How does judging work

We have complied a list of frequently answered questions which outlines how the system works below.

How does the system work?
The Great British Business & Community Awards attract nominations from across Great Britain. We get nominees from Isle of Lewis right down to Cornwall and from a variety of industries, sectors and company sizes.

We promote the awards via our regional database of 186,000 businesses, our national business show’s and through our partners and sponsors.

The process of entering the awards is as follows:
1. Look at what categories’ best suits either yourself or the nominee you want to nominate
2. Complete the nomination form to the best of your ability and make sure you provide correct contact details for the nominee. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the details that are required as we will request and give an opportunity for the nominee to supply additional supporting information at a later stage.
3. Once the nomination form is completed, we will send the nominee a confirmation email advising that they have been nominated.
4. The nominee will then receive a digital badge/logo stating that they have been nominated in the relevant category for them to promote and advertise.
5. The nominated is then put forward for the shortlisting process.
6. If the nominee is shortlisted, we will contact them and advise accordingly. We also send them a shortlisted nominee badge/icon and details of the awards ceremony.
7. We announce all shortlisted nominees publicly on the website and via our press releases.
8. We will give all shortlisted nominees an opportunity to submit additional supporting information for final judging.
9. Judges meet for the final decision on winners. We would encourage all shortlisted nominees to attend the awards ceremony as the winners will be announced on the night.
10. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony and presented with certificates and award. All shortlisted nominees that attend the awards ceremony will also be presented with a certificate and have an opportunity for a photo.
How do I nominate someone?

The nomination process is simple, go onto the award category page of the website and look through to see what category or categories are most relevant and applicable to yourself or nominee.

Once you have chosen your category/categories, please click on nominate now button which will take you to our nomination form.

Once you are at the stage of completing the form, you can select multiple categories that you feel are appropriate for your nomination. Please be advised that if you do choose multiple categories, you must include relevant details for each category within the subject boxes provided.

Once you have completed all the nomination form, press submit nomination then your nominated is entered. We will send a confirmation email to the nominee advising that they have been entered into this year's awards.
How do I become a sponsor?
Becoming a sponsor is simple and very rewarding.

We have different sponsorship packages such as:
- Main Award Sponsorship which includes a judging position
- Category Sponsorship which includes 5 tickets and an opportunity to present the category award.
- Prize sponsorship, we have various auction and raffle prizes that we use on the night of the awards to raise money for the selected charities / non – profit groups.
If you are looking at category sponsorship, firstly, you need to look through the categories and see which one you would like to sponsor and then contact us to see if it is still available.

You can call us on 0843 289 4634 or email alec@greatbritishexpos.com

All the money raised from the awards is donated to charity / non-profit groups. Your sponsorship makes a huge difference and enables us to get back to the neediest in our society.
Can I nominate someone outside Great Britain?

You can nominate anyone that does business, charity or community work within Great Britain. For example, that nominee may have a business that operates within the area, but they live outside of the country. Or it is maybe an international national charity; however, they have a presence/operation within Great Britain.
For every nominee, you need to be able to demonstrate the impact they have or are making to the region. Any nominees that are not based in the Great Britain or are not associated with the country will be disqualified.

Our Judges and Hosts

Denise O’Leary MBE

Awards Hostess

Denise O’Leary MBE is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, marketing expert and international speaker, and we are delighted to welcome her as our Awards Hostess.

Denise has won numerous national and international awards, including World’s Favourite Marketing Agency, Best Business Woman in Marketing, Best Independent Consultant and #GoDo Entrepreneur of the Year. Her first book, WINNER – How to WIN Business Awards, was also named Best Business Book at the Stevie® International Business Awards.

Founder of Purpol Marketing, Denise has more than 25 years’ experience in bid writing and marketing strategy, achieving an impressive 95% win rate and helping secure over £3.6 billion in opportunities.

Her expertise has taken her to 10 Downing Street, the Cabinet Office and the House of Lords, and in 2022 Denise was awarded an MBE for services to business.

She has recently launched her second book, WINNER AI.
Alec Jones-Hall

Founder & Awards Host

Alec Jones-Hall is the Co-Founder of Great British Expos, the Great British Business & Community Awards and SME Today, and is proud to host this year’s awards.

Alec co-founded Great British Expos at just 26 years old with a passion for supporting and connecting the UK’s SME community. Over the past 12 years, its events have welcomed more than 75,000 visitors and 6,000 exhibitors, working alongside leading brands including Vodafone, Lloyds Bank, Lexus, EE and Barclays.

Alec is also Co-Founder of SME Today, a national business platform with more than 121,000 subscribers, and is a Director of Cherishers 811 CIC, which creates meaningful employment opportunities for survivors of abuse.

Passionate about championing entrepreneurship and regional business success, Alec co-founded the Great British Business & Community Awards to provide a national platform that celebrates the exceptional businesses, entrepreneurs and community champions making a difference across the UK.
Nyasha Gwatidzo

Judge

Nyasha is an inspirational social entrepreneur and globally respected pioneer in social enterprise, with a passion for creating positive change.

After being made redundant, Nyasha seized the opportunity to launch her own business. Despite facing significant barriers, she remained focused on her purpose – to make a difference in children’s lives.

