2025 Award Categories & Sponsors

We are very grateful to our Sponsors, whose support allows us to deliver the awards administration and ceremony, year on year. There are plenty of sponsored categories for all businesses to enter, whichever business you’re in, whatever size you are, and whether you have physical premises, or not.

Please scroll down to view our Award Categories and Sponsors. We have various ways to be part of RVBA including sponsoring the available categories below. Please click here to view more details and costings of our Sponsorship Opportunities.

 

Beacon Award

The Beacon Award winner will be a local business that is, in the opinion of the judging panel, the best entry across all categories. The winning business will be a beacon of inspiration.

Sponsored by lovelocalsolutions

 

Creative Business

The winner of this award will be the most creative Ribble Valley business nominated this year. Open to all businesses of any size, where creativity and/or creative skills are central to the business.

Sponsored by Love to Brand

 

Customer Friendly Business

The winner of this award will be the most customer friendly Ribble Valley business nominated this year. We will only accept nominations from customers of the business for this award.

Sponsored by Ribble Valley Borough Council

Family Business

The winner of this award will be the best family business in Ribble Valley nominated this year. Open to all family owned businesses, where two or more family members currently work within the business, and more than one generation contributes (or has previously contributed) to the success of the business.

Sponsored by The Swan With Two Necks

Food & Drink

The winner of this award will be the best food and/or drink-based business in Ribble Valley nominated this year. Open to all business who either produce food or drink, or retail / serve food or drink to be consumed off-premises only.

Sponsored by Toms Table

 

Health & Wellbeing Business

The winner of this award will be the best health, beauty or wellbeing based business in Ribble Valley nominated this year. Open to all businesses in the health, beauty and wellbeing sectors.

Sponsored by Sarah Lynas Coaching

 

Hospitality Business

The winner of this award will be the best hospitality business in Ribble Valley nominated this year. Open to all businesses who serve drinks and/or food to be consumed on-site. 

Sponsored by Mantle Packaging Machinery Ltd

Independent Retailer

The winner of this award will be the best independent retailer nominated this year. Open to all businesses who operate traditional retail outlet(s) or sell directly to the consumer online, or via direct mail, farmers markets, etc.

Sponsored by PM+M Solutions for Business LLP

Large Business

The winner of this award will be the most successful and sustainable Ribble Valley based large business nominated this year. Open to businesses with a turnover of £1m or over. 

Sponsored by Forbes Solicitors

Made in Ribble Valley

The winner of this award will be the best product or service which has been manufactured or exclusively created and Made in the Ribble Valley. Open to all businesses regardless of time they have traded.

Sponsored by Printed Cup Company

Medium Business

The winner of this award will be the most successful and sustainable medium Ribble Valley business nominated this year. Open to businesses with a turnover of between £250k to £1m. 

Sponsored by WHN Solicitors

Micro Business

The winner of this award will be the most successful and sustainable Ribble Valley based microbusiness nominated this year. Open to businesses with 2 to 5 employees and a turnover of less than £75k.

Sponsored by Artisan Escapes

New Business

The winner of this award will be a new Ribble Valley based business that has been the most successful start-up. Open to new businesses which started trading on or after 1 September 2023.

Sponsored by Stones Young Sales & Lettings

Not For Profit

The winner of this award will be a nominated Ribble Valley based not for profit business or social enterprise that has, in the opinion of the judging panel, implemented and used innovative practices and approaches to meet community and public service objectives in the last year.

Sponsored by StopPress

Small Business

The winner of this award will be the most successful and sustainable Ribble Valley based small business nominated this year. Open to businesses with employees and a turnover of £75k to £249k.

Sponsored by Harrison Drury Solicitors

 

Social Media Champion

The winner of this award will be the Ribble Valley business that is making the best use of social media to create awareness and attract customers, and engage with their followers.

Sponsored by Evans Accountants

 

Sole Trader

The winner of this award will be the most successful and sustainable Ribble Valley business with only 1 person in the business (the owner) nominated this year.

Sponsored by Fern Court Business Centre

Tourism Business

The winner of this award will be the best Ribble Valley based attraction, experience, accommodation provider, event or business associated with the tourism or leisure sector nominated this year.

Sponsored by Bowland Wild Boar Animal Park

Workforce Development

The winner of this award will be the Ribble Valley organisation that has best demonstrated a commitment to developing their workforce. 

Sponsored by Nelson & Colne College Group

Thank you to our Award & Ceremony Sponsors

We are very grateful to our Sponsors, whose support allows us to deliver the awards administration and ceremony, year on year. Meet our 2025 sponsors so far below. Our Headline Sponsor for 2025 is Monks Contractors.

We currently have a small number of Sponsorship Opportunities available, view them by clicking here.

The awards are run by the lovelocalsolutions group with the support of many volunteers and organisations across the borough. If you'd like to help celebrate our wonderful Ribble Valley Businesses, do take a look at how you can get involved via the link above.

 

PM+M