and Joyce De Haas as Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Seeblue Marketing as New Business of the Year and Killing Kittens as Growth Business of the Year. Daniel Priestley of Dent Global was named Entrepreneur of the Year.
Paul Jones, editor of Business Matters, said: “Our readers are the owners and directors running Britain’s small and mid-sized companies, so backing the Business Champion Awards as headline media partner is a natural fit. These are businesses dealing with higher costs, tax changes and fragile confidence, and still finding ways to grow, hire and export. They deserve to be recognised.”
He added: “The awards have introduced us to founders we have gone on to follow as their businesses have grown. Every finalist gets 12 months of coverage, and for a growing company that kind of sustained exposure in front of other owners, investors and potential customers can open doors.”
Business Matters has published profiles of previous finalists and winners since the awards launched.
Entries close at 5pm on 31 December 2026. Category details, judging information and the entry form are available on the Business Champion Awards website.
