10 reasons to enter the Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024

The 2024 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards is accepting nominations NOW! 

The annual awards – one of the most exciting on the regional business calendar – recognise the brightest, most creative businesses in our region.

An event in March will celebrate the implementation of the best ideas driving Leicester and Leicestershire’s productivity, innovation, R&D and technical delivery.

The awards are open to any individuals and businesses in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

There are 10 categories for you to enter - and the awards will be promoted during the sixth Leicestershire Innovation Festival (LIF24)l in February.

Businesses including Horiba MIRA, Freeths, Novartis, and Exemplas have generously sponsored LIF24.

Loughborough University, University of Leicester, and De Montfort University are also festival sponsors - as well as being awards partners too.

Interested? Here are 10 reasons why you should enter the awards. You can nominate now!

1. Exposure for your idea

A place on the shortlist or a win in any of the categories will offer up a place on the local business stage. Get your business out there by attending the awards, sharing on socials and be part of the media coverage if you win. Previous winners have been scouted for Dragons’s Den and more.

2. Boosting your profile

Being involved in the awards is a great way to raise your company’s profile. Those who have been successful in previous years have reported a boost to business thanks to the awards. They’ve also gone on to national prizes and investment.

3. Building your networks

The awards event itself - as well as others hosted as part of the Leicestershire Innovation Festival - are great places to meet others and expand your networks. There’s a reason why the festival and awards had record attendances last year - visitors gain the perfect opportunity to discuss innovation and exchange ideas with other local businesses.

4. Attracting new talent

Previous winners have not only reported a boost in business, but also say success on the Innovation stage has helped with recruitment. A spot on the shortlist or a win is a great way to demonstrate you are a progressive and forward-thinking employer.

5. Celebrating your success

There are amazing things happening on the local business scene - we need to shout about our local pioneers. By celebrating your success with an award nomination you could encourage others to share their stories and ideas. Many of our previous winners also brought their team along to share in the moment. 

6. Encouraging local innovation

If innovation has helped you and your business, there’s every chance it might help others too. By sharing your success others may be inspired to implement changes or try something new. We’ve seen numerous collaborations formed as a result of people coming together through the festival and the awards.

7. Promoting Leicestershire

Celebrating what you do also reflects positively on our area. It encourages people to visit to see what’s happening (such as the CEO of Innovate UK, who gave the keynote at the 2023 awards). Recognising the very best in technology services, digital advances, and innovation that Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have to offer is helping our region make its mark.

8. Joining the list of winners

Now in its sixth year, the list of previous awards winners is ever growing and impressive. Highly successful businesses including  ACT Medical, Micro-Fresh, Nemaura Medical, Willsow, EarthSense, and Chathealth have all previously been successful. This is your chance to join them!

9. Meeting inspirational leaders

As well as other nominees, the awards ceremony recognises one leading individual for the Lifetime Achievement Prize. Judges have previously selected people doing ground-breaking and highly successful work - and the awards is your chance to meet them too. Previous lifetime achievement award winners include Professor Sir Alec Jeffries, Professor Kamlesh Khunti and Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL.

10. You might win!

As the old saying goes, you have to be in it to win it. Every year our judges are wowed by the entries we receive - make your innovative idea one of them for 2024!