Havering Small Business Awards

Best Newcomer

Sponsored by Havering Chamber of Commerce

This award recognises the best new small business in Havering that were set up since March 2025.

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we want you to evidence:

• the early traction you have achieved in your first year with customers, partnerships and revenue growth and 
• any challenges you have overcome in the first year

Best Small or Independent

Sponsored by Romford BID.

This is the most heavily contested award, always with the most entries and competition.

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we want you to evidence:

• demonstrated business growth (customers, revenue, reach, new services)
• strong customer satisfaction and reputation (testimonials, reviews, repeat business)

Best Sustainable Business

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we want you to evidence:

• how you measure and track your sustainability outcomes and
• how you promote your sustainability strategy to your customers

Best Beauty or Service Business

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we also want you to:

• evidence professional standards, hygiene, safety and industry compliance 
• qualifications, specialist training or accreditations of practitioners

Best Takeaway

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we also want you to evidence:

• the ease of ordering (online, phone, delivery apps) and accuracy of orders
• high-quality food that helps customers to make informed food choices, to support the borough’s Healthy Weight Strategy

Best Tradesperson

Sponsored by Marlborough

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we want to know about:

• your problem-solving ability and specialist knowledge

Best Customer experience

Sponsored by Kaani Kaana

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we also want you to demonstrate:

• your process in handling enquiries, feedback and complaints and 
• any examples of going above and beyond for your customers

Best Shopfront

Sponsored by Sure Serve

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we also want to see:

• at least three photos (seasonal, creative or attractive)

Best hospitality business

Sponsored by Hills Prospect LWC

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we want you to tell us about:

• the customer experience when people visit your business

Best Social Enterprise/CIC

Sponsored by Adecco

Along with the rest of the awards questions, we would like to see:

• any innovative approaches you have taken to address community needs and involve community in the delivery of your services  

There are two types of entries. Votes from the public and customers and entries by the businesses themselves.

Entries open on Monday 23 March 2026 and need to be submitted by Friday 1 May 2026.

All businesses will then be cross checked by Council teams to verify eligibility to the next stage of the awards.

Any businesses that were voted for by the public, but didn’t nominate themselves, will then be contacted to invite them to complete their awards application.

These businesses will have five weeks from 26 May to 26 June 2026 to complete their application.

We will then share all the information with our judging panel (category sponsors) who will review the entries and will arrange to visit the businesses to support their decision.

The public votes will be added to the overall scores.

The three businesses with the highest scores will then be invited to the awards ceremony in September 2026 where the winners will be revealed.

Choose the category that’s right for your business/the business you are nominating  

Whether you are a business or a customer, you can only enter one category, therefore it is vital that you pick the category that you think is the strongest opportunity for your business to win.

We’re asking more questions this year, so that you can evidence why you think you should win. 

Although the process is simple, remember to give yourself ample time to consider your entry.

If you've used social media to build brand loyalty and engagement, then make sure your posts are up to date and use the ‘Vote for us’ graphic which can be requested at smallbusinessawards@havering.gov.uk.

If you’re a member of the public voting for your favourite business, look out for hints and tips on the Council’s social media platforms to tag the business you’re voting for.

If you’re shortlisted, but you didn’t nominate yourself, we’ll get in contact with you for the second round to give you time to complete your nomination form. Remember to make sure you’re prepared.   

If you get to this point, it means the judges have determined your entry meets the award criteria and there aren’t any current breaches or investigations into your business that could exclude you. 

You’ll need to have the following information ready for your application, much of which is easy to complete.

• Business Name  
• Business VAT or Company number (if applicable) 
• Business owners full name  
• Business address  
• Contact telephone number  
• Contact email  
• Business Website (if applicable)  
• Social media account details  
• Award entry 

The award entry this year has four standard questions for every business, regardless of category award.

There is an additional part that you will need to evidence, under question four, that specifically relates to the category award criteria, which can be found in the 2026 awards criteria drop down box and is shown in question four of the table below.  

You will be given a score based on whether you fully meet, partially meet or don’t meet the responses for each of the questions below:

Judges (made up of Council Officers, Cabinet Members and sponsors) will be looking at how to score the entries in each category so you need to make sure you follow the guidelines and table in the ‘top tips’ section and evidence this in your application.  

The judges need more than general statements, they will be looking for details on exactly how you've achieved success this year against the criteria and how that sets you apart from your competition.   

Final checks

When you have completed your application, check it over and ask yourself if your application is easy to read, and have you done enough to stand out? 

Is there someone that can check your application before you send it, just to make sure there aren’t any errors?

They might make a valuable recommendation to include something you hadn’t thought of.

If you’re invited to the event in September, we’ll share the 'We’ve been shortlisted for the Havering Small Business Awards 2026’ graphic which we will send to you by email along with some suggested wording to use on your own promotional material.

Remember to include the hashtag #HaveringSBA on all your social media posts.

The 2026 awards process

• The Havering Small Business Awards are free to enter this year to both the public and any Havering business.
• Members of the public can nominate their favourite business in any of the categories, but businesses can only enter one award category. 
• All nominations must be completed using the online form.  
• All duplicate or incomplete votes will be discounted from the final votes. 
• Businesses subject to trading standards, business rates, or public protection investigations or breaches may be excluded – exclusions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 
• Businesses will be asked to provide evidence on why they deserve to win the category award and will be invited to the awards event in September 2026. 
• A judging panel, made up of category sponsors and council officers will then determine which businesses meet the awards criteria based on the strength of their entry statement. This will include sharing award entrants information with the judging panel/sponsors. 
• At this point, the invitations to the awards event will be sent out to the finalists. 
• The winner of each category will be announced at the awards event and will receive a trophy, certificate, and vinyl window sticker naming the business a winner. Runners up will receive a certificate. 
• Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. 
• Businesses found to be offering incentives or rewards to customers in exchange for public votes will be automatically disqualified. 
• Havering Council reserves the right to refuse nominations, or exclude finalists if they do not meet these conditions. 
• Havering Council reserves the right to postpone or cancel the awards at any time. 

Definitions

• A small business is a business with fewer than 50 employees based in or with headquarters in Havering. 
• Independent businesses with more than one premises in the borough are eligible to enter. 
• Franchises, chain restaurants and brewery-owned/managed pubs are not eligible for these awards. 
• Nominees must not be owned or managed by a larger corporation. 
• A social enterprise is not a legal structure but a way of doing business. The exact definition can vary, but in general they are focused on their mission and exist to tackle social or environmental issues set out in their governing document. re-invest the majority of their profits in pursuit of their mission. 
• A community interest company are limited companies which operate to provide a benefit to the community they serve.  The purpose of a CIC is primarily one of community benefit rather than private profit.   
• The public nominations are not limited to Havering residents, since businesses serve customers from outside the borough too, and the public vote will contribute to the overall score for the business. 
• If you are a customer and you want to nominate a business you love, you can select that option on the awards entry form. Your vote will be counted towards the awards, so long as it is completed fully. Only one entry per person, per category.