Newham Business Awards 2025 Categories
DIGITAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
This category is for businesses which have harnessed digital technology in their business, and helped to raise the company profile, profitability or efficiency.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- How digital technology has helped your business to raise its profile
- How the use of digital platforms, including website and social media, have helped your business improve profit or efficiency
- Examples of customer friendly digital products or services
- Plan for use of digital technology for the next 12 months
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
This category is only open to either a business owner or employee who has demonstrated leadership and motivational ability in running and developing their business. You must be nominated by someone else for this category. You cannot nominate yourself.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Be working for, or own a successful business or not for profit organization in the borough
- Demonstrate vision, ability to motivate, determination, innovation & creativity
- Must demonstrate (with examples) how their role has been central to the growth/success of the business, including overcoming any obstacles
- Have a good business track record
- Be well respected by customers and staff of the business
COMMUNITY IMPACT / CSR
The Community Impact / CSR award is aimed at commercial businesses which demonstrate how they integrate the success and smooth running of their business with a strong sense of responsibility and consideration for their role as a corporate citizen.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- To be able to demonstrate where applicable their commitment and involvement in the key areas of Community Impact / CSR
- Examples of good Community Impact / CSR practices
- Quantifiable benefits of your Community Impact / CSR program
SOLE/MICRO TRADER OF THE YEAR
This category is open to a small business with 5 employees or less. You could be working from home, hot-desking, running an online business, a sole trader, market trader, or running a small shop. The main criterion is that your business is thriving.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Creativity and innovation on limited resources
- Evidence of achievement and sustainability
- Clear vision for the future
Creative & CulturAl Organisation of the Year
This award celebrates the exemplar work of an organisation that enhances Newham’s rapidly evolving artistic, cultural and creative communities. This Award is open to freelance individuals and larger organisations alike based in or actively working in the London Borough of Newham.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- can consistently demonstrate outstanding design, production, development and growth potential of their work in this important sector.
- has a clearly defined business plan it has put into action.
- has a track record of delivering activity for the benefit of the people that live in or visits Newham, or that benefits the local economy.
- if they are a freelancer or micro business, are generating a realistic income from their work or project.
- can demonstrate their work is inclusive, educational and falls into one or more of these workstreams.
- fashion
- creative design & manufacture
- visual art (inc digital)
- photography, film or broadcast media
- music, theatre, dance performance
- architecture
CUSTOMER SERVICE
This category recognises the business that pays attention to the needs of customers and strives for excellence in customer satisfaction and service.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Demonstrates a clear example of excellent customer service
- Has identified its customer needs
- Engages, trains and manages staff to meet customer expectations at all times
- Has ongoing strategies to identify initiatives that benefit customers, suppliers and staff
- Demonstrates commitment to customer service
STAFF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
This category is aimed at companies which have excellent training, education and/or development practices.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Identification of the workforce needs of your business
- Demonstration of company commitment to training, development and/or education of its workforce
- What types of training and development do you provide?
- How will future training and development priorities for the business benefit the business?
BEST INNOVATION IN BUSINESS
This category is for businesses which have been innovative in their business, and helped to raise the company profile, profitability or efficiency.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- How innovation has helped your business to raise its profile
- How the uses of innovative products or services have helped your business improve profit or efficiency
- Examples of innovative products or services
- Plan for use of innovation for the next 12 months
BUSINESS GROWTH
This category is open to businesses which are able to demonstrate business growth within the market place over the last 18 months.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Growth achieved against business plan
- Provision of figures demonstrating growth of your business in sales, staff, profits, etc.
- Plans for future growth targets over the coming 12 months
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
This category is open to a young business owner or employee (under the age of 30) who has demonstrated vision and creativity. You will need to demonstrate that your contribution to the business has had a direct impact on its success.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Your vision for the business
- How you have achieved your objectives, and overcome obstacles
- Your plan for the coming year
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
This category is open to businesses, voluntary and community organisations that have made a contribution to the local community over the last 12 months. Entrants will be measured on their social impact – not on their financial support to organizations.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- How you helped your local community
- How have your efforts made a difference?
- Can you demonstrate a track record of delivery?
GREEN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
This category is for businesses which have used environment-friendly management practices to improve working conditions, and/or relationships with customers, suppliers and/or that their green products or services have had a positive impact on their business.
▶ What the judges are looking for:
- Examples of best green practices
- Business benefits of your green products, services or actions
- Examples of how green products or services are designed produced or marketed
THE JOHN JAMES BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by: Newham Chamber of Commerce
This category will be awarded by the judging panel and is only open to the winners of each of the other categories. Each winner will be automatically considered. You cannot nominate yourself.
£1,000 prize is to be awarded to the overall winner of the John James Business of the Year!
Newham Business Awards 2025 proudly sponsored by:
Sponsorship Opportunities
You can still get involved as an award or media sponsor, so please get in touch and contact Matt Fawcett, via email at: chairman@newhamchamber.com
“Our Awards were a huge success. Many thanks go to the award sponsors, the awards organising team and the many people behind-the-scene who have made it possible for us to organise the ninth Business of the Year event in Newham – an opportunity to celebrate businesses in the borough.”
– Chair of Newham Chamber of Commerce, Matt Fawcett