Celebrating Black Country Businesses: A Look Inside the Black Country Chamber Business Awards

06 May 2025

Published in: Black Country Chamber of Commerce News

Explore how the Black Country Chamber Business Awards began and what they have to offer as we continue to celebrate the best of business across the region.

Imagine this: a brilliant night in Wolverhampton, you’re dressed to impress and enjoying delicious food and drinks alongside your team. That’s the atmosphere at the Black Country Chamber Business Awards. In this blog, we’ll go back to the history of the awards and explore how they’ve grown into the glamorous and impactful event we know today.

We will cover:

The history of the awards.
Our award categories.
Why your business should enter.
The benefits of becoming an award partner.

By the end of this blog, we hope you see why this event remains a highlight in the regional business calendar and why you should consider getting involved.

The History of the Awards

The Black Country Chamber Business Awards began in 2001, originally under the name Black Country Chamber & Business Link Awards.

Over the years, we have been at the forefront of celebrating achievements of those who are shaping the future of business in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton - each year bigger and better than the last.

During this time, we’ve hosted our ceremony at different times of day, and at various venues. After years of growth and fine-tuning, our ceremony now boasts an evening event as the perfect atmosphere for our businesses to unwind and celebrate the best of the Black Country with one another at the newly refurbished University of Wolverhampton at The Halls every November.

Today, our awards are inspired by our three core values and are designed to ensure that we reflect the diverse range of businesses across the region.

Our values:

Courage – In business, courage is a quality that often separates the extraordinary from the ordinary. It is the driving force that propels individuals to embrace calculated risks, challenge norms, and drive through change along with acting with conviction, honour and a sense of purpose.

Collaboration – The practice of working together with internal and external connections to pool resources, understand each other’s strengths, create value, solve problems and achieve shared goals and objectives.

Integrity – To be authentic, transparent and honest which will in turn create a respectful relationship with colleagues, members and peers alike.

Our Award Categories

From start-up successes to large industry leaders, the awards attract an incredible range of entrants - each one contributing to the region’s legacy of innovation and enterprise.

Each year, our categories reflect the ever-evolving landscape of business and this year they are:

Business in the Community.
Business in Schools.
Employer of the Year – in partnership with Sandwell College.
Black Country Future Star.
Employee of the Year.
Family Business of the Year – in partnership with Forkers Ltd.
Start-Up Business of the Year.
Professional Service Business of the Year – in partnership with UKO Service Offices Castlemill.
International Trade.
Manufacturing Champion.
Sustainability, Technology & Innovation – in partnership with Halesowen College.
Not for Profit Organisation.

Find about more about our award categories here.

Why You Should Enter

Reflect on your successes

Just taking a moment to reflect on your achievements is a win - businesses can sometimes overlook the positive impact they have had and the great things they have achieved, getting caught up in the day-to-day operations that keep the business moving. These awards give businesses the opportunity to truly shine light on their successes.

Participating in our awards is a great way to connect with your team and establish your presence in the Black Country Business community.

Gain exposure

Our awards provide you with the chance to tell your story to a wider audience and increase visibility and credibility within your industry.

Finalists and winners benefit from increased brand exposure across our social channels and publications on our website before, during and after the awards.

The experience itself

The awards night is more than just a ceremony. Enjoy an evening of celebration with your team, dressed in your best, surrounded by fellow Black Country businesses all here for the same reason – to be part of a night to remember!

From resilience and growth in the first year of business to manufacturing and exporting goods across international borders we understand business success looks different for everyone.

To ensure that you have the best chance of submitting a great entry, we offer award writing workshops to give our members tips and advice to create strong entries and increase their chances of becoming a finalist.

We also send out timely reminders about deadlines and provide a generous application window, so even the busiest business owners can take part.

There’s a place for every business at our awards and that includes yours!

You can submit your entry for this year’s awards here!

The benefits of becoming an award partner

Along with submitting an entry for our awards, we have opportunities available for you to become a category partner. Being part of the Black Country Chamber Business Awards isn’t just about brand recognition; it’s about making history and leaving a lasting impact. Your company will have access to a range of profile-raising opportunities across some of the region’s largest B2B platforms, whilst demonstrating your commitment to supporting and championing businesses in the Black Country.

Each category partner benefits from:

Brand exposure

We ensure that your logo is included across all communications relating to your chosen category before, during and after our awards.

You get to make your mark in our Prosper magazine with a half-page editorial, allowing you to highlight your business and why partnering with this award is important to you. Plus, a photo with the category winner in our Prosper Winter 2025 edition.

Filming of your business to highlight why you partnered the award, to be used on the evening of the event.

Active Participation

Two colleagues from your organisation to be judges in your category and subsequently choose the category winner.

Please note: you MUST be available for judging finalist’s entries in-person at their business premises the weeks commencing 15th & 22nd September.

You will be given a table of 10 guests for the black-tie dinner and will present the award to the category winner.

Receive two invitations to the winner’s lunch hosted in February/March 2026 to celebrate with all of our 2025 winners & partners.

Conclusion

Being part of the Black Country Chamber Business Awards isn’t just about brand recognition; it’s about making history and leaving a lasting impact. Whether you’re considering becoming a partner, entering an award or just attending the evening we would love you to be part of our history!

Find out more about our categories and how to get involved here.