Menu

Meet All The Shortlisted Nominees

We are taking nominations from across the Thames Valley Region. Historically, we have received an enormous volume of nominations, often exceeding 1000 entries, so for anyone who does get shortlisted, it is a massive achievement!

Shortlisted nominees are announced on 3rd February 2026 

This year, the standard of entrants is so high that we are likely to shortlisted a record-breaking number for the awards across the categories. While we cannot give all shortlisted nominees an award, each winner is truly deserving of recognition for their achievements.

The Thames Valley Business and Community Awards judging process is virtual and will see a range of esteemed entrepreneurs come together to scrutinise our finalists and select the short-listed nominees from the nominations and the winners among them.

Jackie Chappell, The 1st Woman CEO of British Rail was part of the judging panel and said:
Judging the awards is always tough. Every entry is of a very high standard and each one is unique which makes the decision harder. I’m very proud of the quality of businesses that we have in this region and these awards give them the true recognition that they deserve.
Alec Jones-hall, Director of Thames Valley Business and Community Awards said
We are proud and excited to be celebrating outstanding achievement across the region and rewarding those who are making a huge impact throughout the Thames Valley. It is also a time for the business community to come together, not only to celebrate the accomplishments of those shortlisted and the deserving winners of each category, but also to mark the fact that we all continue to play a vital role in the success of our region and that its future achievements will be built on the foundations we lay today.

Awards Categories

Business of the Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Active Heating Services
  • Alberon
  • BluCando
  • Boyes Turner LLP
  • Cardea Healthcare
  • Cleaver Property Management Limited
  • Fennies
  • Fibre Technologies
  • FSP Law
  • Global 4
  • Grundon
  • HTC
  • Infinity Business Solutions Ltd
  • Intelligent Waste Management Limited
  • J-Tech Systems
  • Lucy Electric Group
  • MA Group
  • Mother Cuppa Tea
  • Oranka Fruit Juices Ltd
  • PadelStars
  • PK Group
  • Regal Court Business Centre
  • Right at Home Maidenhead, Marlow & Henley
  • RobertChapman (Borer Ltd)
  • Sandford Freight
  • Secantor Business Services
  • Service Master Clean by Deeland
  • Team SAS
  • Together One step at a time
  • Timbawood Ltd
  • Virgin Incentives
  • Voucherline

Male Entrepreneur of the Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Adrian Powell (Active Work Place Solutions)
  • Alan Kirby (ABI Accountants)
  • Allan Smith (ATS Group)
  • Bryan James (Kite)
  • Don Morley (Plan B Logistics)
  • Dr Dan Daly
  • Duncan Rzysko (Feel Good Works)
  • James Winnister (J-Tech Systems)
  • Kevin Brown (Qfactorial)
  • Kyle Thorburn (Revive! Slough)
  • Leigh Hostein (Protec IT)
  • Martin Lowery (Infinity Business Solutions Ltd )
  • Matt Archer-Davis (The Bright Click)
  • Nick Dennings (Policy Monitor Ltd)
  • Owen Hughes (Energy With Options)
  • Paul Robinson (Robinson Management Services Ltd)
  • Peter Oakley (Access & Security Systems Ltd)
  • Phil Hall (Plan Project Management)
  • Ray Lord (Jet Clean)
  • Sean Hackemann (Team SAS)
  • Stuart Cook ( URBA )
  • Terry Tarbox (Active Heating Services)
  • Tim Brownstone (Kymira Sports)
  • Troy Smith (Oranka Fruit Juices Ltd)
  • Terry Tarbox (Active Heating Services)

Female Entrepreneur of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Angela Sharma (AquaTubs)
  • Candice Mason (Mother Cuppa Tea)
  • Ceri Owen (Sort Style and Stage)
  • Deborah Steer (MCG Training)
  • Divya Garg (LetsLocalise)
  • Hannah Hayes (High5VR)
  • Joanna Howes (Change Creators)
  • Joanne Baker (Emerald TPDS)
  • Karen Lear ( About Face Solutions)
  • Karen Orr (PeopleWise Solutions)
  • Kim Shamtally (Muscle Mechanics)
  • Kylie Coates (A Wilson Roofing)
  • Lucy Alexandra Spencer
  • Nicky Goringe-Larkin (Goringe Accountants)
  • Natalie Redfern (The Red Lion Woodcote)
  • Paula Parker (PP8 Marketing)
  • Rachael Rogers ( McKenzie Legal)
  • Sophie Davenport (Sfe Services)
  • Vicky white (COCO Women Founders)

New Start-Up of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • uKids
  • Feel Good Works
  • Hair by Paige Gemma
  • Little Robins Nursery
  • PadelStars
  • Rose Partner Solutions
  • Tech-Recycle
  • Terraguard Technologies
  • The Tubie Collective

Young Entrepreneur of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • James Ediker (Little Robins Nursery)
  • Luke Buckmaster (DoughBoys Pizza)
  • Owen Buckmaster (DoughBoys Pizza)

SME of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • A Wilson Roofing
  • About Face Solutions
  • Access & Security Systems Ltd
  • Active Work Place Solutions
  • ASC Finance for Business
  • ATS Group
  • Baines Simmons Ltd./ TrustFlight Group
  • Cfone
  • Cleaver Property Management Limited
  • Doughboys Pizza
  • DPlan B Logistics
  • Energy With Options
  • GHS Direct Ltd
  • Goringe Accountants
  • Jet Clean
  • Plan B Logistics
  • PP8 Marketing
  • Qfactorial
  • Right at Home Maidenhead, Marlow & Henley
  • Revive! Slough
  • Robinson Management Services Ltd
  • SUPERBLIMP
  • Timbawood Ltd

