Five Devon businesses win prestigious Queen’s Awards for Enterprise
South West Business Council have announced this year’s regional recipients of the prestigious Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organisations who excel in one of four categories: International trade, innovation, sustainable development or promoting opportunity (through social mobility).
Promoted by the Devon Lord Lieutenant’s Office, the Award is the most prestigious award a UK based company can win and just 200 of these significant accolades are given out each year. This year’s Devon based recipients are as follows:
Innovation award category
Heathcoat Fabrics Limited, established in 1808 and based in Tiverton, makes a wide range of fabrics for use in textile and industrial applications.
International award category
Artemis Optical Limited, based in Plympton, is a world renowned company with almost 70 years’ experience in the design and application of high precision, technically differentiated, optical thin film coatings for the Photonics industry (light technology).
Paignton based Spirent Communications develops and manufactures the world’s leading test solutions for PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) solutions.
Investment Casting Systems Limited, also based in Paignton, is a privately owned high-tech manufacturing SME, supplying customers who demand high-quality service and products, both nationally and internationally.
Sustainable Development award category
Services Design Solution Ltd are based in Plymouth, across the South West and in Wales and started trading in 2004. The company provides consulting engineering focused on sustainable construction, supporting the delivery of zero-carbon developments.
Businesses have to meet the Awards’ strict entry criteria and supply a wealth of detailed information about their business for rigorous assessment; initially by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat at the Cabinet Office. Ten specialist sub-committees then consider the entries before making recommendations to the main committee. Eventually entries are sent for final approval to the Prime Minister’s office before being rubber stamped by Buckingham Palace.
Awards are valid for five years and winners are invited to a royal reception at Buckingham Palace and presented with the award at their company premises by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, David Fursdon. In addition, winners are able to fly the Queen's Awards flag at their main office, and use the emblem on marketing materials such as packaging and adverts.
Devon Deputy Lord Lieutenant Mark Ansell comments: “The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards that British-based businesses can win and we are delighted that there 5 Devon-based winners this year.
“Devon is England’s second biggest county with over 40,000 VAT registered businesses and we should have more applicants and more winners each year.
“Applications for the 2023 awards open at the beginning of May and we strongly encourage successful Devon-based businesses to consider applying, whatever size you are as long as you have at least 2 full-time equivalent employees. For more information please go to www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise”
