7 regional business awards UK SMEs should enter

What to take away

• Regional business awards put you against nearby firms, so a small team competes with peers rather than national brands.
• Start with the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards, British Chambers of Commerce Chamber Business Awards and Insider Media regional awards.
• Then compare Make UK Regional Manufacturing Awards, IoD Director of the Year Awards, Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Awards and Northern Ireland Chamber Business Awards.
• Shortlist two that match where you trade, then check eligibility, judging and cost before entering.
• A win only earns its keep if you publicise it, and award claims sit inside the advertising codes.

Why regional awards suit smaller firms

ONS publishes business counts by region and industry, which helps you judge how crowded a local category is (Business, industry and trade).

Regional programmes judge you against neighbours rather than national chains with in-house communications teams. The pool is smaller, judges often know the local market, and a win carries more weight with customers who already recognise your name.

England's award map does not follow one set of boundaries. Official regions sit alongside counties, city regions and combined authority areas, so either geography can host a credible programme (Regions of England).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run national programmes, and eligibility usually turns on where you are registered or where you trade.

Seven named awards to shortlist

The list below names real programmes. Check current dates, fees and category rules on each organiser's site before you write an entry.

1. FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards. The Federation of Small Businesses runs regional finals across the UK and a national final. Entry is free and open to small firms and sole traders.
2. British Chambers of Commerce Chamber Business Awards. Open to members of accredited chambers, with categories for exports, innovation and business of the year. Entry is free, but you must be a chamber member.
3. Insider Media regional business awards. Insider runs annual events such as Insider Yorkshire Business Awards, Insider Midlands Business Awards and Wales Business Awards. Entry is paid, and table seats are sold separately. Good for firms selling to local professional services.
4. Make UK Regional Manufacturing Awards. Make UK runs regional dinners for manufacturers, with winners going to a national final. It suits makers with a plant or design base in the region.
5. Institute of Directors Director of the Year Awards. The IoD runs regional heats for directors and senior leaders before a national final. It suits founder-directors with a clear growth story.
6. Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Awards. This programme covers Scottish firms and is linked to the chamber network. It suits businesses trading across Scotland.
7. Northern Ireland Chamber Business Awards. The chamber runs categories for local firms and hosts a ceremony in Belfast. It suits firms trading in Northern Ireland.

Pick two at most for your first year, and check the judging model before writing anything. Our guide to the UK business awards judging criteria explains what assessors usually look for.

Which award fits your business

Start from where you trade, not where you are registered. If your customers are local, try an Insider Media award or a chamber award. If you trade across Scotland or Northern Ireland, try the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Awards or the Northern Ireland Chamber Business Awards. Manufacturers should look at Make UK, and younger firms at the FSB awards.

Allow one route per audience. If your buyers are local households, an Insider Media award speaks to them. If your buyers are national procurement teams, a regional win carries less weight on its own.

Five checks before you enter

1. Eligibility. Confirm turnover bands, trading address rules and whether a company number is required.
2. Cost. Add the entry fee, category fees, table seats and travel before you commit.
3. Deadlines. Diarise the closing date and the evidence cut-off, which often falls earlier than entrants expect.
4. Effort. Budget several days for a strong entry, and more if a presentation or interview follows.
5. Publicity. Plan how you will announce a shortlisting or win, and who will do the work.

Entry fees vary between programmes, so compare the cost with the audience you want to reach. Our guide to UK branding awards entry fees covers what organisers typically charge and what sits outside the fee.

Anything you publish afterwards must be accurate. The CAP code requires marketing communications to be honest and not misleading, so describe the award exactly as the organiser does (advertising codes, ASA).

Common questions

Does my business have to be based in the region to enter?

Usually yes. Most organisers ask for a registered office, trading address or a significant operation inside their area, and some request evidence of it.

How much do regional business awards cost to enter?

Fees differ by programme and category, and some enterprise schemes are free. Larger ceremonies often charge per entry and sell table seats separately.

Are regional awards worth the time for a small firm?

They are worth it when the audience matches your customers. Check who judges, who attends and what previous winners gained before you pay.