The winners of the 2021 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise have been announced today (29th April), celebrating the achievements of UK businesses following an incredibly challenging year.
This year, 205 businesses representing every part of the United Kingdom and a diverse range of sectors have been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen as among the best in the country.
On the Isle of Wight, Wight Shipyard and IFPL have both been awarded Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
Wight Shipyard have been recognised for outstanding growth in the last three years.
Third time winners
IFPL has been recognised for its excellence in the field of innovation. The team are also twice winners in the category of ‘International Trade’, having received the award in 2008 and 2014.
IFPL has been honoured in the ‘Innovation’ category for their design of a contactless payment and personalisation device for use in commercial passenger aircraft. The device can be installed as an addition to seatback inflight entertainment systems, and solves the problems of its predecessors’ poor reliability, expensive production costs, and vulnerability to fraud.
IFPL founder and CEO Geoff Underwood said,
“The aviation sector has been through a tough period recently, so being recognised as a company that is consistently working hard to create innovative products that will help operators to recover post-pandemic is a real boost. I’m so proud of the whole IFPL family for this fantastic achievement.”
Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility
The focus of this year’s awards is on Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility, an especially important theme given the challenges that have been faced through the pandemic, with businesses playing a valuable role in their local communities.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:
“The past year has been a tough time for many businesses across the UK, which is why it is more important than ever to celebrate the achievements of our wealth creators and recognise the contributions they make to our communities.
“In the last 12 months, British businesses showed the entrepreneurial spirit that this country is renowned for, continuing to drive social mobility, find new markets to export to and produce innovative products and services.
“I congratulate this year’s winners and I wish every business that applied for an award this year every success in the future as we build back better from the pandemic.”
Formed in 1965
The awards were created following the recommendation of a committee chaired by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in 1965. The first awards, originally known as the Queen’s Awards to Industry, were made the following year.
This year’s Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are given for outstanding achievement in:
- innovation
- international trade
- sustainable development
- promoting opportunity (through social mobility)
Robust assessment process
Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year.
Eligible businesses are free to apply for one or more categories. The winners pass a robust assessment process, judged by senior officials in Whitehall and experts from industry, academia and the third sector.
On that basis, each year, the winners of The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are recommended by the Prime Minister.
