Lancashire business awards judges start interviews

Judging on the first round of interviews for the awards, known as the BIBAs, got underway yesterday when the panels for Exporter of the year and Manufacturer of the year met with representatives of 12 businesses bidding for the prizes.

Today, the panels for Micro Business of the Year and Creative Business of the Year prizes meet shortlisted firms.

Creative Business of the Year panel chairman Mark Oulson Jenkins, of digital experts RTR digital which sponsors the award, said the quality of the applicants had been first class.

He said: “Having been involved in the BIBAs for a number of years, I know you can always guarantee a stellar line-up of applicants.

“Having met the 12 businesses in the running for E-Business of the Year, I know 2015 will be no exception. Businesses are really put under scrutiny when they attend an interview because we, as a judging panel, recognise we have a duty to our former winners to keep the standards as high as they can be.”

Babs Murphy, chief executive of awards organisers, the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said the judging panels would continue to meet until next Thursday when the Business of the Year panel meets.

The chamber’s offices in Blackpool are hosting the first round of judging, with those firms going forward to the second round being informed by Tuesday, June 2.

The chief executive added: “We are only into the first round of judging and yet we can already tell the quality of winners for this year’s BIBAs will be as high as ever.

“I wish the very best of luck to all those going before our judging panels this week and next.”