FIRMS have been urged to enter this year’s Telegraph & Argus Bradford Means Business Awards after its deadline was extended.

The seventh annual awards night will showcase the best that Bradford’s business world has to offer.

This year’s glitzy ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 6, at the Aagrah Midpoint Suite at Thornbury.

The deadline for entries to the ceremony’s 11 categories is now Friday, April 7.

MAKE YOUR NOMINATIONS HERE

The categories are: New Business of the Year; Retail, Leisure or Hospitality Business of the Year; Small or Medium Enterprise of the Year; Manufacturer of the Year; Job Creator of the Year; Woman in Business; Employer of the Year and Apprentice of the Year.

Other awards are for Business Personality of the Year and Business or Technical Innovation of the Year. The best of the best will also be crowned on the night with the Winner of Winners prize.

People are urged to fill in a nomination form online.

Each category has its own section on the website and each award has its own dedicated entry form.

Anyone who thinks they are eligible to enter more than one category, will have to fill in a form for each award.

After the nomination deadline has passed, the judging panel will meet up to assess all the entries. They will then draw up a shortlist of three candidates in each category.

Those will be announced nearer to the date of the awards ceremony, when shortlisted entrants will be contacted.

T&A editor Perry Austin-Clarke has called on Bradford businesses to be nominated and possibly shortlisted for the ceremony.

He said: “Every business needs to shout about its successes to its local community, if only to give its employees a boost in morale and wider recognition for all their hard work.

“And that’s exactly what the T&A Bradford Means Business Awards was set up to do. The awards are a showcase for businesses large and small, entrepreneurs both new and established, in every sector.

“It’s an opportunity to tell your story, shout about your achievements and, if you’re lucky, take away one of the top prizes.”

Businesses and businesspeople in the Bradford district have been urged to join the Craft Market in putting themselves forward.

The Darley Street-based market has submitted a nomination for the New Business of the Year category at this year’s awards.

The business, set up by husband-and-wife team Barrie and Catriona Naylor, was set up in January this year and features stalls selling items including photographs, recycled and upcycled furniture, personalised cushions and soft furnishings, rag dolls, keyrings, bags, tie-dye clothing, crystals and holistic therapy.

There are two categories for the public to nominate in - the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality and the Employer of the Year awards.

The T&A reserves the right to move entrants to different categories if it thinks they meet the criteria for other awards better than the one they have entered.

MAKE YOUR NOMINATIONS HERE