BIBAs 2023 finalists announced after gruelling judging process concludes

The applicants to successfully make it through the formal interviews that were staged over two days at Blackpool Football Club in May, and the ‘BIBAs On Tour’ interviews that took place every week day for the whole of June, can finally be officially revealed.

According to Babs Murphy, chief executive at the Chamber, these contestants have all ably demonstrated their prowess to the judges and firmly deserve to have made it to the finals of the competition: “There’s no doubt that every finalist that’s made it this far, through our gruelling judging process, really deserves their place in this list.

“They have not only told but shown our judges that they have what it takes to succeed, and have absolutely earned the right to shout about their progress in this year’s competition, which I encourage them all to do very loudly.

“Our judging process is intentionally no picnic. It is arguably the most robust and in depth of any business awards competition in Lancashire, and it’s what makes the BIBAs so highly respected. Any business, charity, community group or individual that’s reached the finals, and endured the scrutiny we expose them to, has done a great job that really ought to be celebrated.

“Of course” added Babs, “there can only be one winner in each category and these have now all been decided. We can’t wait to reveal them at the awards ceremony in Blackpool in September.”

Norman Tenray, chief executive of OBAS UK that’s sponsoring the Business of the Year award said judging had been exceptionally difficult this year: “The quality and calibre of applicants this year was incredible, you could barely separate them with a piece of paper, it’s been that close. They’ve all been really very remarkable and thoroughly deserve to have reached the finals.”

Dawn Cheetham MBE, director of CKS Catering Equipment Ltd, agreed: “We’ve met and interviewed some amazing people and businesses this year. They’re all doing great things to create and sustain jobs and contribute to the Lancashire economy, and it’s been particularly tough to select the winners because the pool of applicants was so outstanding.”

The finalists and their categories in the BIBAs 2023 are:

Business of the Year, sponsored by OBAS UK

Barnfield Construction

Bowland Inns & Hotels

Hoofcount

Leyland Trucks

M M Acquisitions

Senator Group

Standfast & Barracks

Tower Employment Services

Medium Business of the Year, sponsored by CATAX

Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)

Coolkit

Inspire Youth Zone

Mi3

Royal Sanders

Service Care Solutions

Standfast & Barracks

Tower Employment Services

Small Business of the Year, sponsored by CKS Catering Supplies

Aspire UK Interiors

Clifton Homecare

Hoofcount

QA Scheme Support Services

Scope Fire & Security

Serconnect

Spencer Clarke Group

Suresite Group

Micro Business of the Year

Arthurs Of Aughton

Catering Elite

Flamingo Associates

Four Seasons Glamping

NORI HR And Employment Law

Paisley Training and Consultancy

The Small Business Academy

Winckley 263

Start-up Business of the Year

Hercules Resin Tools

Ecoeyes UK

Four Seasons Glamping

HEIR Education

Hope's Therapy Dogs

HSE Advice UK

Sales Geek Blackburn

Voice It!

Service Business of the Year

Becketts FS

Clifton Homecare

HEIR Salon

ICG

NW Recruitment Services

Orca

Scope Fire & Security

Suresite

Manufacturing Business of the Year, sponsored by FW Capital

Coolkit

Hoofcount

Leyland Trucks

Melling Performance Springs .

Scentish

Senator

Standfast & Barracks

The Vita Group

Construction Business of the Year, sponsored by MHA Moore & Smalley

Barnfield Construction

Depher CIC

HPA Architects

Mahoney Contracts

Pinington

Serconnect

STORTEC Engineering

Wareing Buildings

Leisure and Tourism Business of the Year, sponsored by Smooth Radio

1842 & Ivory Tower

Bowland Inns & Hotels

Collection Hotels

Golf Sports Management trading as Southport-Golf Academy

Lytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team , (The Spitfire Visitor Centre)

Panache Cruises

The Lawrence Hotel

The Secret Garden Glamping

Digital and Marketing Business of the Year, sponsored by Studio RTR

Complete.

EXP (EXPERIENCE EXP )

GrowTraffic

ICG

Red-Fern Media

Standfast & Barracks

StudioLWD

VisionsLive

Professional Business of the Year

Adlington Law

Becketts FS

DT Information Governance

Eventus Recruitment Group

HPA Architects

James Scott Associates

Kasion Accounting Solutions

Paisley Training and Consultancy

Employer of the Year, sponsored by Business Health Matters

Buzz Education

Clifton Homecare

Melling Performance Springs

QA Scheme Support Services

Senator International

Service Care Solutions

Spencer Clarke Group

The Boathouse Youth

Scale Up Business of the Year, sponsored by Two-Zero Lancashire

Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)

LCM Environmental Services

Scope Fire & Security

Serconnect

Sovereign Beverage Company

Standfast & Barracks

STORTEC Engineering

TransformHub

Innovative Business of the Year, sponsored by InterSys Micronics

Adlington Welding Supplies (Adlington Group)

Airframe Designs

Hercules Resin Tools

IoT Horizon

Levity Crop Science

Melling Performance Springs

TransformHub

ULSOCO Un

Family Business of the Year, sponsored by Brabners

1842 & Ivory Tower

Becketts FS

Equestrian Surfaces

M M Acquisitions

Pinington

Scentish

SHH Interiors t/a Fab Home Interiors

Suresite Group

Apprentice Team of the Year, sponsored by BAE Systems

Clifton Homecare

Graham Engineering

HAPPA- Horses and Ponies Protection Association

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Leyland Trucks

Preston College

Service Care Solutions

WEC Group

Green Business of the Year, sponsored by Sustainable Energy First

Equestrian Surfaces

Hedgerow Luxury Glamping

IoT Horizon

Making Energy Greener

RKMS Group

Senator International

STORTEC Engineering

The Vita Group

Education Establishment of the Year

Blackburn College

Cardinal Newman College

Creativity Works Preston

Highfurlong School

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Myerscough College and University Centre

Preston College

Rosscon Training

Community/Third Sector Business of the Year, sponsored by Lancashire Evening Post

Depher CIC

HAPPA- Horses and Ponies Protection Association

Inspire Youth Zone

Lancashire BME Network

Rainbow Hub NW

Recycling Lives Charity

The Boathouse Youth

The JJeffect CIC

Global Business of the Year, sponsored by Team Leyland International

Hoofcount

Levity Crop Science

Melling Performance Springs .

Senator International

Sovereign Beverage Company

Standfast & Barracks

VetPlus

VisionsLive

With the judging complete, the Chamber’s attention switches to organising the awards ceremony itself, viewed by many as the ‘Oscars’ of the Lancashire business scene. This year, it takes place on Friday September 15 at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom and, according to the Chamber, tickets will sell out quickly now that the finalists have all been announced.