Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key dates for 2023?
Entries open on 23 January and close on 3 March. The Finalists are announced on 30 March and we will host the Finalists Celebration on 20 April.
Judging takes place between 8 May and 26 May; each category has its own judging day when the six finalists in each category will be interviewed by their independent judging panel.
The decisions on the Winner and two Highly Commended are made at the end of each judging day and kept secret until the Awards Ceremony. The People’s Choice voting will open on 5 June and close on 23 June. The Awards Ceremony & Dinner will take place on Thursday 29 June at Kelham Hall near Newark in Nottinghamshire.
When do entries open?
Entries for the 2023 Awards opened on 23 January, following the Nottingham launch event on Thursday 19 January. We will be celebrating the start of our second decade, so we'd love as many of our family business friends, judges and supporters to join us at the event. join the mailing list to keep updated on all our Awards news and key dates - or to receive your invitations to events!
How much does it cost to enter?
Entries into the Family Business Awards are completely free - no registration fees, no admin fees, no entry fees.
Each family business can enter up to two categories for which they are eligible. Our finalists all have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Awards Ceremony & Dinner taking place at Kelham Hall near Newark on Thursday 29 June, to include a drinks reception, three course menu and table wine.
We are very fortunate that tickets have sold out every year, so these have never been placed on general sale. Everyone in attendance is involved with the Awards either as a sponsor, judge or finalist making for a great atmosphere.
How do you define a family business?
We define a family business as being influenced by a family or by a family relationship and that perceives itself to be a family business. For example, the family as a body may effectively control business operations because it owns more than 50% of the voting shares or because family members fill a significant number of the top management positions.
Since 2010 we've had finalists running family businesses that are in their 14th generation, through to husband and wife teams with newly established family businesses - and everything in between. We usually say ‘if you think you’re a family business, then you probably are!’ If you are not sure if your family business will qualify please get in touch.
What constitutes the Midlands?
For the purposes of the Midlands Family Business Awards, we define the Midlands as including Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, Birmingham, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Northamptonshire. We also accept entries from the informal region known as the South Midlands which includes areas of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
We review our counties list each year and if you have any doubt as to whether you fall within our region, just ask!
What's the judging process?
Our Awards are completely independent and each of our 10 categories has its own judging panel and its own judging day, in 2023 these will take place between 8 May and 26 May.
Each judging panel will be led by a leading family business person, supported by a sponsor representative, an industry expert or representative from a professional body, and a representative from the Awards team to facilitate the judging day.
The family business representative leads the panel and has the casting vote. A shortlist of six businesses will be decided for each award category and will be announced on 30 March. The six shortlisted businesses in each category will then go forward to their informal interview in May with our judging panel, who will no doubt want to find out more about the business and its road to success.
The interviews will help our judges to select the winner and two highly commended businesses in each category and the decision is made by the panel at the end of the judging day. at the end of each judging day.
The People's Choice category is decided purely by public vote and all our finalists are entered, voting is open during June. The results of all 11 categories are kept confidential and will be announced at the Awards Ceremony & Dinner on 29 June.
When will you announce the winners?
The winners and highly commended in each of our 10 judged categories, and the People's Choice Award decided purely by public vote, will be announced at the Awards Ceremony & Dinner on Thursday 29 June 2023 at Kelham Hall.
Will you protect the details I provide on my registration?
The Midlands Family Business Awards team is committed to protecting your privacy. We understand that the information you provide to us is your information, and we intend to keep it that way. We don't share data, sell data or mail you on behalf of others and we comply with the General Data Protection Regulations and Data Protection Act. We will use the details you provide to keep you up-to-date with Awards information, news and family business events, and will always provide you with a way to unsubscribe. If you have any queries in relation to your data please contact Ped.
Who organises the awards?
The Midlands Family Business Awards were created by The Wilson Organisation, a third generation family business founded in 1914, providing insurance and financial solutions to businesses across the Midlands and UK.
Wilsons is run by Charlotte Perkins, Group MD and Annabel Prow, CEO, who are the driving forces behind the Midlands Family Business Awards. Charlotte and Annabel are supported at Wilsons by their father John Prow (Chairman) and mother Olga.
Find out more at www.wilorg.com
Further information
For further information on the calendar of events for 2023, or any other aspect of the Midlands Family Business Awards, please contact Ped Briggs on 0115 9420 111 or email [email protected]