Region’s enterprise leads to Goldman’s awards support

The global investment bank Goldman Sachs is backing the Yorkshire Post’s Excellence in Business Awards because it believes our county has some of the top entrepreneurs in Britain.

Goldman Sachs is sponsoring the Young Business of the Year category, which is for firms up to three years old, who have managed to grow in the face of adversity.

Michelle Pinggera, chief of staff for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Goldman Sachs, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards for a second year running. These awards reflect the entrepreneurial spirit and energy we see in the region.

“Supporting entrepreneurs is key to the future growth of the UK economy and small businesses and social enterprises are the very engine of that growth.”

In 2010, Goldman Sachs announced that it was funding a business education programme in Yorkshire to help small businesses grow during the worst financial crisis in generations.

It is part of a broader programme by Goldman Sachs to provide support for 10,000 small businesses.

Ms Pingerra added: “Working with Leeds University Business School, a top class business school in the region, our 10,000 Small Businesses programme in the UK provides a structured programme of support to small businesses and social enterprises that are seeking to grow and create new jobs.”

Ms Pingerra said that more than 100 small business owners and social enterprise leaders have either already graduated or are enrolled on the programme in Leeds, and the fourth ‘cohort’ is running in the region.

She added: “The programme, which runs in Yorkshire, the North West, the Midlands and London, has 260 participants nationwide to date.”

The seventh annual Excellence in Business Awards highlight the world-class companies and individuals who are playing a vital role in delivering prosperity and growth to Yorkshire through ingenuity, inspiration and hard work.

The Yorkshire Post is inviting entries from all businesses with a great story to tell, so long as they are based in Yorkshire or have significant operations in the region.

The winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony in Leeds in November with a heavyweight political speaker.

The deadline for entries is July 2.

The other main categories are: Companies with a turnover under £10m, sponsored by Yorkshire Bank; Companies with a turnover between £10m and £50m, sponsored by PwC; and Companies with a turnover of more than £50m, sponsored by DLA Piper.

The title of Outstanding Employer of the Year, sponsored by the Bradford University School of Management, always attracts high quality entries. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year category, for all promising owner-managers and directors aged 35 and under, is sponsored by O2, the telecommunications giant.

The SME Manufacturer of the Year category, for manufacturing companies with a turnover of under £10m, is sponsored by KeyedIn, the cloud-based software solutions firm.

Drax is sponsoring the Innovation of the Year category, which is open to companies that demonstrate innovation in their approach to future growth and development.

Language services provider thebigwordGroup is sponsoring the Exporter of the Year category, which is open to all businesses, big or small, that have made significant progress in overseas markets.

This year, we welcome QBE Insurance, which is sponsoring the Business Community Award for the best examples of businesses working in the community to improve education and skills development.

For more details visit the business section of the Yorkshire Post website: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk