The FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2019 open today and small businesses and the self-employed in Wales are being urged to enter and celebrate their achievements. The Welsh winners will be announced at an award ceremony on 22nd March 2019 held at the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff.

The awards, run by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), will recognise and celebrate the best of Wales’ small businesses and the vast contribution they make to both regional and national economies and to local communities.

Eleven award category winners, from digital innovation to family business and from international business to employer of the year, will be then go forward to the UK final of the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards, held in London in May 2019. Here, as well as UK category winners, the FSB Small Business of the Year 2019 will be announced.

Ben Francis, FSB Wales Policy Chair, said:

“For a chance to be recognised as the best small business in Wales, as well as in the whole UK, I’d encourage all small businesses to enter the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards. SMEs are a vital part of Welsh society – contributing so much to the economy and making our country a more exciting place in which to live, work, study and visit. “SMEs contribute to our vibrant and dynamic high streets and town centres, and all of us know of a local business that we are proud to support. With smaller firms spending all year round supporting our local economies, it is now our turn to celebrate the small businesses who mean so much to our communities up and down Wales.”

The 11 FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards area categories are:

International Business of the Year

Ethical and Green Business of the Year

Business and Product Innovation Award

Digital Innovation of the Year

Micro Business of the Year

Start-up Business of the Year

Scale-up Business of the Year

Family Business of the Year

Young Entrepreneur of the Year (aged 30 and under)

Employer of the Year

Community Business of the Year (Wales only)

For further information and to enter the awards visit www.fsbawards.co.uk