Queen's Award winners announced

Social enterprises and entrepreneurs are among this year's big winners in the 43rd Queen's Awards for Enterprise. The Queen today announced 139 business awards - the second-highest total for ten years - including 85 for outstanding achievements in international trade, 42 for innovation and 12 for sustainable development.   

In addition, 11 outstanding individuals receive The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP) for their inspiring efforts to encourage UK entrepreneurship.

Among the winners with a social aim is a clothing recycling company and an organisation that provides financial services for fair trade producers.

Individual winners include multi-millionaire Paul Barry-Walsh of the Fredericks Foundation and Michael Leithrow of the Northern Pinetree Trust.

They were joined in their celebration by such businesses as include BT, Land Rover, JCB, Betfair and Wessex Water.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said of the winners' achievements: ‘Queen's Award winning companies are standard-bearers for the very best of British business.

‘These firms embody the spirit of enterprise and innovation that is so vital to the future of Britain's economy.'

Winners and recipients will join HRH The Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard, at a celebratory event in London tomorrow (Tuesday).

The deadline for the 2009 Queen's Awards is 31 October 2008. Application and nomination forms are now available at www.queensawards.org.uk

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