Employer of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Active Heating Services
  • Active Work Place Solutions
  • Aura Technology
  • Baines Simmons Ltd./ TrustFlight Group
  • Boyes Turner LLP
  • Change Creators
  • Cardea Healthcare
  • Content Guru
  • CRIO Digital
  • Dr Frank Mathias (Oxford BioMedica)
  • Fennies
  • Fibre Technologies
  • FSP Law
  • Global 4
  • Grundon
  • Imogen Dental limited
  • Intelligent Waste Management Limited
  • Isosceles Finance Limited
  • MT Training
  • PK Group
  • Right at Home Maidenhead, Marlow & Henley
  • Service Master Clean by Deeland
  • The Bright Click
  • Virgin Incentives
  • Wilson Partners Limited

Networker of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Ben Kench
  • Georgina Dean
  • Jamie Morgan
  • Lara Bennington
  • Nikki Burns
  • Reeta Vickers
  • Sarah Gardner BEM
  • Troy Smith

Apprentice of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Ali Khaled (Lucy Electric)
  • Lilia Matthias (Storm Family Martial Arts )
  • Taylor Robinson (ASK TECHNOLOGY)

Charity of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Ailsa's Aim
  • Basingstoke ITEC
  • DEBRA
  • Chemogift Bags
  • Faith Christian Group
  • Finley’s Touch
  • Helen & Douglas House
  • HEROS Charity
  • Neil Harris (Sport in Mind)
  • Newbury Velo Cycling Club
  • Sakoon Through Cancer
  • Soundabout
  • The Berkshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre (BMSTC)
  • The DASH Charity
  • Woodrow in Amersham

Outstanding Contribution to The Community

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Berkshire motor show - Stephanie Awbery
  • Basingstoke ITEC
  • Berkshire Community Foundation
  • Blandy & Blandy
  • COCO Women Founders
  • DEBRA
  • Fennies
  • Harish Marwaha
  • Helen & Douglas House
  • Newbury Velo Cycling Club
  • Our Story & Co CIC
  • Plus X Innovation (Slough)
  • Slough Children First
  • Serving Our Superheroes
  • The Skills and Business Hub
  • Timbawood Ltd

Lifetime of Achievement

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Alan Kirby
  • Andy Dickens
  • Asti Kanaris (Woodrow)
  • Dr. Neel Tank (Imogen Dental limited)
  • Grace Muir MBE
  • Paul Owen OBE
  • Lynne Shipton
  • Roy Walker (Sandford Freight)
  • Samina Hussain
  • Sarah Gardner BEM

The Leisure & Tourism Award

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Asia Cup Polo
  • Berkshire motor show - Stephanie Awbery
  • Foxhills Club & Resort
  • Grow at Woodrow
  • PadelStars
  • Regal Court Business Centre
  • Sindlesham Court
  • The Castle Hotel
  • The Coppid Beech Hotel
  • The Red Lion
  • The Runnymede on Thames

Innovator of The Year Award

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Content Guru
  • Device Charger
  • EPOS Company
  • Galeco Communications
  • Grundon
  • High5VR
  • J-Tech Systems
  • Kymira Sports
  • Occuity
  • Plantwork Systems
  • Plus X Innovation (Slough)
  • Policy Monitor Ltd
  • Rose Partner Solutions
  • Tech-Recycle

Business Leader of The Year

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Allison Webster (The Skills and Business Hub)
  • Andre Gottemaker (Service Master Clean by Deeland)
  • Asti Kanaris (Woodrow)
  • Carl Barnett (Global 4)
  • Caroline Watson (Voucherline)
  • Dan Welham (CRIO Digital )
  • Dr Frank Mathias (Oxford BioMedica)
  • Greg Eaton (Isosceles Finance Limited)
  • Ian Birch (Formentor)
  • Karen Neil (Cardea Healthcare)
  • Kevin Brown (Qfactorial)
  • Lucy Alexandra Spencer
  • Mark Hammond (Basingstoke ITEC)
  • Neil Sen (Asia Cup Polo)
  • Neil Grundon (Grundon)
  • Neil Harris (Sport in Mind)
  • Paul Hayman (MA Group)
  • Rob Jones (MT Training )
  • Robert Chapman (Borer Ltd)
  • Roy Walker (Sandford Freight)
  • Troy Smith (Oranka Fruit Juices Ltd)

Solopreneur of The Year Award

Shortlisted Nominees

  • Annabelle Chester (Neurobelle Consulting)
  • Ben Cottman (AFP Media)
  • Jenna Keens (Together One step at a time)
  • Julie Holland (BluBook Keeping)
  • Kath Harlow (Just Add Sauce)
  • Kemelo Ngwamotsoko (K&C Virtual PA )
  • Lara Bennington (Blossom & Achieve)
  • Nikki Burns
  • Paige Wilkins (Hair by Paige Gemma)
  • Reeta Vickers (Reeta Vickers Recruitment)
  • Rekha Kapoor (Wellbeing Inspire)
  • Rob Donnelly (Rob Donnelly Therapy)
  • Sharon Lashley (Lashley PA)
Interested?