The recipients of the first King’s Awards for Enterprise – the UK’s most prestigious business awards – were revealed last week.

148 organisations, representing the best of British business, were selected for awards across four categories, denoting outstanding achievement in:  

• Innovation (47)
• International trade (78)
• Sustainable development (15)
• Promoting opportunity (through social mobility) (9)

Minister for Enterprise Kevin Hollinrake said: “I congratulate the first ever recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise, who exemplify the talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of British business. I wish them every success and commend the invaluable contributions they make to communities both at home and overseas, helping to grow the UK economy.”

Meet the Hertfordshire winners:

INNOVATION

• Linea Research Limited - Letchworth Garden City
  

  Ben Ver, Engineering Director and co-founder of Linea Research, said: "We are thrilled to receive this recognition from the King’s Award for Innovation. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and to the innovative spirit that drives our company forward. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of audio technology and delivering the best possible solutions for our customers. This award is a great honour and a motivator for us to continue innovating and improving.”

  Linea Research Limited is based in Hertfordshire and was founded in 2003. The company designs and produces world-class professional audio equipment. Its innovation is the STAMP amplifier system. The company identified an opportunity to develop a new generation of professional highpower amplifiers with a range of novel features to address market demands.
  

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

• Lintbells Ltd - Hitchin
  Fiona Hope, Lintbells CEO, said: “The whole team at Lintbells is delighted that our international growth has been recognised by such a prestigious award.  We’re proud of the difference our scientific supplements make to the quality of life of companion animals and have worked hard to extend our global reach.   To receive the first Enterprise Award from His Majesty King Charles III makes this a very special moment in Lintbells’ history.” 
  
  Lintbells Ltd started trading in 2006. Its YuMOVE products include the number 1 joint supplement for dogs and cats. It also produces iMOVE for humans. Its top five markets are the USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany and Romania, but also exports to number of other countries in Europe and the Far East. It is a previous winner of the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2018 and Innovation in 2016.

PROMOTING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL MOBILITY

• Willmott Dixon - Letchworth Garden City
  

  Sarah Fraser, Head of the Willmott Dixon Foundation, said: "This honour shows how much Willmott Dixon’s people care about making a difference in communities. I am immensely proud of the work we have done as a company to deliver positive outcomes for people. From the skills development work of our drylining academies in prisons to our people volunteering to give careers advice in schools, winning a King’s Award for Enterprise is ultimate recognition of our stated goal to be a company with a purpose beyond profit.”

  Willmott Dixon is a privately owned company based in Hertfordshire with 7 offices across England and Wales. It specialises in large publicly funded construction projects.  The application seeks recognition of its Building Communities project with the aim of 'supporting the people and businesses in our communities to thrive.' In 2021 the initiative involved 42,838 people in total, 1,712 of whom were known to be from disadvantaged groups as defined by The King’s Awards. 102 jobs and 587 apprenticeships resulted.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• John Pulsford Associates Ltd - St Albans
  

  Richard Cooksey, COO at JPA Workspaces, said: “We are thrilled to receive The King’s Award 2023 for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category – this has been a true team effort, and it has given us all a massive boost to receive this special recognition. Our fantastic team, including our Head of Sustainability, Fiona Edwards, have worked with clients for many years to embed sustainability into everything we do. We are focused on the UN Sustainability Goal of responsible production and consumption, to drive our vision and the way we work with clients."

  John Pulsford Associates Ltd (JPA) was founded in 1974 as an independent family business based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and currently has 36 staff. JPA designs and provides commercial furniture to the office, education and healthcare sectors. They provide both products and services for successful design, delivery and decommissioning of innovative workspaces to enable teams and businesses to thrive. All JPA's activity is underpinned by net zero and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, embedding sustainable development within the whole business model.

Previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the Awards programme is now in its 57th year and has awarded over 7,000 companies since its inception in 1965. Recipients are permitted to fly The King’s Awards flag at their main office and use the emblem on their marketing materials. Recipients are also given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy. The awards are valid for 5 years.

Applications for The King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024 open on Coronation Day, 6th May 2023.