A small software developer whose technology helps pilots fly safely around Europe is among only eight UK winners of two Queen’s Awards.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, now in its 52nd year, are hailed as the most prestigious business award in the country, with winners able to use the emblem for the next five years.
A total of 230 companies from across the UK were recognised for their contribution in four categories: international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity.
SkyDemon, which was awarded a Queen’s Award for international trade and one for innovation, was one of only eight businesses to win two awards this year.
The Somerset-based company develops software used by pilots to plan and navigate their flights throughout Europe. It has enjoyed a significant surge in overseas sales since its launch in 2009.
“Using my software skills to make flying easier and safer was a challenge I set myself when I earned my pilot’s license 12 years ago,” said founder and managing director Tim Dawson. “We are now the market leaders in this industry in Europe.
“Today’s announcement of our double Queen’s Award, for innovation and for international trade, is a huge boost for us as a company and goes to show that even the smallest businesses can have the biggest impact.”
The list of eight businesses to be given two awards also includes Solentim Ltd, a Dorset-based developer of a high-resolution imaging tool for use in the life sciences industry; and Telensa, a Cambridge maker of wireless streetlight controls that accurately meter and reduce electricity usage.
Business secretary Greg Clark said: “The UK has some of the most entrepreneurial and innovative minds in the world delivering jobs, growth and greater choice for consumers and I am proud to see a wealth of these businesses being recognised today.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy – 99 per cent of UK firms are small and over 1,000 new businesses start every day. Through our Industrial Strategy we are building a Britain in which they will continue to thrive.”
Altrincham-based IT consultancy Informed Solutions is the only tech and digital company in the North West to be named among this year’s Queen’s Awards for Innovation winners, in recognition of its digital transformation work across government projects.
Examples of the company’s digital transformation work include making it easier for innocent victims of violent crime and acts of terrorism to obtain compensation; and facilitating British citizens abroad having their identity authenticated and key documents legalised through a secure online global service.
Founder and global CEO Elizabeth Vega, who set up the business over 25 years ago, said: “We’ve worked really hard to create a strong workplace culture that enshrines the values of creating innovative solutions, producing work to the highest possible standard, and being trusted and ethical professionals that only take on innovation projects that we believe we can deliver.
“From modest beginnings some 25 years ago, we’ve weathered numerous economic challenges and scaled up the business to work globally with blue chip clients and governments.”
Other notable businesses to be recognised in the Queen’s Awards include Leeds-based IT consultancy BJSS; tech-led recycling business Recycling Lives; Manchester’s The Hut Group; Wales-based software firm One Team Logic; children’s book and app publisher Nosy Crow; Berkshire-based car connectivity firm NextGen Technology; Mira Technology Park; and data integrity specialist Gresham Technologies plc.
Innovation Award winners:
Ace Aquatec Ltd
Advanced Insulation Limited
Ancon Ltd, trading as Ancon Building Products
BGF
BJSS
Bryden Wood Technology Limited
C. & L.E. Attenborough Ltd
Divelements Limited trading as SkyDemon
DNAFit Life Sciences Ltd trading as DNAFit Ltd
EDINA UK LTD
Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd
Endomagnetics Ltd trading as Endomag
Environmental Defence Systems Limited
Euromixers Ltd
Facit UK Ltd. trading as Facit Homes
Fairfax Saddles Ltd
Featurespace
Firemac Ltd
Fluvial Innovations Ltd
Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited
GDR Food Technology Ltd. t/a Just Gluten Free Bakery
Green Sheep Group Limited
Harvey Water Softeners Limited
Honeyman Group Limited
Hygienex t/a HSG UK
iCandy World Limited
IKAWA Ltd
Image Processing Techniques Ltd (trading as Omnitek)
Inclusion Housing
Informed Solutions Ltd
Jo Bird & Co Ltd
Joseph Joseph Ltd
Kelvatek Ltd.
KP Technology Ltd
Lintott Control Systems Limited
Little Forest Folk
Lumishore Ltd
MagmaTech Limited
Manvers Engineering Limited
Metrasens Ltd
Midstream Lighting Ltd
Monodraught Ltd
Moo Print Limited trading as MOO
Ndemic Creations
Newham Training and Education Centre (NEWTEC)
One Team Logic Limited
Opus 2 International
Quartix Ltd
Quicklink Video Distribution Services Ltd
Radio Design Ltd
Reincubate Ltd
Rentokil Initial plc
Resilience Communications Limited
Rocketmakers Ltd
Russell IPM Ltd.
Samuel Grant (Sheffield) lTD
SH:24 CIC
Smart Credit Limited “trading as” SmartSearch
Solentim Ltd.
SPINKO Ltd t/a Harrison Spinks
SPTS Technologies Group Ltd
T.I.S.S. Ltd
Telensa Limited
The Temporary Kitchen Company Ltd
The Wool Packaging Company Ltd
tlmNEXUS Ltd
Transdek UK Limited
Trio Healthcare Ltd
Ultrahaptics Limited
Vitabiotics Ltd
Watson-Marlow Ltd
Williams Advanced Engineering Limited
International Trade Award winners:
AC PLC
Activinsights Ltd
Addmaster (UK) Ltd
ADEY Innovation LLP ‘trading as” ADEY Professional Heating Solutions
Airline Component Services Ltd
Alexander Mann Solutions Ltd.
