• New Growth Investor of the Year Award for scale up businesses best optimising investment & support
• Best AIM Investment Manager Award introduced to recognise champions of the Alternative Investment Market
• Awards dinner to be held on 3 November 2016 at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square

Following its successful launch last year, the Growth Investor Awards is now open for entries with an updated programme for 2016.

Organised by Intelligent Partnership, the UK’s leading provider of research and education on alternative investments, these Awards celebrate the role of the UK SME fund management community in job and wealth creation.

Guy Tolhurst, Managing Director of Intelligent Partnership, commented: “Our inaugural Growth Investor Awards were very well supported by the industry and government last year. Over 300 movers and shakers came together to support 36 finalists and celebrate with 12 overall winners. It was great to hear both The Financial Secretary to the Treasury and the Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise acknowledging the key role played by growth investors in helping small businesses to reach their full potential.”

Open to any organisation or individual putting investment to work in SMEs, the Growth Investor Awards recognise those enabling start up and ‘scale up’ businesses to realise their full potential and drive Britain’s economic recovery. The Growth Investor Awards form part of Intelligent Partnership’s year round programme of content to highlight best practice and thought-leadership in alternative investment, which includes its award-winning industry reports and masterclasses.

The Growth Investor Awards campaign is supported by a family of sponsors providing services to the SME fund management and alternative investment industry – including Smith & Williamson, LGBR Capital, Mainspring Fund Services, RAM Capital Partners, MICAP and RW Blears.

Officially opening for entries on 5 May, the deadline for submissions is 24th June. Any company or individual meeting the criteria can enter the Growth Investor Awards by filling in an entry form and paying an entry fee (£195 + VAT) for each relevant award category. A two stage judging process will begin by drawing up an initial shortlist to identify finalists in each category. Intelligent Partnership will announce the finalists in July. Finalist entries will then be submitted for a second round of judging, with a panel of at least three judges for each award category to ensure a robust assessment.

Daniel Kiernan, Research Director of Intelligent Partnership & Chair of Judges commented: “Talent and technology were identified as two key enablers of growth last year, with providers supporting their investee companies with guidance and networks alongside investment. Comments from our panel of 35+ independent judges, which helped to identify these themes, have been incorporated into individual Feedback Reports sent to all of last year’s finalists. This aligns with Intelligent Partnership’s mission to enable improvement through industry research and analysis – and creates value for everyone participating in the Growth Investor Awards.”

Insights from last year’s judging process have also supported the development of two new awards for 2016: Growth Champion of the Year, which recognises scale up businesses and their founders or CEOs who have best used growth capital to scale; and Best AIM Investment Manager, which honours those best championing the Alternative Investment Market.

Guy Rigby, Head of Entrepreneurial Services at Smith & Williamson – sponsor of Growth Champion of the Year – commented: “It is in the interests of government to make Britain a hotbed for innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth. Tax incentives like EIS are therefore vital for businesses seeking the growth capital needed to scale. We are delighted to sponsor this new Growth Champion of the Year award because it demonstrates how this type of investment is being optimised to move Britain forward.”

Representing different sections of the fund management, alternative investment and SME community, an Advisory Board of influential leaders will once again offer guidance on shortlisting and judging while encouraging the best from their respective networks to participate in the awards.

Founding Advisory Board member Sherry Coutu – entrepreneur, investor and co-founder of the Scale Up Institute – commented: “Competitive advantage doesn’t go to the nations that focus on creating companies; it goes to the nations that focus on scaling them. The Growth Investor Awards recognise the broader contribution of the SME fund management community to scale up growth and those best optimising investment and support.”

Winners in 14 award categories will be revealed at a black tie dinner for 350 movers and shakers at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square on 3rd November.

All information about the Growth Investor Awards, including award categories, criteria and how to enter, can be found at www.growthinvestorawards.com.