THE judges of the South Coast Business Awards are on the lookout for a standout medium sized or large businesses.

Backed by the Daily Echo, the awards celebrate excellence across all the sectors that make up the Hampshire economy.

The Best Mid-Large Business award will be presented to a business employing more than 25 people, with a turnover of at least £5million, and which demonstrates scale-up growth and all-round excellence.

The judges are looking for commercial success, market-leading growth and strong financial performance.

Businesses should be able to demonstrate evidence of positive change in the past 12 months, or have identified a strategy for change in the next year.

Principal sponsor Dutton Gregory and category sponsor Paris Smith LLP invite any company whose head office is based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to enter or to be nominated.

Nominations will be considered by our judging panel and maybe subject to a “mystery shopper” visit by the category sponsor.

The judges will be looking to announce the three finalists in each category in the Daily Echo. All three category finalists, plus one guest each, will be invited to join their category sponsors at the awards ceremony at St Marys Stadium, scheduled for November 12, where the winners will be announced.

The winners of each category will receive £250 of advertising in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk and will also be featured in the category winners’ coverage in the Daily Echo or on dailyecho.co.uk.

The Business of the Year Award will be chosen by the judging panel from all the category winners.

The other awards are:

  • Innovation Excellence Award
  • Service Excellence Award
  • Employer Award
  • Entrepreneur Award
  • Business Leader Award
  • Small Business Award
  • Best New Business (opened in the past two years)
  • Business And The Community
  • Best Use Of Technology Award

Enter online here.

Businesses will be required to submit a one-page summary of accounts with their application.

The closing date for nominations is August 31.