IT HAS been a record-breaking year for an awards scheme which celebrates the best of north Hampshire business.

The finalists for the 2018 INSPIRE Business Awards were announced on Tuesday night with a record number of entries received this time around in the 15-year history of the event.

The panel, comprising of business leaders and experts from across the region, judged all of the entries received across the 13 categories and all of the shortlisted finalists in each category were invited to a special event at The Apollo Hotel, in Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke on Tuesday.

Visits to each of the finalists will be taking place over the next few weeks and the winners will be revealed at a gala dinner taking place on Thursday, 22 November, where over 500 esteemed guests will gather at the Hampshire Court Hotel in Chineham.

Felicity Edwards, managing director of Destination Basingstoke, the organiser of the awards, said: “It’s always interesting to see the business behind the nomination and meet the real people that drive these north Hampshire businesses with such enthusiasm that leads to great successes.”

Tables and tickets are on sale now.

Call 01256 461167 for more information.

2018 INSPIRE FINALISTS

Young Business Person of the Year

o Matthew Larcome

o Farah Fonseca

o Jade Binstead

New Business of the Year Award

o Cahn Property

o Wedition

o Funk & Twist Fitness

Family Business of the Year Award

o Rawlings Transport

o Woodlands & Hill Brow

o Planned Lighting Maintenance

Apprentice of the Year Award

o Lewis Hall - Pharmahouse

o Emily Buckley - Rural Fringe

o Calan Kenward - LG Motion

Service Excellence Award

o ACC

o Hair Beauty and Barber Studio

o Reality HR

Innovation Excellence Award

o Razor Secure

o Loma Systems

o BCOT

Employer of the Year Award

o Hawkeye

o Tempcover

o Jargon PR

Small Business of the Year

o Festival Street Kitchen

o Webkick

o Pharmahouse

Business and Community

o Sovereign Housing

o Unum

o Clarke & Son

o Jim Hill Classic Race Simulators

Entrepreneur Of the Year Award

o Joanna Jenson – Childs Farm

o Nick Thompson – DCSL Software

o Neil Rider – Serious Sport Group

International Business of the Year

o Juniper Research

o Driven International

o Exclaimer

Female Achiever of the Year

o Sophie Cranston - Libelula

o Sally-Ann Hall-Jones– Reality HR

o Leah Mathias-Collins – Vitacress

Business of the Year

o Jargon PR

o Childs Farm

o DCSL Software