East Yorkshire businesses invited to apply for the 2026 King’s Award for Enterprise

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter and businesses can apply for one or more of the four categories: Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity Through Social Mobility.

As has just been enjoyed by East Yorkshire’s 2025 winners, Vuba, Integra and SolderKing, businesses that receive a King’s Award benefit from being:

• invited to a Royal reception
• presented with the award at your company by The King’s personal representative, Mr. Jim Dick, OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire
• able to fly The King’s Awards flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials (eg on packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
• given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative trophy

The awards are valid for 5 years and previous winners report benefiting from worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage and a boost to staff morale.

Entries are now open and applications must be submitted by 1pm on 9^th September 2025.

To apply, a representative of the business should access the King’s Award for Enterprise website (www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise), create an account and register basic details.  After answering questions regarding eligibility to apply for the Awards, users are then able to start to complete the submission.

To apply for an Award, each organisation (business, non-profit or public sector) must:

• be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
• have a good compliance record with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - for example, showing you pay the right amount        of tax on time
• be a self-contained enterprise under its own management and complete its own accounts
• have at least 2 full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents
• demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices

Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria.

The Lord-Lieutenant’s office is able to provide local support, with a small group of Deputy Lieutenants offering in-person or phone support to local businesses via Sarah Asquith at the East Riding Lieutenancy: erlieutenancy@eastriding.gov.uk or 01482 393260.