Tell your businesses story to help bag a BIBA!

What’s your story?

With applications for the Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBAs) now open, businesses across Lancashire are seizing the opportunity to be recognised among the best in the county.

From innovative start-ups to long-established industry leaders, the BIBAs celebrate the outstanding talent, resilience, and success of Lancashire’s business community.

And you’ll never have a better chance to bag a BIBA than telling your businesses story.

Each year, the competition grows fiercer, and to stand out, businesses need to do more than just list their achievements – they need to tell a compelling story.

The BIBAs judges are looking for applications that go beyond numbers and statistics; they want to see the journey behind the business, the challenges overcome, and the impact made.

The key to making it through to the next stage of the BIBAs is crafting a narrative that showcases what makes your business exceptional. Judges want to see passion, determination, and clear examples of success. A strong application should:

  • Clearly outline the business’s journey and key milestones.
  • Provide tangible evidence of growth, innovation, and leadership.
  • Highlight contributions to the Lancashire economy and wider community.
  • Demonstrate how the business has adapted to challenges and embraced opportunities.

Each category in the BIBAs is designed to celebrate different aspects of business excellence. Whether you are a small enterprise, a family-run firm, or a major corporation, there is a category for you.

Among the many stories told last year were Marsden Building Society who walked away with Medium Business of the Year.

Danny Houghton, partner at MHA, who are once again sponsoring Medium Business of the Year, said: “Winning Medium Business of the Year at the BIBAs is a tremendous achievement that showcases the hard work, innovation, and resilience of businesses in Lancashire. This award not only recognises excellence but also opens doors to new opportunities, raising the profile of the winners and inspiring others to strive for success.

“At MHA, we are proud to support businesses on their growth journey, and the BIBAs is a fantastic platform to celebrate the best of the region.”

With categories covering all industries and business sizes, every organisation has a chance to shine. The BIBAs is more than just an awards ceremony; it’s a platform for businesses to gain regional and national recognition, network with industry leaders, and propel themselves to new heights.

Lancashire County Council are once again headline sponsor for the awards with other county businesses including MHA, Brabners, BAE Systems, Sustainable Energy First and many more sponsoring the diverse category line up.

Applications are already flooding in, so now is the time to make sure your business is in the running. Don’t miss the chance to be part of Lancashire’s most prestigious business awards.

Babs Murphy, chief executive of the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, which organises the BIBAs, said: “Every business has a story and the BIBAs is the perfect platform in which to tell it.

“Every year, we sift through hundreds of applications which just tell us the basics of the business – what the judges want to hear is about the story on what makes their business so special, how their business has adapted to changes in the economic landscape, how they have overcome diversity and thrived.

“With applications coming in from every corner of Lancashire, there will be many stories which come through the businesses, and we look forward to hearing every one of them.”

For more details and to submit your application, visit www.thebibas.co.uk before the deadline on 31st March.

The Class of 2024…
Tell your businesses story to help bag a BIBA!
Shout out to the sponsors – and how to become one!