Compliance365 takes regional business accelerator crown

Energy-saving specialist Compliance365, from Wakefield, has been crowned as the regional winner of the Yorkshire Post-backed Local Business Accelerators competition.

Bosses at Compliance365 will be hoping to emulate the succes of last year’s regional winner, Ilkley Brewery, which carried off the national title.

The Newspaper Society’s LBA campaign, supported by 500 newspapers across Britain, seeks to find Britain’s most promising young companies. It aims to give a boost to young businesses and help invigorate local communities.

The two other finalists – Viamaster Training of Castleford, and online retailer Approved Food of Sheffield – earned high praise from the Yorkshire Post’s judging panel, which included senior business leaders who had acted as their mentors.

Viamaster Training, Approved Food and Compliance365 all won a series of mentoring sessions and free advertising in the Yorkshire Post after being shortlisted from 33 regional entries.

The mentors are Paul Ayre, managing partner of law firm Gordons, Roger Marsh, senior partner of accountancy firm PwC in Leeds, and John Hooper, executive director at Yorkshire Bank’s parent company National Australia Group Europe.

Last year, Ilkley Brewery was crowned the national winner of LBA and won mentoring from campaign ambassador Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and star of Dragons’ Den.

Deputy Business Editor Greg Wright, who chaired the judging session, said: “The judges agreed that all three finalists are winners in their sectors, and great Yorkshire businesses.

“Choosing the winner was an incredibly hard task because all three shortlisted companies were outstanding. We’re very grateful to Paul, Roger and John for helping the businesses as mentors, and contributing to the judging process.”