FAQs

Please read the following Terms and Conditions prior to submitting your nomination.

1. All entries should be made on the nomination form on the NFBP website.
2. All entrants should supply all information as requested on the nomination form.
3. All entrants must have business premises located within the administrative boundary of New Forest District Council or be paid members of New Forest Business Partnership.
4. Any media rights, e.g. press, television and radio, arising from this competition are reserved by the organisers.
5. Any questions relating to the interpretation of these rules, the nomination form and of the application of either shall be a matter within the sole opinion of the organisers who shall not be obliged to answer any questions or enter into correspondence whatsoever, in connection with the same.
6. Winning entries will be publicised. Nominees are responsible for making appropriate arrangements to protect any intellectual property or design rights associated with their nomination. Winners may be requested to participate in event publicity.
7. The panel of judges and their Chairman will be appointed by the organisers who reserve the right to remove from, or add to the panel, at any time.
8. The organisers hold the right to decline any nomination without explanation.
9. The organisers will not accept costs, however incurred, by the nominee.
10. Awards shall be made to the nominees who, in the opinion of the panel of judges, submit applications that best meet the judging criteria.
11. All nominations will be acknowledged on receipt.
12. Awards are as indicated in competition promotional materials. A cash alternative is not available.
13. If advised by the panel of judges, the organisers reserve the right not to make any or all the awards if, in their opinion, all the nominations are of insufficient merit.
14. Businesses may not enter the category of the awards for which they are judges or sponsors.
15. The organisers reserve the right to request supporting documentation for those nominees that are short-listed for an award.
16. Companies entering the Best New Business award must have been operational for a maximum of 2 years on 1 October 2023.
17. Individuals entering the Young Person in Business award must be no older than 30 years of age on 1 October 2023.
18. The closing date for receipt of completed entry forms is 12 noon on 1 October 2023.
19. Judging will take place during October. Up to three nominees will be short-listed in each category. Dates for the judging session are published on individual category entry pages; please ensure that you are available to attend in the event of being shortlisted.
20. The winners will be announced at the presentation ceremony on 30 November 2023. Further details will be notified to the short-listed nominees and published on the NFBP website.
21. Short-listed nominees will be required to attend the presentation ceremony.

By registering and completing a nomination for the awards you agree to these terms and conditions.

The event is open to everyone. Tickets can be purchased on the Events page of the NFBP website.

There are many award categories from investment in the workplace, innovation, entrepreneurship, to environmental policies, contribution to the visitor economy and the food and drink sector. Each year the award  categories are reviewed. For full details of this year's award categories and to apply, please click here.

There are different criteria that the judges are looking for businesses to fulfil in each award category. Please see each individual award description and their nomination form for full details.

Shortlisted businesses will be selected in each of the award categories. Those shortlisted will be invited to discuss their application in further detail with the judging panel in October. We will confirm your availability in the event that your business is shortlisted.

The panel of judges, chosen for their experience and expertise, assess all entries. Judges will be drawn from the Directors of the New Forest Business Partnership and category sponsors.

The awards begin with a launch evening at the beginning of September each year. At the launch, which is open to all New Forest businesses, the award categories and their sponsors are announced and the nominations are officially opened.

The awards evening takes place at the beginning of December, when the winners will be announced.

All finalists will receive mentions in social media leading up to the event, a social media toolkit to use in their own posts to advertise their achievement, a backlink to their website listed on the NFBP website and a finalist certificate to display at their premises.

Individual category winners will receive an award plaque commissioned by a local craftsperson. The overall winner of Business of the Year will also receive a special plaque to be retained for 12 months.

Yes please! For more information or to express an interest in being a sponsor, please click here.

All sponsors receive their name and logo on all event promotional material including:

• award specific emails before/after the launch and the awards event
• in the programme at the awards event and on the NFBP website, including a backlink to their business website
• mentions in social media on the lead up to the launch event and awards night

Sponsors promotional material can also be displayed at the launch and awards event

For awards sponsors, in addition to the above, the sponsor is featured on:

• a dedicated page on the NFBP website about the awards and their sponsors with a backlink to the sponsors website
• the award plaque for their category
• finalist certificates for their category

There is a professional photographer present at the launch and at the awards event where a photo will be taken of the winner of each category together with the Chairman of NFBP and the representative of each sponsor. NFBP uses this photo to accompany the press release announcing the award winners and on the NFBP website. NFBP will send this photo to each sponsor for use in their own business marketing and communications.