High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise

In partnership with the University of Chester

An exterior photo of the front of Queen's Park in Chester

The Awards are open to businesses and charities of any size that are based in Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington.

Welcome to the High Sheriff’s Enterprise Awards 2024/25.  I am delighted that you have landed here.  The Enterprise awards are focused on you, your team and your organisation.  We want to celebrate your hard work, flair, creativity, and innovation and the many other aspects that enable your organisation to be successful. The Awards are a wonderful way to celebrate your achievements and are now an important date in Cheshire’s annual calendar, so we hope to see you there.

The date for our presentation evening will be in  March 2025, the venue being the prestigious Churchill House, home of University of Chester’s Business School.

The partnership between University of Chester and The High Sheriff of Cheshire enables  business and academia to work together to ensure we have the skills, people and innovative climate we need in Cheshire to achieve our vision to be the most sustainable, healthy, inclusive and growing economy. And we want to celebrate you and your organisation, the people of Cheshire, that bring that vision to life.  

As a business leader and entrepreneur focused on leadership and strategic engagement who has coached, facilitated and chaired boards, senior management teams and leaders across the globe over the last 30 years working across many industry sectors, I know that you will have had to make difficult decisions, worked hard and been very determined.  I also recognise that award applications processes can be time consuming, so we have made a couple of small changes.  We have consolidated the awards and linked them to the King’s Enterprise Awards’ categories, so that you can build on the work and time you put into these awards if you decide to apply for a King’s Enterprise Award.

So, whether you are a pan-global business or charity, an entrepreneurial startup or anywhere in between, share your story with the experienced judges of these awards.  As High Sheriff I want to celebrate your achievements and profile the success that you are achieving that embodies all that is progressive in Cheshire and the UK.

This year includes some categories that profile more overtly than previously issues around environmental sustainability  and also social mobility, both of which reflect early 21st century imperatives.  The range of award categories are designed in part to include at least one within which any business or charity can participate.  I do hope that you wish to do so.

I would also like to thank our sponsors: Grosvenor, Barlow, Mornflake, EA Technologies, and Warrington Borough Council. Thank you for enabling the awards and for sharing your expertise and knowledge.

Clare Hayward MBE DL
High Sheriff of Cheshire 2024/25

About the High Sheriff

The Office of High Sheriff is more than 1,000 years old, though in modern times it is dictated by the Sheriffs Act 1887. It is a royal appointment that involves upholding the values of the country’s justice system.

Originally the High Sheriff held many of the powers now vested in high court judges, magistrates, local authorities and coroners.

Today’s duties include attendance at royal visits to the county, support for His Majesty’s High Court Judges when on circuit and taking an active part in supporting and promoting voluntary organisations within the County.

The Office of Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. The High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise ceremony takes place at the end of each Cheshire High Sheriff’s term in office. A more contemporary role involves supporting and encouraging voluntary and statutory organisations and highlighting all aspects of success in the community.

You can find out more about the role of the High Sheriff on the Official website for the High Sheriff of Cheshire.

Award Categories

Your application must show that your organisation: 

  • is based in Cheshire, Halton or Warrington 
  • is a self-contained enterprise under its own management and complete its own accounts 
  • can demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices  

Your organisation can be a business, charity, non-profit or in the public sector. 

We are keen to support businesses, charities and public sector organisations to apply for the Kings Award for Enterprise or the Kings Award for Voluntary Service and therefore have aligned our criteria to these to help create opportunities for Cheshire, Halton and Warrington applications.   

Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria. 

EA Technology logo

To be considered for this award, your organisation must evidence how you have created, developed and/ or sustained an innovation. Please evidence how you demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices and provide evidence of at least one of the following: 

  • an innovation that has not been sold before or an innovative improvement to an existing product/process or service 
  • that the innovation has or will generate a profitable return  
  • an innovative product, service or process that has environmental benefits 
  • an innovative product that has increased productivity 

Grosvenor logo

To be considered for this award, your organisation must evidence how you’ve achieved outstanding sustainable development. Please evidence how you demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices and provide evidence of at least one of the following: 

  • evidence of the benefits or positive outcomes of your actions or interventions 
  • how your company and its senior leaders pioneer sustainable development in your sector or community 
  • how you have overcome the challenges often associated with implementing a sustainable development 

You might like to read the United Nations sustainable development goals to identify which goals are relevant to your work. 

