Two more big names sign up to awards showcase

Yorkshire Building Society has come on board to back the Apprenticeship category while Provident Financial will back the Leadership award at this year’s glittering event, set to be held at Leeds’s New Dock Hall on November 2.

The two firms join a massive roster of commercial backers for the event, the biggest in Yorkshire’s corporate calendar.

Alongside Provident Financial and Yorkshire Building Society are main sponsors global law firm DLA Piper and accountancy giant Grant Thornton, as well as associate backers Leeds Beckett University, First Direct, Doncaster Sheffield Airport, Cascade HR and CityFibre.

Peter Crook, chief executive of the Provident Financial Group said: “We are delighted to support the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards as it celebrates another year of business achievements in the region.

“Provident Financial has based its headquarters in Bradford for over 130 years and Yorkshire continues to be an excellent region to do business in with access to a first-class, multi-cultural workforce, excellent transport links and a strong pipeline of aspiring young entrepreneurs choosing the region to set up new business ventures.

“We look forward to celebrating the outstanding work highlighted at the awards and congratulate all of the nominees for their achievements.”

Mike Regnier, Yorkshire Building Society Chief Executive, said: “We launched our own apprenticeship scheme about a year ago so we know first-hand what a positive impact it can make on businesses, communities and local economies, not to mention the apprentices themselves.

“We are delighted to be sponsoring this category of the Yorkshire Post Business Awards. It will be fascinating to hear about best practice within the region and raise the profile for such valuable programmes.”

The full list of categories for this year’s event runs as follows:

• Companies with a turnover over £50m. Sponsored by DLA Piper.

• Companies with a turnover between £10m and £50m. Sponsored by Grant Thornton.

• Companies with a turnover up to £10m.

• Apprenticeship. Sponsored by Yorkshire Building Society.

• Leadership. Sponsored by Provident Financial.

• Commercial space. Sponsored by Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

• Entrepreneur. Sponsored by Leeds Beckett.

• Young Business. Sponsored by First Direct.

• Outstanding Employer. Sponsored by Cascade HR.

• Exporter.

• Technology. Sponsored by CityFibre.

• Turnaround.

• Diversity

Entries for this year’s award ceremony are now closed with more than 220 companies across Yorkshire having entered, among the highest in the event’s history.

James Mitchinson, editor of The Yorkshire Post, said: “I am delighted to say that this year’s Excellence in Business Awards is on track to be the biggest in its history which is testament to the level of commitment and talent which proudly drives the Yorkshire economy.

“After consulting with sponsors and business leaders from around the county, last year we took the decision to move The Yorkshire Post’s annual business showpiece to a bigger, better venue to enable the it to grow, making more noise for the region.

“It was, in part, a statement of intent designed to reward the businesses of Yorkshire with a platform that will attract increasing attention from other regions of the UK and Europe, but foremost it was about attracting more corporations - large and small - to enable better high-quality connections to be made both at the black tie dinner and at the newly-installed extra ‘touch points’ along the way.

“We continue to listen to the people to whom this annual event belongs - the businesses of Yorkshire and our loyal sponsors - in order to realise our ambitions: to host the biggest turnout of any business dinner in the country, full stop.”

“I look forward to meeting as many people as possible who enter this year, and invite those who care about a successful Yorkshire to get involved.”