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Search begins for best businesses in North East

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Streamline are today launching a new UK-wide business awards programme to promote and celebrate innovation and success in small businesses across the UK.

The FSB Streamline UK Business Awards will run across 12 geographical areas around the UK, with area finalists selected to go through to a national final in April 2013.

The North East awards open today and businesses across the regionare being invited to nominate themselves in four categories:

Business InnovationOnline Business of the YearMicro Business of the YearYoung Entrepreneur of the Year

Four businesses (one for each category) from the North East and Yorkshire will be selected by a panel of independent judges to go through to the national final. One of the four finalists will also be selected as winner and receive a cash prize of £500.

The North East and Yorkshire winner along with the three remaining category finalists will automatically be entered into the national final for their category, with £4,500 up for grabs for each national category winner. The judges will then select one overall business as winner of the FSB Streamline UK Business of the Year Award. The winner of this award will receive an additional £5,000, and a business consultancy package worth a further £5,000 to help them to grow their business.

The Business Innovation and Online Business of the Year awards are open to any UK registered businesses employing 250 people or less, whilst the Micro Business of the Year is open to any business that employs 10 employees or less. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award is open to anyone aged 30 or under on 31stDecember 2012. Full details of the entry criteria and how to enter are available at http://www.fsbstreamlineawards.co.uk/. The closing date for entries is 31st December 2012.

The Awards have been designed by the FSB and Streamline to raise the profile of small businesses across the UK and to highlight the crucial role that they are playing in kick-starting and supporting the UK economy in the current economic crisis.

Darren Wilson, Managing Director, Streamline said: “We know from our work with tens of thousands of small businesses around the UK that there are so many incredible, innovative and ambitious small businesses out there, making a massive contribution to their local economies. We want these awards to highlight these businesses, and to recognise and reward excellence and innovation within businesses and individuals.”

Ted Salmon, FSB North East Regional Chairman, said: “As with everything that we do, these awards are designed to promote the interests of small businesses and entrepreneurs all over the UK. We are really looking forward to using this awards programme as an opportunity to identify and engage with some of the most innovative and successful small business in the UK.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Hanson .