The King’s Award for Enterprise

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious UK business awards.

They recognise success in five categories: Innovation, International Trade, Promoting Opportunity, Sustainability and a new category of Young Founder.

Winning a King’s Award for Enterprise brings real benefits, with past winners reporting new business and better recruitment, as well as higher profile.

Applications open in May 2026 and close on 8th September 2026. The Awards are free to enter.

Jennifer Tolhurst, HM Lord-Lieutenant, encourages eligible enterprises to apply for these awards. She said:

“These awards signal excellence and recognise outstanding achievement. They are recognised throughout the world as a benchmark of quality.”

What happens if your organisation wins an award

If you get an award you’ll be:
– invited to a Royal reception
– presented with the award at your company by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Essex
– able to fly The King’s Awards flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials (for example, on your packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
– given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative trophy

The awards are valid for 5 years.

Winners report these benefits:
– New business
– Improved recruitment
– Increased profile
– An opportunity to celebrate success with employees
– Improved staff morale

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Eligibility

An organisation is eligible if it is:

– based in the UK, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
– files its Company Tax Returns with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
– is a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services and is under its own management.
– has at least two full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents.
– demonstrates strong corporate social responsibility.

The organisation can be business or non-profit.

Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria.

The Awards are open to commercial companies, not-for-profit enterprises and the public sector.

Enterprises can apply for more than one category. 

For details visit www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise

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Essex KAE winners of the last 5 years

Innovation

2026
Foxway Circular, Braintree
Optical Metrology Services, Stansted
Plextek Services, Great Chesterford
Reacton Fire Suppression, Witham
2025
Aconda, Witham
2024
Dura Composites, Clacton-on-Sea
2022
Drivershields UK Ltd, Leigh-on-Sea
2021
Ground Control Ltd, Billericay
BioSure (UK) Ltd, Nazeing

International Trade

Promoting Opportunity
Through Social Mobility

2026
Enterprise East Group, Saffron Walden
The Wiggett Group, Brentwood
2024
Ipeco Holdings, Southend on Sea

Sustainable Development

2026
CAMA AssetStore, Southend
Dura Composites, Clacton-on-Sea
KOcycle, Braintree
Oakland Central, Chigwell
2024
Climbing Trees Online Marketing, Earls Colne

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New award for young entrepreneurs

A new King’s Award for Enterprise aimed at young entrepreneurs is to be launched this year, the 60th anniversary of the Awards.

The Young Founder Award is designed to recognise the achievements of young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30 and help them grow their businesses through the additional credibility and profile that the Award provides.

The new Award will sit alongside existing Awards for International Trade, Innovation, Sustainability and Promoting Opportunity.

The Awards were launched as the Queen’s Awards in 1965, with the first winners announced in 1966. His Majesty The King, who has continued to support the scheme, is keen to recognise and promote outstanding businesses. 

The Young Founder category is designed to showcase entrepreneurship as an attractive and viable career path.

Businesses will be assessed for creative thinking, industry influence, leadership, resilience and customer value.

Applicants will have to demonstrate commercial success or growth potential with turnover of £250,000 or external funding of £500,000.

Applications for the new Award – and the other categories of King’s Award for Enterprise – open on 6th May 2026 and the winners will be named a year later. 

Webinar recording

If you would like to know more about the King’s Awards for Enterprise, you can watch a free webinar which was held on 16 April 2026.

Past applicants from Essex talked about what winning meant to them personally and for their businesses and provided plenty of tips to applicants; a representative of the central King’s Awards for Enterprise office spoke about how the Awards are organised; and Keith Attwood, DL, himself a past winner, described the help available to applicants.

You can watch the webinar on Essex Growth Agency’s YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/NqZR_EA-L1s

YouTube title page of webinar

Support from ARU

Additional assistance is available from Anglian Ruskin University. ARU has put together small teams of Masters students to work with businesses on their applications. There is no charge for this service.

If you would like to know more please contact Brendon Shaw at brendon.shaw@aru.ac.uk

In 2026, thirteen Essex businesses won The King’s Award for Enterprise

Find out more about them here >