These categories will reward the best-in-class performance of high-growth businesses across 12 industry sectors:

*The judges decide overall winner from the above categories

Awarded by the judges to the company that stands out as the “best of the best” NextGen business.

This award recognises companies who are using innovative marketing techniques and creative strategies to build future household brands and stand out from the crowd.
Entrants need to showcase how they have promoted their business in new and engaging ways - and articulate the business impact of their approach.

Customer service is often the external barometer for the success of a business.
This award is for outstanding and innovative solutions to managing customer relationships and problem solving.

Entrants should showcase initiatives they’ve introduced to delight customers - and stand out from their competitors. They should provide evidence of how this approach has increased customer satisfaction and boosted overall business performance.

Business isn’t just about profit; it’s also about purpose. This award celebrates businesses as a force for good, highlighting their environmental and/or social impact on the wider community.

Entrants will need to provide details of the work they’re doing, why they’re doing it and the impact it has had (including statistics where appropriate).

This award recognises the very best initiatives introduced by businesses to train, upskill, diversify and take care of their workforce.
Entrants will need to provide details of the initiative, the issue it helped to resolve and the overall business impact.

People initiatives include:

- Diversity and Inclusion
- Health and wellbeing
- Training and upskilling
- Flexible working
- Apprenticeships
- Gender equality

This award honours the emerging new talents within a company.

Nominees can be of any age, but must be have joined the business or taken on their current role within the last two years. They must demonstrate exceptional skill, ambition and impact. We welcome entries from the individuals themselves or nominations from peers, company leaders and clients.

Celebrating the outstanding contribution of the best teams at the heart of Britain’s best businesses.
This award honours the most effective, efficient and forward-thinking teams that are helping to build and grow world-class businesses.

From marketing and comms to HR and tech, this category is open to teams from all parts of the business.
For this category, entries should be submitted by the team or company leader. Each entry will be judged in the same way. Written entries should provide evidence of improved business performance within the specific business area, inspirational leadership, and the development of their team.

Celebrating the outstanding contribution of team and department heads within Britain’s best businesses.

This award honours the ambitious and visionary managers that are helping to build and grow world-class firms.

Open to all those in a managerial, team leader, and head of department roles.

For this category, entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated. Each entry will be judged in the same way. Written entries should provide evidence of improved business performance within the specific business area, inspirational leadership, and the development of their team.

Celebrating the outstanding leaders at the helm of Britain’s best businesses.

This award honours the ambitious and visionary leaders that are helping to build and grow world-class firms.

Open to all C-suite and Director-level leaders.
For this category, entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated. Each entry will be judged in the same way. Written entries should provide evidence of business performance, leadership and growth, development of company culture, where available statistics on diversity and gender pay gap (and the explanation behind it) and what the individual has done to improve these within their organisation. Entrants should also include examples of their ability to drive transformation and how they have contributed to the industry in which they operate.

The culture of a company is crucial to recruiting and retaining top talent - and therefore the performance of the business overall. This award celebrates forward-thinking businesses who have built and nurtured a positive workplace culture. Entrants need to demonstrate how their initiatives have resulted in outstanding levels of staff engagement and productivity, and ultimately driven demonstrable business growth.

If a business is to survive, it must evolve, adapt and transform. This award is for businesses who have successfully reinvented themselves, transforming their business model to supercharge growth and deliver outstanding results.

Entrants should demonstrate the business imperative for the transformation, the journey (including any barriers or challenges that were overcome) and the strategic and financial results.

This award recognises businesses that have created ground-breaking and innovative new products or services with the potential to disrupt and reshape entire industries.

The award will be given to an organisation that has put effective and inspirational innovation at its heart, with tangible results. Entrants must be able to demonstrate business growth and market impact.