Businesses across Lancashire have been urged to put themselves forward for one of the county’s leading award.

Businesses across Lancashire have been urged to put themselves forward for one of the county’s leading award.

Jamie Grimshaw, Investment Executive at FW Capital, said entering the Be Inspired Business Awards, The BIBAs, offered firms from across the county an opportunity to assess their businesses after a challenging 12 months.

The awards has 19 prizes open for applications with categories for businesses of all sectors and sizes with the deadline for applications closing on Friday, April 30.

FW Capital, which is sponsoring the awards’ Medium Business of the Year category, manages six funds which offer finance to businesses across the North of England.

Mr Grimshaw said: “In the past 12 months, businesses have been working flat out to keep themselves going and growing and keeping their people in employment.

“But, as we look at starting to reignite the economy as we prepare to ease lockdown restrictions, there is an opportunity for businesses to take a step back and review where they are.

“The application process for The BIBAs provides an opportunity to take that step back and look at where you are going and the test it with experienced members of the business community on the judging panel.”

FW Capital specialises in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises and manages funds including the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) Debt Finance – North West and Tees Valley & Cumbria.

The Medium Business of the Year category was won by East Lancashire firm Tharstern in 2019 when The BIBAs last took place.

The awards will host all its interviews with applicants on Zoom videoconferencing to ensure the safety of all applicants and judges.

Each applicant will be given a one-hour interview to get across the unique points of their businesses to our judges.

In previous years, The BIBAs has sent its judges ‘on tour’ to visit the premises of its finalists, however, the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic have meant this additional judging has been cancelled for the 2021 competition.

For further details and to apply, visit www.thebibas.co.uk.