Prestigious business awards to be renamed ahead of Coronation

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise and The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service are to be renamed following the Accession of King Charles III.

The name change reflects His Majesty The King’s desire to continue recognising volunteers and promoting outstanding business: the Awards will become The King’s Award for Enterprise and The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The newly renamed King’s Award for Enterprise celebrates outstanding achievement by UK businesses and is internationally recognised. Since the Award’s inception in 1965 more than 7,000 companies have been awarded. Awards are valid for five years and those recognised are permitted to use the Award’s emblem on their marketing and products during this?period.

The 2023 Awardees will be announced on Friday 21 April this year, marking Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, and on 6 May from 2024, the anniversary of The King’s coronation.

Minister for Enterprise Kevin Hollinrake said:

It is wonderful that His Majesty The King will give his name to these prestigious awards. Her Late Majesty left an enduring legacy of support for outstanding entrepreneurs and volunteers and the continuation of these awards will make sure they recognise hardworking individuals up and down the country long into the future.

His Majesty The King, as Prince of Wales, was closely engaged with the Awards, hosting the annual Royal Reception on behalf of HM Queen Elizabeth II since 2018, as well as recording a personal video message to refocus the Sustainable Development award category in 2019. He also led a review of the Awards in 1999, from which the scheme then became The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are a self-nominating process, with applications for next year’s awards open from 6 May 2023.

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said of the Awards in 2018:

“Having watched the Awards established in my name grow in stature and influence, I continue to be impressed by the way that they have given opportunity to big organisations and small, enabling them to project themselves on the world stage.”