Nominations are now open for the Barclays’ annual High-Growth & Entrepreneur Awards – celebrating entrepreneurs’ success, leadership and positive impact on society. This year, the awards will be open to non-Barclays’ customers for the first time, with four out of the nine awards accessible to businesses across the UK.

Entrepreneurs will also have the chance to apply for the new International Expansion Award, which recognises businesses that have been able to establish a trading footprint and growth in international markets over the last three years.

Richard Heggie, Head of High Growth & Entrepreneurs Proposition at Barclays said: “We’re excited to announce that applications are now open for our High-Growth & Entrepreneur Awards 2018. Now in its third year, it has proved a valuable and influential business competition for entrepreneurs and scale up businesses across the country. Entrepreneurs play a critical role in adding value to the economy with innovative services and products, and they employ thousands of people in Britain.”

Categories and how to enter

Nominations can be submitted online at barclays.co.uk/EntrepreneurAwards ahead of the deadline on Friday, 18 May 2018. Applicants can consider categories that range from the Start-up Entrepreneur Award which is for a founder of a business with propensity for scale – to The Social Entrepreneur Award for those who are positively driving social and environmental change with their business.

Once nominations close, Barclays will be shortlisting regional winners with the help of their panel of judges, made up of leading individuals from the entrepreneurial eco-system. Regional winners will be selected in July, and national award winners in September. The national award ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, 10 October 2018.