Business of the Year

The premier award (sponsored by Furness College): Open to any business. The winning firm will demonstrate a successful track record of excellence and achievement, plus significant advancement this year

Retailer of the Year

For companies of all kinds selling to the public. They might be specialists trading via the Internet, by post, or on the phone. Alternatively they could be retailers selling through shops, stores or other outlets.

Training and Development Award

This award recognises firms that are committed to recruiting local people from a variety of backgrounds. They should overcome inequality and demonstrate the benefits of developing and supporting their workforce.

Small Business of the Year

For businesses of all kinds, this award will put an innovative, growing company on centre stage. Firms from any sector that can show evidence of enterprise and imagination will do well in this category.

Innovation and Technology

This award celebrates companies, large or small, which have a pioneering spirit and the know-how required to be leaders in their field. Ingenuity, determination and talent are the key qualities we are looking for and use of innovation or application of technology.

Team of the Year

Sponsored by Furness Builidng Society, this is a chance for employers to put forward a team of people who have made a real difference to a business. They might have found new solutions to old problems or shown fantastic performance in sales and production. Employers can nominate a group or a complete workforce.

Hotel of the Year

This award, sponsored by Lamont Pridmore, recognises that the key to a hotel is a team of staff who know what guests want and work hard to ensure expectations are exceeded - and they will be applauded in this category. Food, bedrooms, bars and dining rooms are all important, too, as well as the extra special touches that make visitors’ holidays memorable.

Place to Stay Award

This award is for those responsible for the best of the region’s accom-modation – excluding hotels that have a category of their own. It includes bed and breakfasts, small pubs and restaurants with rooms, hostels, holiday villages, caravan sites and vacation rental property. We are looking for the hospitality, quality and value that brings guests back to this area again and again.

Tourist Attraction/Tour Operator of the Year

This category celebrates the enterprise that makes visitors’ holidays complete. Firms that showcase the Lake District or help people pack more action and fun into their time in the region will be recognised here.

Green Business Award

This award is for businesses that demonstrate an outstanding awareness of the environment. They may have introduced processes that will improve power efficiency, taken up more natural manufacturing methods or added initiatives as part of a ‘go green’ agenda.

Social and Community Development

This award is all about enterprises which put something back into their local community, or show that the bottom line isn’t the only driving factor that drives them. They might have allowed community organisations, schools or charities to use the business’ resources or given them help with ideas, advice, money or expertise.