The Winchester Business Excellence Awards 2026 have been launched earlier today at a networking breakfast event hosted at Theatre Royal Winchester, part of the award-winning arts and education charity Play to the Crowd.
The competition, organised by Winchester Business Improvement District (BID), The Hampshire Chronicle and Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, has now begun and the judges will be looking for the best and brightest businesses in the Winchester district.
Nominations are open until 23 April, the judges will announce three finalists in each category in the Hampshire Chronicle and on hampshirechronicle.co.uk on 7 May, and then a celebratory evening will conclude the awards on Thursday 18 June at Winchester Cathedral.
Nominations are open for the awards which are now in their 24th year and have become an important part of the city’s business calendar.
Click here to find out more about the launch and to enter the awards.
This year’s categories are:
Business of the Year sponsored by RJM International | Business Leader Award sponsored by Nony Kerr-Smiley Estate Agents | Large Business Award sponsored by Paris Smith | Small Business Award | New Business Award sponsored by University of Winchester | Charity and Social Enterprise Award | Sustainable Business Award sponsored by Winchester City Council | Service Excellence Award | Creative and Cultural Award | City Centre Champion Award sponsored by Winchester BID.
The awards are also supported by Bar Lento, CTG Cleaning Services, The Little Kitchen Company, NatWest, Play to the Crowd, Stem and Green Flower Farm and Winchester Cathedral Venues.
Nominations are welcomed for businesses in the Winchester district or businesses are able to nominate themselves: winchesterbusinessawards.co.uk.
Video: John Goldring from RJM International talks about their success at last year’s awards and why you should enter in 2026.