To be considered for this award, your organisation must be able to evidence how it creates opportunities for a better future for local people. Please evidence how you demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices and provide evidence of at least one of the following: 

  • evidence of providing work experience or careers advice 
  • evidence of mentoring 
  • offering interview and job-related training 
  • making sure your recruitment process is open to everyone 
  • evidence of supporting and/ or facilitating career progression 

Warrington Borough Council logo

This award seeks to recognise and champion the incredible steps taken by businesses that are creating an environment for their employees to succeed. These businesses will be able to demonstrate their commitment to the health and wellbeing of their workforce.

Judges will be looking for businesses that have developed and implemented an effective, holistic strategy which has had a proven and significant positive impact on the health and wellbeing of its workforce.​

Please summarise and provide examples of how current workplace culture and practices support employee health and wellbeing and have led to employee satisfaction, retention, and increased productivity, creating a healthier and happier workforce (see examples below). Please also add any additional practices and initiatives developed by your business to support the health and wellbeing of others across the system e.g., consumers. Case studies are encouraged where possible.

Your application could focus on the following examples:

  • Health and wellbeing as an organisational priority e.g. through relevant policies/strategies, employee health champions
  • Health and wellbeing within management processes e.g. being included in skills/knowledge requirements of managers
  • Enabling all employees to participate in decisions around practices that impact upon them e.g. contribute to plans/policies
  • Promoting and supporting both physical health and mental health
  • Providing initiatives to reduce waste and carbon emissions e.g. active travel schemes, reusable drinking cups/bottles.

 

Barlows logo

To be considered for this award, you must be able to evidence how the nominee (young person under 30 years old) has shown entrepreneurial spirit and endeavour within their role. You may be nominated by an organisation or you may nominate yourself. You may nominate an apprentice in this category. 

Please provide evidence, in relation to least one of the following, of how the young person has:  

  • Made a difference to the organisation or the community  
  • Excelled within the related apprenticeship course 
  • Applied the skills learnt through the course in various work environments 
  • Improved or developed the business  

Mornflake logo

To be considered for this award, you must be able to evidence how you have achieved outstanding commercial growth over the past two years. 

Please evidence how you demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices and provide evidence of at least one of the following: 

  • Scale and scope of growth over the past two years 
  • Impact of growth on organisation and local community 

Apply now

To nominate your business for the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise 2024/25, please complete the entry form and submit it along with a supporting statement on why you are entering the award(s). Supporting statements should be a maximum of 500 words.

Please view our award categories and select the category or categories you wish to enter. You can enter a maximum of two categories. Please complete separate forms and supporting statements for each category (if applying for two).

The Awards highlight outstanding achievement by local companies of any size that are based within Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington.

There are six different categories, with entrants being judged by a panel of senior members of the business community. 

If you are considering an entry, you should read the criteria identified for each Award carefully before making a submission. All relate to performance from March 2023 up to the time of application, although you should also make reference to future plans, if formulated during this period.

All shortlisted companies and sponsors will receive two complimentary tickets for senior executives to attend the Awards Evening at Churchill House, Queen’s Park Building, home to the University of Chester’s Business School, on 27th March 2025.

1. About

  • 1.1 The organiser of the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise 2023 (Awards) is the University of Chester and the High Sheriff of Cheshire, Clare Hayward MBE DL (Organisers). The Awards are your opportunity to shine and demonstrate you are an outstanding Cheshire business.
  • 1.2 There are 6 award categories:
    • High Sheriff's Award for Innovation  
    • High Sheriff’s Award for Sustainable Development
    • High Sheriff’s Award for Promoting Social Mobility
    • High Sheriff's Award for Wellness at Work
    • High Sheriff’s Award for Young Person in Business
    • High Sheriff’s Award for Excellence in Enterprise
  • 1.3 The specific criteria for each category is as stated on our website. The Organiser reserves the right to reject any entry that, in its opinion, fails to comply fully with the entry criteria, entry instructions or these Terms and Conditions.
  • 1.4 Nominations open from 1st October, 2024, and close at 23:59pm on 20th January, 2025. Any entries received after the Closing Date will not be considered.