Through determination, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, Nyasha disrupted her industry and built one of the UK’s largest agencies, generating over £180 million in revenue and positively impacting more than 12,000 children’s lives.

Today, Nyasha is involved in over seven social enterprises across three continents and is working to raise a £1 billion global fund to support female entrepreneurs.

As a respected international entrepreneur and advocate for social impact, Nyasha brings invaluable experience, insight and perspective to our judging panel as she helps identify and celebrate the outstanding individuals and organisations recognised in this year’s awards.
Paul Day

Judge

Paul Day brings over 27 years of business and corporate experience to our judging panel, with an inspiring career built on determination, ambition and hard work.

Paul began his journey at Filestream Ltd as a van driver and, through dedication and progression, worked his way through the business to become Managing Director. During his career, he has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands and recognisable household names.

A Certified EU GDPR Practitioner, Paul has extensive expertise in cyber security, document management and GDPR, alongside a passion for delivering outstanding customer service.

Beyond business, Paul is a committed charity fundraiser, having completed the London Marathon numerous times to raise money for good causes. He also gives his time volunteering to support his local community in Berkshire.

Paul brings commercial expertise, determination and a strong community spirit to this year’s judging panel.
Mary Ryan

Judge

Mary Ryan is a globally respected business leader and innovator, recognised for her exceptional contribution to the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mary played a leading role in the UK Government’s Ventilator Challenge, helping Penlon deliver nearly 12,000 life-saving ventilators to the NHS in record time. Working with the UK Government, Prime Minister and Government Ministers, Mary helped align multinational manufacturing processes and transformed a paper-based quality system into a digital process in just 10 days, helping achieve MHRA approval in only three weeks.

Throughout her career, Mary has worked with some of the world’s most recognised engineering and manufacturing brands, including Rolls-Royce, Dyson, McLaren and Ford.

Renowned for her innovation, leadership and ability to deliver under extraordinary pressure, Mary brings extensive experience and insight to our judging panel, helping recognise the outstanding innovation, resilience, leadership and impact demonstrated by this year’s nominees.
Andrew Horkan

Judge

Andrew Horkan is the award-winning CEO of Cyber Tzar, a rapidly growing UK cyber security scale-up specialising in supply chain risk management.

Under Andrew’s leadership, Cyber Tzar has become a recognised innovator, helping organisations understand, monitor and reduce their external cyber exposure across complex supply chains.

In 2022, Cyber Tzar completed the prestigious National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Startups Programme, aligning its risk methodology with government-associated frameworks and recognised cyber security standards.

Today, Cyber Tzar’s technology continuously monitors thousands of digital assets, helping businesses identify vulnerabilities and better understand the cyber risks within their supply chains. The company has also developed one of the UK’s largest datasets of organisational cyber risk intelligence.

With extensive experience in entrepreneurship, technology, cyber security, innovation and business growth, Andrew brings valuable commercial and technical expertise to our judging panel, helping recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of this year’s nominees.
Jackie Chappell

Judge

Jackie Chappell is a pioneering business leader who made history as the first female CEO of British Rail, breaking barriers and championing women in leadership.

Throughout her distinguished career, Jackie has worked alongside UK Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and trade union leaders, giving her a unique perspective on leadership, business and British industry. After reaching the top of the corporate world, Jackie successfully moved into entrepreneurship, building a thriving business of her own.

A passionate advocate for gender equality, equal pay and female representation at board level, Jackie continues to inspire and champion women in business.

Her commitment to making a difference also extends into the charity and community sector, where she is an ambassador for national charity Sue Ryder.

With her exceptional corporate, entrepreneurial and charitable experience, Jackie brings a powerful perspective to our judging panel and the recognition of this year’s outstanding nominees.
Christina Briggs

Judge

Christina Briggs is CEO of New World Insight and a respected business strategist with over 20 years’ experience working with global brands and SMEs across the UK and internationally.

Previously Director of External Affairs at Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, Christina campaigned on major initiatives including Crossrail, Heathrow expansion and investment in digital infrastructure.

Throughout her career, Christina has founded several influential business initiatives, including the Windsor Debates, Business Alliance and International Energy Forum, bringing together leaders to exchange knowledge, ideas and opportunities.

Her extensive expertise spans artificial intelligence, technology, inward investment, global expansion, talent development, digital marketing and knowledge transfer, across a wide range of industries and markets.

With an impressive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing businesses today, Christina brings a wealth of strategic insight, international experience and commercial expertise to our judging panel, helping recognise and celebrate this year’s outstanding nominees.
Tina Fincham

Judge

Tina Fincham brings over 30 years of experience supporting SMEs, entrepreneurs and business owners across the UK, with an extensive career spanning banking, finance and professional services.

Throughout her career, Tina has been a passionate advocate for businesses, providing guidance, counselling and support to entrepreneurs as they navigate the challenges of building and growing successful companies.

Having worked with leading organisations including NatWest Bank and Direct Line, and now Aspen Waite, Tina has developed a wealth of financial, commercial and business expertise. Her experience gives her a genuine understanding of both the struggles and triumphs entrepreneurs experience throughout their business journeys.

Tina is also a committed philanthropist, dedicating her time and experience to supporting others and giving back.

With her combination of commercial expertise, empathy and passion for SMEs, Tina brings valuable insight and perspective to this year’s judging panel.

Interested?