The South Coast Business Awards, sponsored by Lee Peck Media, is an event that celebrates the excellent businesses operating in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. These businesses contribute significantly to the local economy, and the awards aim to recognise and showcase their achievements.

Lee Peck Media, based in Southampton, is a renowned PR and communications agency with clients at the local, regional, and international levels. They are excited to be part of these prestigious awards. Lee Peck Media emphasizes the importance of newspapers, especially the Southern Daily Echo, as a trusted source of local and regional news. The Echo is often quoted by broadcast media due to its reputation for reliable information. Lee Peck Media is proud to support this important project.

READ MORE: South Coast Business Awards return for 2023

These awards aim to celebrate businesses in various sectors, both large and small, ranging from food and fashion to tourism and technology. These industries employ thousands of people, export their products worldwide, and contribute to attracting visitors to the region. The awards provide an opportunity to recognise and honour their accomplishments.

Any company with its head office located in Hampshire or the Isle of Wight is welcome to enter or be nominated for the awards. Once the nominations are received, a judging panel will review them, and the finalists may undergo a "mystery shopper" visit by the category sponsor before the three finalists in each category are announced.

The judges will announce the three finalists in each category on Tuesday, November 14th, and the category winners on Tuesday, November 28th, through the Daily Echo and dailyecho.co.uk. Each category winner will receive £500 worth of advertising in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk and will be featured in the winners' coverage in the Daily Echo.

The Business of the Year Award will be chosen by the judging panel from all the category winners. It represents the overall winner and carries special recognition.

One of the categories is the "Best Mid-Large Business" award, which will be presented to a business employing more than 25 employees with a turnover of at least £5 million. The judges are looking for businesses that demonstrate scale-up growth, overall excellence, commercial success, market-leading growth, and strong financial performance. The business should be able to show evidence of positive change in the last 12 months or have a strategy for change in the next 12 months.

There are several other categories, including the Innovation Excellence Award, Service Excellence Award, Employer Award, Entrepreneur Award, Business Leader Award, Small Business Award, New Business Award (for businesses opened in the last 2 years), Business and the Community Award, and Use of Technology Award.

To enter the awards, you can visit dailyecho.co.uk/awards and submit your nomination online. The closing date for nominations is September 17th, 2023.

Usual Newsquest competition terms and conditions will apply please visit: www.newsquest.co.uk/prize-competition-rules www.newsquest.co.uk/privacy-policy for full details.

£500 multi-media advertising prize valid for use until 31st December 2023.