This year’s Celebrating Enterprise Awards, held in a prestigious setting of the House of Lords, was a fabulous success. As well as creating the opportunity for IOEE to recognise the hard work, creativity and sheer dedication of individuals and organisations operating across the Enterprise Learning and Skills sector, the event is also a unique opportunity for us to really connect face-to-face with people from across the UK who make the IOEE what it is.

The Celebrating Enterprise Awards 2015 were opened by an address from Ruth Lowbridge MBE, Executive Chair of the SFEDI Group, who took the opportunity to outline some of the exciting work currently taking place across the organisation. For example, our engagement with the 39 new Growth Hubs being set up around England and the much-anticipated re-launch of the SFEDI Directory of Accredited Business Advisers, which makes it easy to identify small business advisers, coaches, mentors and trainers who are SFEDI approved. As well as this, Ruth shared news of an important project SFEDI Solutions is currently involved in, which will see the development of national occupational standards for Enterprise Educators. Ruth spoke with enthusiasm about the launch of our new Apprenticemakers Champion training programmes, which will increase uptake of apprenticeships in small businesses, as well as ongoing plans for further Meet a Mentor Events during 2016, supported once again by Lloyds Banking Group and the Government Equalities Office. And the final exciting announcement before moving on to the awards was IOEE’s collaboration with Toni&Guy to launch Creating Enterprise – a series of enterprise specifically developed for students undertaking fashion, hairdressing and beauty courses.

One of the most important aspects of the Celebrating Enterprise Awards is the presentation of the lifetime achievement awards. This year, the International Lifetime Achievement Award went to Professor Allan Gibb OBE, who, for over four decades, has worked in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship, engaging in practice, undertaking research, changing policy and furthering an enterprise culture both in the UK and internationally. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Lord Young, who in 2010 was appointed Enterprise Advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron. In this capacity he conducted a comprehensive review of the Government’s relationship with small firms, entitled Make Business Your Business, the first of its kind in almost 40 years. The result of the review was a new Government programme - Start up Loans, which provide both loans and mentoring to UK firms. An estimated £129 million has so far been distributed by the scheme to 25,000 entrepreneurial individuals across the UK. Both Lord Young and Professor Gibb spoke with eloquence and humility when accepting their honours.

It was soon time to pay tribute to all the nominees in the audience and to distribute the awards to the winners themselves. Melanie Bryan, an IOEE Fellow who holds an OBE for her Services to Social Enterprise and Women’s Enterprise, and someone who has supported over 1500 small businesses and social enterprises, was named Enterprise Support Champion of the Year. Phillip Hesketh, who left his day job, studied on a Starting Your Business Course and went on to open a very successful B&B, won the accolade of Enterprise Learner of the Year. When it came to those committed to making apprenticeships a cornerstone of building stronger SMEs, every nominee was strong. However, by both championing the apprenticeship model and promoting it as a way to fill the skills gap in her industry, Anne Wilson of precision engineering company Numill marked herself out as Small Business Apprenticemaker of the Year. Sue Poole, who managed the South Wales Regional Enterprise Hub and has developed the entrepreneurial skills of over 300 primary school children and 4,500 secondary school children walked away with the title Enterprise Educator of the Year.

It’s not just individuals who are recognised by the Celebrating Enterprise Awards; products too are highlighted for their outstanding contribution to Enterprise Learning and Skills. This year, SimVenture, an innovative software product that allows potential entrepreneurs to test their skills within a realistic, risk-free setting, was named Most Enterprising Learning Product of the Year. The Manchester College became IOEE Centre of the Year meanwhile, for its sterling work delivering SFEDI Awards Level 1 and Level 2 Enterprise courses at Hatfield Prison.

From start to finish, the Celebrating Enterprise Awards were an unprecedented success. Simultaneously a fitting way to mark the close of a productive, rewarding 2015 and a great way to look forward to all that 2016 may bring, this event, as ever, was one of both pride and promise.