Category Information
This (hopefully) one-off award will recognise the outstanding response of a business either to diversify and survive the challenges posed by the pandemic, or which went above and beyond to support the UK’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Maybe your business made PPE or made changes to existing products or services to help others on the frontline or to enable people to stay safe in the workplace. Alternatively, you may have launched a new initiative to protect jobs as a direct response to the pandemic.
Judges will be looking for:
- Diversification within the business in direct response to the pandemic
- Evidence of supporting key workers fighting the virus or evidence of new products or services to help others as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak
- Testimonials from customers or key workers about how your business helped them during the pandemic
For any queries regarding your entry, please get in touch with the Chamber Team at info@somersetbusinessawards.org.uk.
Does my business qualify?
All businesses entering the awards must be based within the district council administrative boundaries of Sedgemoor, South Somerset, Mendip and Somerset West and Taunton. Business can also enter if they are based within the following North Somerset Council and Bath and North East Somerset postcodes:
BS21, 22, 23, 24, 40, 48 and 49
The business should have its head office within the defined eligible area set out above. If this is not the case, the entry MUST demonstrate that the enterprise has local autonomy over business planning, marketing, HR and budget within the eligible areas listed above.
If you are unsure if you qualify, please get in touch.
How do I enter?
All you need to do is complete the online entry form, making sure that you understand the criteria for the category/ies that you wish to enter.
- Choose your category
- Enter a statement of up to 800 words explaining why your business merits an award
- Highlight up to six key points selling your company to the judges
- Attach up to five pieces of evidence to support your application – attachments can be up to a maximum of 2MB each.
- Attach the company logo
Award Judge
Lesley Robertson, Organisation Development Director
With 30 years’ experience in the HR field, Lesley is passionate about nurturing talent and seeing people succeed in their chosen professions. With Clarks’ long history in Somerset, the business feels strongly about investing in the local community and recognising the immense capability in our home county.
It is our honour through this special award to recognise how businesses have navigated the covid-19 pandemic and found opportunities to adapt, survive and support people through this difficult time.
Sponsored By
Clarks has been at the forefront of innovative shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when brothers James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts. At the time it was ground-breaking; a combination of invention and craftsmanship that’s remained at the heart of what the brand does now.
Today we are a truly global brand – our business extends from Europe to the Americas and to the Asia Pacific region. But our roots are in Somerset, in Street, where our global headquarters are still located today. In the Clarks archive of more than 22,000 pairs are shoes that have sparked revolutions and defined generations. From the original Clarks Desert Boot, first designed by Nathan Clark and launched in 1950 to the iconic Wallabee, each design has an instantly recognisable signature – a unique combination of craftsmanship and innovation that make it unmistakably Clarks.
Have queries?
Visit our frequently asked questions page