A LAST call has gone out for nominations to this year’s INSPIRE Business Awards.

The INSPIRE Awards 2017 will be taking place in November to showcase the best of North Hampshire businesses.

There is a huge array of categories in the awards including the Business of the Year Award and awards for small businesses, new businesses, family businesses, and international businesses.

However, the deadline to make an entry, free of charge, is at midnight on September 9.

Felicity Edwards, managing director at Destination Basingstoke, said: “The awards offer a great way for businesses to raise their profile this year and for future years.

“An award win not only gives your business valuable recognition which sets you apart from the competition, it can also motivate your employees and strengthen stakeholder and supplier relationships.

“Each year the quality of entries and calibre of businesses gaining recognition and reward for their inspirational achievements has gone from strength to strength.”

Other award categories include celebrate those who are there to learn while they are working at a business, in the Apprentice of the Year Award, which ties in with the idea of celebrating young people in business today with the Young Business Person of the Year award.

Businesses can be nominated for in the Employer of the Year Award and there is also the Innovation Excellence Award and the Service Excellence awards available to be put forward for.

The Gazette is this year sponsoring the Business and the Community Award, awarded to the business that makes an outstanding contribution to the local community.

To nominate a business, go to inspirebusinessawards.co.uk/local-business-awards.

The judging panel is made up of representatives of the group of sponsor organisations of the awards themselves and most of the judges work in businesses themselves, whether they are start-ups or multi-national corporations.

All those selected as finalists will receive two free tickets to attend the glittering awards dinner held at Hampshire Court Hotel in November.