Artemida Pharma Ltd
A-SAFE HQ LTD
Astro Lighting Holdings Ltd.
Audio Network Limited
Baird and Co Limited known as Bairdmint
Bamboo Distribution Limited
BECK MBI Limited
Bellerby & Co. Limited
Benevo
Boyd Consultants Ltd (trading as ‘Boyds’)
Brandon Medical Company Ltd
Brian James Trailers Limited
Bridge of Weir Leather Company Limited
Brose Ltd
Cambridge Integrated Circuits Ltd
Cast Iron Radiators Ltd
Celtic Sheepskin & Co ltd. Trading as Celtic & Co.
Central Wire Industries UK Ltd
CFC Underwriting Limited
Cheeky Chompers Ltd
Childrensalon Ltd
Cobra Biologics
Cocogreen (UK) Ltd.
Cokebusters Ltd
Coombe Castle International Ltd
Counterline Limited
CPR Global Tech Ltd
Create Technologies Ltd, trading as Createc
Darktrace Limited
Dart Flyscreens Ltd
DCA Design International Ltd
Delta Diagnostics trading as Elucigene Diagnostics
Divelements Limited trading as SkyDemon
DNAFit Life Sciences Limited
Durbin
Eckersley O’Callaghan Ltd
EnSilica Limited
Eskenzi PR Limited
EUDRAC Ltd
ExVeritas Limited
FAI Automotive Plc
Firmdale Holdings Ltd T/A Firmdale Hotels
FORSYTHS LTD
Fortress Interlocks Ltd
Frog Bikes Ltd
FXBlue LLP
GAMA Healthcare Ltd.
Gate 7 Ltd
George Pragnell Limited
Global Inkjet Systems Limited
GO Superfoods Ltd T/A Green Origins & Rainforest Foods
Gresham Technologies plc
Greycon UK Limited
Hanningfield Process Systems Limited
Highclere International Investors LLP
Honeycomb Project Management Ltd.
Hot House Partnerships Ltd
HotDocs Limited
HPD Software Limited
HS Products Ltd trading as Harrison Spinks Components and Spinks Springs
Hydro Group plc
Image Processing Techniques Ltd (trading as Omnitek)
Innovative Technology Ltd
Intralink Limited
IVORY Worldwide (Holdings) Limited
John Packer Ltd
Jon Tibbs Associates Limited
Kestrel Liner Agencies Ltd
Language Connect International Ltd. trading as Language Connect
Lanzante Ltd
Lattimer Ltd
LEW Techniques Ltd
Lintbells Ltd
Loadbalancer.org Limited
Lucio & Meera Santoro t/a Santoro Licensing
Lumishore Ltd
LW Solutions Ltd t/a Laser Wire Solutions
Magnetic North Travel Ltd
Maritime Zone Solutions Limited
Mason Advisory Limited
Maverick Drinks
Microlise Ltd
MIRA Technology Park
My Nametags Ltd
NCMT Ltd
Netsparker Ltd
NextGen Technology Limited
Nosy Crow Limited
Nouveau Lashes Ltd
Oceanair Marine Ltd
‘One Lindens Ltd.’ trading as ‘Cambridge Immerse’
Ossila Limited
Peli BioThermal
Pentland Group plc
Photocentric Ltd
Prima Dental Manufacturing Ltd
Principle Holdings Ltd
PROINSO UK Limited
Proseal UK LTD
Protec Technical Ltd
R & M Electrical Group limited
Random42 Ltd
Rarewaves.com Ltd
Recycling Lives Limited
Reid Lifting Limited
Resilience Communications Ltd
Rinicom Limited
Rock School Ltd
SBD Apparel Limited
Scoliosis SOS Limited
SE10 LLP
SendMyBag (NI) Ltd
Silverlining Furniture Group Ltd
Simpsons Premium Ltd
Smylie Limited
Solentim Ltd
Specac Limited
Specialist Marine Consultants Ltd.
Swift-Cut Automation Ltd
Tecna Display Ltd
Telensa Limited
Tellurium Q Ltd
Testhouse Limited
The Company of Animals Ltd
The First Class Pet Company Ltd
The Group Company (UK) Ltd
The Hut Group Limited
The Source (Hastings) Ltd
The TALL Group of Companies
Thomas Ware and Sons Ltd
Tiffany Rose Ltd
Tom Hartley Jnr Limited
TP3 Global Limited
TPS Global Logistics
TTS Group Ltd
Turnstyle designs Ltd
Twinkl Ltd
Unicorn Flooring Ltd
Virtual Human Resources Limited
Vosaio Travel Ltd
Warpaint Cosmetics (2014) Ltd
Welland Power Limited
Wild and Wolf Ltd
Wooltex UK Ltd
Zettlex (UK) Ltd
Zone3 Ltd
Promoting Opportunity Award winners:
Busy Bees Nurseries
Census Data Ltd Trading as Census Group
Dale Power Solutions Ltd
Esh Holdings Ltd
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Willmott Dixon
Sustainable Development Award winners:
Brother UK Ltd
City Building LLP trading as City Building (Glasgow) LLP and City Building (Contracts) LLP
Commercial Limited (trading as Commercial)
Divine Chocolate Ltd
LittlePod Ltd
St Austell Brewery Co Ltd
The Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd
Wessex Water Services Limited