The Big Chip Awards has announced its shortlist of nearly 90 businesses from the North West for a prestigious ceremony recognising digital and creative excellence.
Now in its 19th year, competition was as fierce as ever, with over 250 entries across 20 categories.
Shortlisted entries have come from companies based across the whole of the North of England including Leeds, Newcastle, Preston, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.
Among those shortlisted include web development agency Silverchip which has been nominated for six awards, design-led production company Flow Creative with four, and KMP Digitata who has been shortlisted for three.
The 2017 judging panel includes celebrated designer Malcolm Garrett, Alastair Cole of The Engine Group, the BBC’s Bill Thompson, Joanna Blackburn from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Caroline Gorski, head of IoT at Digital Catapult.
Winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony taking place at The Hilton Hotel in Manchester on June 15, 2017.
Chair of the Big Chip Awards Steering Group, Shaun Fensom, said: “It’s a sign of the health of the digital and tech sectors in the north that we have received so many entries this year, and of such a high standard.
“Big Chip’s long history gives a measure of how the industry is evolving, and the judges are saying that the quality just keeps going up. Anyone who’s made it to the shortlist can be proud.”
Lawrence Jones MBE, CEO of headline sponsor, UKFast, added: “The Big Chip Awards are a great opportunity to take a step back and recognise the incredible work that happens every day in the digital tech sector in the North of England.
“We’re delighted to be involved in an event that celebrates those playing a key part in driving the industry forward.”
Paul Martynenko, President of Awards Partner, BCS: The Chartered Institute for IT, said: “This year, the diversity of shortlisted entries shows that those achieving excellence in digital technology practice is extending beyond the boundaries of traditional agencies and software houses.”
The shortlisted entries for this year are:
Best B2B Business Project
• Nublue with fuelfighter.co.uk
• Kagool and Formica Group with Website project for Formica.com
• Digitangle with Greenwood Magnetics Digital Marketing
• Duo Design with MathsWatch VLE
• Silverchip with Bolster with A pioneering online business
Best B2C Business Project
• Reckless & Bateaux London with Setting Sail In The Right Direction
• MBNA with Card Services App
• Smartebusiness with VW Heritage ecommerce build migration to Magento
• PushON with Liverpool ONE: Customer-focused UX collaboration
• Corporation Pop with Creamfields 2017 website
• Phoenix Digital with Argos Support website
• Cargo Creative with Online Booking Platform for The Angling Trust
• KMP Digitata with Aberdeen Airport contextual timeline
Best Digital Marketing / Branding Campaign
• Modern English and Foo Fighters with Foo Fighters Glastonbury Announcement Campaign
• Deliveroo and After Digital with Taste of Success for Deliveroo with After Digital
• Flow Creative with Arts Council England Funding Brand Campaign
• Dinosaur and Transport for Greater Manchester with ‘Leaving Lauren’
• Amaze and The Saucy Fish Co with Frozen just cooler
Best Freelancer / Micro Enterprise
• Mami’s Japan
• Mighty Giant
Best Game
• Stardotstar with Entreprenaws – a game for enterprising children for SIB
• Code Computerlove with The Higher Lower Game
• Playdemic with Golf Clash
Best Mobile Application
• MBNA with Card Services App
• vTime Limited with vTime – The VR Sociable Network
• Mosquito with Manchester Airport App & iBeacon
• Code Computerlove with The Higher Lower Game app
• Silverchip with Bolster with A pioneering, application-based business
• Dylan McKee with The Parking Fairy
Best Public Sector Project
• Connect & Wrexham County Borough Council with Pontcysyllte World Heritage website
• The University of Liverpool with Improving the Digital Customer Experience
• Thompson Brand Partners with MindMate, a website helping to improve mental health
• Flow Creative with Arts Council England Funding Brand Campaign
• Valtech – beta.tfgm.com with TfGM website re-design
Best Start-up
• Businesscomparison.com
• Ruler Analytics
• Helpthemove
• Geek Talent
Best Tech for Good Project
• Connected Hull with Connected Hull
• Dinosaur with Fairtrade Foundation and the Co-op with Growing Stories
• MadLab with Make Stuff
• BBC micro:bit partnership with BBC micro:bit
Best Use of Animation
• Mighty Giant with The Dengineers
• Flow Creative with Arts Council England Funding Brand Campaign
• Flipbook Studio with Manchester Christmas Campaign
• Flipbook Studio with Hybrid Wars Cinematic
• Kilogramme with Legumes
Best Use of Digital Design
• Fat Media with The Daffodil Hotel & Spa Website
• Thompson Brand Partners with MindMate, a website helping to improve mental health
• Our Studio and 90 Degrees with No1 Spinningfields Interactive Marketing App & CGI
• Flow Creative with Arts Council England Funding Brand Campaign
Best Use of Search
• Worship Digital with CORGI HomePlan Conversion Rate Optimisation Campaign
• Mediaworks & Stagecoach with All aboard for digital transformation
• Bateaux London & Reckless with Plain Sailing Search
• I-COM and JMW with Website search visibility and conversion campaign
• TomFitton.com with Solitair Holidays
• Latitude Digital Marketing with The Mortgage Journey Project
Best User Experience
• MBNA with Card Services App
• Clicks and Links with COOP store training
• After Digital and Donmar Warehouse with A high-end theatre experience online
• Access with The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain website
• KMP Digitata with Aberdeen Airport contextual timeline
Big Chip Digital Business Award
• Businesscomparison.com
• Angel Solutions Ltd
• Mashbo
• Reason Digital
• Helpthemove
• Silverchip
• Orange Bus
• KMP Digitata
Big Chip IoT Impact Award
• Things North with Things North
• Sparta Technologies with Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Stockport with IoT
Big Chip Transformation Award
• Apadmi and DonorPath
• Vortex Commerce and AKW
• Human and Swift Dental
• Silverchip and England Squash
• Silverchip and Bolster Systems
Little Chip Placement / Apprentice Award
• Lucy Gray
• Scott Mears
• Amy Williams
Little Chip Student Award
• Manchester Metropolitan University with Craig Harley
• University of Central Lancashire with David Warrington
• Manchester Metropolitan University with Benjamin Sinclair
Most Innovative Application of Technology
• vTime Limited with vTime
• Clicks and Links with COOP store training
• R.O.EYE with Harvey’s – using SingleView for digital media planning
• Silverchip with The Paleontology Association with Browser-based virtual museum
• Geek Talent with redefining career advice with GoCareer