Business Awards Tickets are now on sale
Shortlist announced 8th October
Welcome to this years BWS Awards 2021
Awards are vitally important for many reasons. As well as recognising and showcasing the amazing talents of women in business, they also recognise the contribution they make to the female business ecosystem in Scotland. These role-models inspire the next generation of female entrepreneurs and women in business.
Tickets are now on sale
Join us on 19th November for our fabulous Awards Ceremony Lunch, taking place this year at Oran Mor in Glasgow’s West End.
Glass of fizz on arrival followed by a two course lunch with tea, coffee and chocolate. Inspiring speakers finished off with some Friday afternoon entertainment.
Categories
This award celebrates Scotland’s highest performing companies and recognises those that have exceeded initial targets for growth and financial performance. It recognises the companies which have best demonstrated an understanding of their competitors, customers and markets they operate in, and have the foundations in place for continued commercial success.
This award recognises a woman who has made an outstanding impact on the business landscape in Scotland. The nominee should be someone who is both inspirational and a role model.
This award is for a female social media specialist who has demonstrated an in-depth understanding of both their industry and the importance of online communication.
The Collaboration Award recognises the importance of effective relationships and collaborations within and across disciplines to tackle difficult issues.
This award recognises a woman who has made an outstanding impact on the business landscape in Scotland, overcoming challenges and adversity to build a successful business or community enterprise and providing inspirations for others including the next generation of business women.
This award is for marking the achievements of women putting their own stamp on existing business approaches and practices and disrupting the status quo.
This award celebrates the entrepreneurial aptitude, vision, ambition, drive and commercial acumen to build a successful enterprise from start-up.
This category is open to any business which can demonstrate it has practices and principles promoting and supporting the protection and/or improvement of the environment embedded within the business, or is delivering a product or service to customers with sustainable principles at its core. Any organisation, irrespective of size or industry sector, can apply.
This award celebrates Scotland’s highest performing companies and recognises those that have truly established themselves as a force within the Scottish economy. It recognises the companies who have best demonstrated an understanding of their competitors, customers and markets they operate in.
This award is open to women leading the change in business by playing a crucial role in social inclusion and to recognise the difference their work is making.
This award is for a female technology manager/specialist who has demonstrated an in-depth understanding of both the industry and the importance of technology within it.
Start-up businesses, women in tech and social media are also along the categories at the awards, back for a seventh year, that mark the achievements of the growing number of women-led businesses and the entrepreneurial talents of women across Scotland. New categories in the 2021 awards to mark the changing economy and the way we do business include Collaboration Award, Sustainable Business Award and Women in Tech Award.
Hayley Wilkes, founder of WeeCOOK in Angus, was named overall winner at last year’s awards and also won the Resilient Woman of the Year category.
“I was chuffed to bits to win,” said the former chef at Gleneagles. “We navigated our way through the pandemic and, most important for me, kept our staff and apprentices in jobs throughout.”
Sponsored by Scotland Can-Do, Business Gateway, Digital Boost and Azure Global, the awards ceremony on 19 November will be online and fingers crossed also a live ceremony.
“We want to showcase some of the most enterprising and successful women from around Scotland: women who’ve had the courage to follow their dreams, whether that be starting their own business, making it to the top in their career, or using their expertise and knowledge to help other women be the best they can be,” said Lynne Kennedy MBE, founder of Business Women Scotland.
“We have always wanted to shine a light on the great work women are doing across Scotland while being role models for the next generation.”
BWS Virtual Awards 2020
Watch the last Virtual Award Ceremony hosted by Rachel McTavish from the comfort of your home.
2020 Winner, Hayley Wilkes from WeeCOOK
“Winning the award last year really helped the business in a number of ways. We got great press, the staff got recognition for their part too and that was important for me.
Winning the award also gave us much needed publicity going into the winter and pending 2nd lockdown. We figured no one else will blow our trumpets for us so it’s amazing to get the opportunity to spread and share the word and celebrate any successes we’ve had.
In the back of winning the BWS award we won a shop in the Wellgate Shopping centres ‘shop star’ competition… I would encourage business women to put themselves forward for any awards or recognition.”
Here’s what some of our previous winners have said…
