NEWS29 May 2025
We were thrilled to host an inspiring gathering aimed at encouraging local businesses to apply for the UK’s most prestigious business accolade – the King’s Awards for Enterprise.
The event, which took place on Wednesday 28th May, brought together past award recipients, aspiring applicants, and senior figures from Surrey’s business landscape to learn more about the value and impact of the King’s Awards.
These awards recognise excellence in innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
Speaking at the event were a representative from the King’s Awards Office, a panel of recent Award winners, Councillor Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth on the Surrey Economy, and representatives from the Surrey Lieutenancy, including His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux.
The Lord-Lieutenant said:
“We’ve had an excellent get together of companies who have won the King’s Awards for Enterprise, or are aspiring winners, this afternoon at the Research Park for Surrey University. We had six winners this year – an impressive increase from last year – and we’ve heard from winners about the effect it has on staff morale, the business, suppliers and, most importantly, the clients.
“The Award is a sign of value and quality – and the fact it is British gives it that extra seal of approval. 88% of winners are SMEs, many with just four or five employees – so this isn’t just about big PLCs. I’ve seen first-hand the effect of presenting the Award – you can feel the buzz in the room. It really is something to aspire to and achieve.”
Caroline Fleming, Director of Surrey Innovation District ecosystem and innovation lead for Surrey Research Park said:
“The Research Park is a very strong innovative community, and we hear amazing stories about what our companies are getting up to. They truly deserve the recognition the King’s Award can bring. We were really keen to bring the Award here to make sure our companies understand what it is, how to apply, and the benefits of the application process. We want to ensure that the companies that deserve it get a good chance to submit.”
Jean-Philippe Launberg, Strategy & Business Development Director at Gordon Murray Group, a pioneer of supercars headquartered in Surrey and one of the county’s six winners this year said:
“[The Award] is validation for the 400 people that work for us that the past four and a half years of toiling and sweating and bloodletting have all paid off.
“It’s great being recognised not just in house, but also outside the company and by our customers. So many of our customers around the world aspire to have the best of Britain, and now we can use the Award as confirmation that that is what they are getting”.
Andrew Turner, Managing Director of AMT Marketing, who won a Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2019, said:
“Some people are concerned that it is time consuming to fill in the documentation but actually it focusses you on your business and points you in the right direction. It was a learning process to make my business more efficient.”
He went on to say:
“The staff were absolutely over the moon, motivated, and happy to be working for a company which has won something this prestigious…it is recognition for the management team and the staff for what we have achieved, and it has helped with staff retention – we still have most of the team who were with us in 2019.”
About The King’s Award for Enterprise
The Awards are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
Recipients are invited to a Royal reception, presented with the award by one of The King’s representatives, able to fly The King’s Awards flag at company headquarters, use the emblem on marketing materials and presented with a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy.
The awards are valid for five years and organisations that have received an award have reported benefiting from, worldwide recognition, increased commercial value and a boost to staff morale.
ipTEST’s King’s Award Consecutive Success
Semiconductor testing device specialist ipTEST is an example of a King’s Award winner based at Surrey Research Park. In 2023, the company was presented with a King’s Award for innovation for pioneering new technology to test semiconductors vital to so many modern day appliances and renewable power sources. Then in 2024, they did it again, this time receiving the King’s Award for International Trade.