2. How to enter

  • 2.1 Entry is free and is exclusive to businesses based in Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington (Geographical Area) and is open to businesses of any size (Qualifying Business). For the Young Person in Business Award, the Apprentice/Young Person must be employed at a Qualifying Business and must be employed to work primarily in the Geographical Area.
  • 2.2 Businesses can nominate themselves or third parties can nominate a business or individuals so long as the business or person nominated is aware of the entry and has verified the contents of the entry. For the Young Person in Business award an individual can nominate themselves or they can be nominated by their employer, provided their employer is a Qualifying Business.
  • 2.3 For the Young Person in Business Award the individual nominated must be under 30 years of age on 13th January 2025.
  • 2.4 To enter the Awards all applicants must complete the online-entry form on the Website for their chosen category(ies) All submissions must be submitted in English and completed in full and lodged through the online entry form available on the Website. Entries submitted via post, email or telephone will not be considered. Entrants must follow the entry instructions on the Website.
  • 2.5 Late, ineligible, incomplete or corrupt entries will not be accepted. The Organiser will not accept responsibility for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem which may result in an entry being lost, not received or not properly registered. The Organiser will not accept proof of transmission as proof of receipt of entry.
  • 2.6 Nominators may only submit one entry per category up to a maximum of two categories (Maximum Permitted). Where a nominator exceeds the Maximum Permitted, then only the first entry to each category up to the Maximum Permitted will be considered, and in the order received by the Organiser. Any other entries will be deemed invalid and will be disregarded.
  • 2.7 The entry must be entirely the nominator’s own work. By submitting an entry, you confirm to the Organiser that the contents of your entry is true and accurate and not misleading and that your entry does not infringe the rights of any third party such as but not limited to; copyright, trade mark, trade secret, privacy, publicity, personal or proprietary rights. The Organiser reserves the right to disqualify any entry or withdraw an award where false, inaccurate or misleading information was supplied as part of the entry. The Organiser reserves the right to audit any information supplied.
  • 2.8 Entries will not be accepted from members of the judging panel or from any person directly or indirectly involved in the running of the Awards, its administration or direct members of their family or households. Sponsors are not permitted to enter the category they are sponsoring.
  • 2.9 Entries are limited to 500 words and the Organisers reserve the right to reject any entry that exceeds the stated word limit.
  • 2.10 By completing and submitting an entry for the Awards, you will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions include any instructions and eligibility criteria contained on the Website and entry form.
  • 2.11 Entries cannot be returned.

3. Judging

  • 3.1 Entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by the Organiser. A different judging panel will be selected to judge each category.
  • 3.2 The judging panel reserves the right to audit any information supplied by a nominator and/or to contact them to discuss their entry. Judges reserve the right to request further information and/or visit an organisation/person before deciding on winners.
  • 3.3 The judges will select finalists. Unless otherwise agreed with the Organiser, finalists must make themselves available to shoot a short film at the Organiser’s premises prior to the Awards Evening for use during the Awards Ceremony.
  • 3.4 There will be one award winner selected from the finalists in each category. Winners will be announced at the Awards Evening on TBC, 2025 (Awards Evening). A full list of all winners and finalists will be posted on the Website, and the Organiser’s website and social media accounts. Further details about the Awards Evening will be published on the Website in due course and entrants will receive further information about the Awards Evening by email. Each finalist will receive two complimentary tickets to the Awards Evening.
  • 3.5 The Judge’s decision is final and no further correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
  • 3.6 The Organisers and judges reserve the right to extend the Closing Date, amend categories or not make any award in any category should they receive an insufficient number of entries or where the standard of entries received do not reach the required standard.

4. Prize

  • 4.1 A High Sheriff’s Award will be awarded to each winner in each category. Winners may publicise their award provided that the year in which it was won is stated.
  • 4.2 The Organiser’s use of any particular brands or sponsored awards as prizes does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement of such brands or sponsors.

5. Limitation of Liability

  • To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Organiser excludes all liability to the entrants and participants of the Awards and to any finalists and winners for any loss or damage howsoever caused (whether in contract, tort, including without limitation, negligence, statutory duty or otherwise) arising out of or in connection with the Awards or its administration. The Organiser will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate any winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up a prize.

6. Publicity

  • By submitting an entry you acknowledge that any winners and finalists will be required to take part in pre and post Awards publicity and will need to consent to their name and photograph being used for such purposes. Their participation in such activities will be a condition of any award/accepting a prize.

7. General

  • 7.1 The Organiser reserves the right to refuse entry, or refuse to award a prize where there has been a breach of these terms and conditions or where an entrant or nominee is unable to provide the Organiser with satisfactory evidence of their eligibility or compliance with these terms when reasonably requested.
  • 7.2 The Organiser reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel, re-schedule or amend the Awards (including the Awards Evening) where it deemed it necessary to do so or if circumstances arise outside its control. Any changes will be published on the Website.
  • 7.3 These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by English law, and the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
  • 7.4 Enquiries about the Awards should be directed to: Jenni Davies, The High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise. Tel: 01244 51 1344; Email: highsheriffawards@chester.ac.uk 
  • 7.5 Any personal data received by the Organisers for the purposes of the Awards will be processed in accordance with the Organiser’s privacy policy.