TIME is running out to enter this year’s Winchester Business Excellence Awards.

Now in its twelfth year, all Winchester businesses, particularly newcomers, are encouraged to enter as many of the award categories as they wish.

The awards, which were founded by the Hampshire Chronicle, Winchester Business Improvement District (BID) and the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, aim to reward the best of the best of businesses across the district.

Sponsors of the Carbon Smart Award, Winchester City Council, will be looking for a winner who has demonstrated awareness of their environmental impact and has plans reduce it.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award, sponsored by the University of Winchester, will be presented to whoever has the ideas and passion needed to create flourishing businesses.

Entry to this category is open to all organisations with fewer than 200 employees and an operating address in the local authority district of Winchester.

New sponsor 1-1 Recruitment is backing the Small Business of the Year Award which will be presented to a concern with less than 15 full-time workers.

This year’s Service Excellence Award is sponsored by radio station The Breeze and, for the first time in the business awards’ history, is a nomination-only category.

This award will be made to an organisation focused on customer service and demonstrating improved business performance as a result.

The Business Collective sponsors the Corporate Social Responsibility Award.

Increasingly businesses want to ‘do good’ as well as ‘do business’; whilst the environmental impact of a business has taken centre stage in recent years, a business will also have a great deal of influence on its local economy and communities.

Taking part for the fifth year running, this year sees the Winchester Business Improvement District (BID) sponsor the Commitment to the City Award.

This award is open to any BID member that has delivered significant benefits to the city.

New sponsors Hotel du Vin are backing the Best Winchester Food Experience Award. The winner will be a restaurant, hotel, pub, café or food producer which uses and promotes mainly regional, artisan, or Hampshire produce.

The Business of the Year Award is sponsored by Denplan and will be presented to a dynamic company which has demonstrated all-round excellence.

Chartered accountants firm Wilkins Kennedy will sponsor the Large Business of the Year Award for firms of more than 15 full-time employees.

The deadline is this Friday and details of how to enter can be found online at hampshirechronicle.co.uk/wbea.