BIBAs 2023 finalists announced after gruelling judging process concludes
The applicants to successfully make it through the formal interviews that were staged over two days at Blackpool Football Club in May, and the ‘BIBAs On Tour’ interviews that took place every week day for the whole of June, can finally be officially revealed.
According to Babs Murphy, chief executive at the Chamber, these contestants have all ably demonstrated their prowess to the judges and firmly deserve to have made it to the finals of the competition: “There’s no doubt that every finalist that’s made it this far, through our gruelling judging process, really deserves their place in this list.
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Hide Ad“They have not only told but shown our judges that they have what it takes to succeed, and have absolutely earned the right to shout about their progress in this year’s competition, which I encourage them all to do very loudly.
“Our judging process is intentionally no picnic. It is arguably the most robust and in depth of any business awards competition in Lancashire, and it’s what makes the BIBAs so highly respected. Any business, charity, community group or individual that’s reached the finals, and endured the scrutiny we expose them to, has done a great job that really ought to be celebrated.
“Of course” added Babs, “there can only be one winner in each category and these have now all been decided. We can’t wait to reveal them at the awards ceremony in Blackpool in September.”
Norman Tenray, chief executive of OBAS UK that’s sponsoring the Business of the Year award said judging had been exceptionally difficult this year: “The quality and calibre of applicants this year was incredible, you could barely separate them with a piece of paper, it’s been that close. They’ve all been really very remarkable and thoroughly deserve to have reached the finals.”
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Hide AdDawn Cheetham MBE, director of CKS Catering Equipment Ltd, agreed: “We’ve met and interviewed some amazing people and businesses this year. They’re all doing great things to create and sustain jobs and contribute to the Lancashire economy, and it’s been particularly tough to select the winners because the pool of applicants was so outstanding.”
The finalists and their categories in the BIBAs 2023 are:
Business of the Year, sponsored by OBAS UK
Barnfield Construction
Bowland Inns & Hotels
Hoofcount
Leyland Trucks
M M Acquisitions
Senator Group
Standfast & Barracks
Tower Employment Services
Medium Business of the Year, sponsored by CATAX
Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)
Coolkit
Inspire Youth Zone
Mi3
Royal Sanders
Service Care Solutions
Standfast & Barracks
Tower Employment Services
Small Business of the Year, sponsored by CKS Catering Supplies
Aspire UK Interiors
Clifton Homecare
Hoofcount
QA Scheme Support Services
Scope Fire & Security
Serconnect
Spencer Clarke Group
Suresite Group
Micro Business of the Year
Arthurs Of Aughton
Catering Elite
Flamingo Associates
Four Seasons Glamping
NORI HR And Employment Law
Paisley Training and Consultancy
The Small Business Academy
Winckley 263
Start-up Business of the Year
Hercules Resin Tools
Ecoeyes UK
Four Seasons Glamping
HEIR Education
Hope's Therapy Dogs
HSE Advice UK
Sales Geek Blackburn
Voice It!
Service Business of the Year
Becketts FS
Clifton Homecare
HEIR Salon
ICG
NW Recruitment Services
Orca
Scope Fire & Security
Suresite
Manufacturing Business of the Year, sponsored by FW Capital
Coolkit
Hoofcount
Leyland Trucks
Melling Performance Springs .
Scentish
Senator
Standfast & Barracks
The Vita Group
Construction Business of the Year, sponsored by MHA Moore & Smalley
Barnfield Construction
Depher CIC
HPA Architects
Mahoney Contracts
Pinington
Serconnect
STORTEC Engineering
Wareing Buildings
Leisure and Tourism Business of the Year, sponsored by Smooth Radio
1842 & Ivory Tower
Bowland Inns & Hotels
Collection Hotels
Golf Sports Management trading as Southport-Golf Academy
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Hide AdLytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team , (The Spitfire Visitor Centre)
Panache Cruises
The Lawrence Hotel
The Secret Garden Glamping
Digital and Marketing Business of the Year, sponsored by Studio RTR
Complete.
EXP (EXPERIENCE EXP )
GrowTraffic
ICG
Red-Fern Media
Standfast & Barracks
StudioLWD
VisionsLive
Professional Business of the Year
Adlington Law
Becketts FS
DT Information Governance
Eventus Recruitment Group
HPA Architects
James Scott Associates
Kasion Accounting Solutions
Paisley Training and Consultancy
Employer of the Year, sponsored by Business Health Matters
Buzz Education
Clifton Homecare
Melling Performance Springs
QA Scheme Support Services
Senator International
Service Care Solutions
Spencer Clarke Group
The Boathouse Youth
Scale Up Business of the Year, sponsored by Two-Zero Lancashire
Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)
LCM Environmental Services
Scope Fire & Security
Serconnect
Sovereign Beverage Company
Standfast & Barracks
STORTEC Engineering
TransformHub
Innovative Business of the Year, sponsored by InterSys Micronics
Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)
Airframe Designs
Hercules Resin Tools
IoT Horizon
Levity Crop Science
Melling Performance Springs
TransformHub
ULSOCO Un
Family Business of the Year, sponsored by Brabners
1842 & Ivory Tower
Becketts FS
Equestrian Surfaces
M M Acquisitions
Pinington
Scentish
SHH Interiors t/a Fab Home Interiors
Suresite Group
Apprentice Team of the Year, sponsored by BAE Systems
Clifton Homecare
Graham Engineering
HAPPA- Horses and Ponies Protection Association
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Leyland Trucks
Preston College
Service Care Solutions
WEC Group
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Hide AdGreen Business of the Year, sponsored by Sustainable Energy First
Equestrian Surfaces
Hedgerow Luxury Glamping
IoT Horizon
Making Energy Greener
RKMS Group
Senator International
STORTEC Engineering
The Vita Group
Education Establishment of the Year
Blackburn College
Cardinal Newman College
Creativity Works Preston
Highfurlong School
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Myerscough College and University Centre
Preston College
Rosscon Training
Community/Third Sector Business of the Year, sponsored by Lancashire Evening Post
Depher CIC
HAPPA- Horses and Ponies Protection Association
Inspire Youth Zone
Lancashire BME Network
Rainbow Hub NW
Recycling Lives Charity
The Boathouse Youth
The JJeffect CIC
Global Business of the Year, sponsored by Team Leyland International
Hoofcount
Levity Crop Science
Melling Performance Springs .
Senator International
Sovereign Beverage Company
Standfast & Barracks
VetPlus
VisionsLive
With the judging complete, the Chamber’s attention switches to organising the awards ceremony itself, viewed by many as the ‘Oscars’ of the Lancashire business scene. This year, it takes place on Friday September 15 at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom and, according to the Chamber, tickets will sell out quickly now that the finalists have all been announced.