Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside urges Liverpool city region firms to apply for a King’s Award for Enterprise with a special event being held in the city in May. Tony McDonough reports

 

Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside Mark Blundell is making a fresh call for businesses across Liverpool city region to put themselves forward for a King’s Award for Enterprise (KAE).

Formerly known as the Queen’s Awards until the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the awards recognise the outstanding achievements of UK businesses. A KAE offers significant prestige, particularly for exporters.

Winning firms are entitled and encouraged to make full use of this distinctive award by featuring the Kings Emblem on social media, their stationery, packaging, vehicles and website for a period of five years.

The KAE recognises the outstanding achievements of UK businesses across four operating categories:

• International Trade
• Innovation
• Sustainable Development
• Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility

Following King Charles III’s succession to the throne, Mr Blundell has been on a mission to galvanise Merseyside businesses to enter. Volume of entries in recent years from the region has been disappointing.

Deputy Lieutenants from his team have been charged with inspiring companies to participate and to spread the message about the immense benefits from recognition as a King’s Award for Enterprise winner. 

On Wednesday, May 15, the head of the King’s Award office in London, Nicola Bruno, will be in Liverpool to explain the criteria for entry, how to apply and what the judges will be looking out for in a successful application. 

Guests will also hear what it takes to win the coveted award from past winners. The last Liverpool business to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise is Global Beauty Products, a Brows and Lashes beauty brand, founded by chief executive Warren Gavin. 

Brian Omar, personal assistant to Mr Gavin, put together GPB’s successful 2022 award entry and says what is now known as the King’s Award for Enterprise is “the ultimate trusted mark in the world of business”.

He added: “The royal recognition has really enhanced our credibility in the business world. We use the Queen’s Award emblem on all of our products and packaging, and on our stands at the trade shows that we attend around the world.

“The emblem appears on our websites, social media and all of the flyers we send out too.  We attend, and have staged, events in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, the US, Mexico, Italy, Greece and Germany in recent years.

“The fact that we have the royal seal of approval has been immensely beneficial to us by underpinning that we are regarded as an exceptional and trusted business. 

GBP exports products to more than 40 countries and Brian said: “You get automatic credibility, we are not just a little firm from Garston, Liverpool, we are a Queen’s Award business.”

 

 

Mr Blundell has also appealed to those businesses that may have submitted an application for a QAE or KAE in the past and were unsuccessful to reapply.

He explained: “I realise applications involve a lot of time and effort, but the awards are immensely rewarding for recipients and are well worth applying for.

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“If you have unfortunately failed in the past, please take the opportunity of attending our special briefing  which will guide you on what is required to make a successful application.

Full details and how to enter can be viewed at: www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise

Further information is also available on the Lord-Lieutenancy website: www.merseysidelieutenancy.org.uk

If you wish to attend the King’s Award for Enterprise briefing event at the Athenaeum Club, Liverpool contact Helen Tanzey: Clerk to the Lieutenancy of Merseyside    msl.clerk@lieutenancy.info