Almost 90% of the 2,500 businesses working in Leicester and Leicestershire’s booming creative sector employ fewer than 10 people. Yet the sector as a whole produces £700 million for the local economy each year - and is expected to deliver an additional £80m by 2030.

City and county have a strong reputation for design and creativity ranging from small, independent design studios to furniture and kitchen designers, architects and fashion designers. The region’s textiles heritage features prominently. Previous winners have demonstrated how their innovative designs helped to increase sustainability, support independent living, and offer unique products to the market. We want to hear from the best of the best.

Technology is now part and parcel of modern schooling and training. The existing trend was accelerated by the Pandemic and young people are now routinely taught to code from a young age. This category celebrates work going on in schools and colleges to identify and support the innovators of the future. Previous winners have developed community assets, integrated mental health support programmes, and inspired interest in STEM subjects among young people.

It doesn’t stop at schools. In this category, we also want to hear from community-led projects to finding new solutions to modern challenges and opportunities. We are interested in community-led libraries, work being done to open up public buildings for new purposes, and more.

Food and drink is one of the biggest sectors in Leicester and Leicestershire, with almost 44,000 people employed in producing GVA of £1.8billion. Local industry growth is also out-stripping the national average.

As well as the world’s largest crisp factory, the local industry is supported by almost 4,000 microbusinesses - any of which can innovate and grow. Food and drink is an historic part of the regional economy and one which continues to benefit from R&D in developing process and outputs. We want to hear how producers and manufacturers are making the changes that will increase productivity and accelerate growth.

Logistics is a big growth industry in Leicester and Leicestershire. Already producing £1.7billion of GVA and employing 38,000 people, it has the potential to grow by a further £440 million by 2030.

Processes and networks are developing all of the time, with advanced technology being used to increase speed, productivity, and efficiency. Yet almost 4,000 businesses in the local sector are micro-sized - and we want to hear from them too about how they are making their own changes to capitalise on opportunities in this booming local industry.

Leicestershire is home to the UK’s first Life Science Opportunity Zone - at Charnwood Campus - and the sector accounts for more than 14,000 local jobs. Research is spinning out from the county’s three universities into a host of exciting new businesses.

Medicines and technology discovered in our region is helping disabled people around their homes, and tech used in operating theatres and hospitals. We are looking for innovators whose ideas have made an impact nationally and internationally, but also people making small changes that are making their businesses more competitive, productive, and profitable.

There are more than 81,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing and engineering in our region - underpinned by more than 5,000 businesses.About three-quarters of them are ‘micro-sized’ - providing highly innovative technical solutions to real world opportunities and challenges.

This award recognises how STEM businesses of all sizes are not only bringing new products to market but also implementing new technologies within their own organisations - accelerating productivity and growth.

Leicester and Leicesershire’s aerospace and satellite technology sector has the potential to be worth £500million by 2030. Major investment in research centres, such as Space Park Leicester, is bringing in sector giants from across the world.

This award celebrates this fast-growing sector, and the dozens of small, medium and large companies in our region working on ground-breaking research and technology. As well as work on satellites and other devices, previous finalists have shown innovation in mapping, air quality management and more.

Sport is a huge part of the region’s brand, employing almost 17,000 people locally in 1,245 local businesses - many of them with no more than 10 employees. We want to hear about changes you are making to help keep our region’s people fit, healthy and active. It could be anything from innovative projects in schools to new community outreach programmes at sports clubs.

Health remains a significant employer, producing more than £1.8 billion for the economy and employing more than 55,000 people. It has the potential to deliver more local jobs by 2030 than any other sector. It is also a sector which is changing to meet demands of the society it serves. We want to hear about great practices being introduced to improve productivity, quality, and outcomes for clients.

The Low Carbon sector in Leicester and Leicestershire produces £2.8billion of sales and accounts for more than 21,000 jobs - and it is growing. Wind energy is the largest specialism but there is also work going on in hydrogen technology and more.

This award recognises the work being done in taking new Low Carbon products and services to market - but also initiatives being taken within businesses of all sizes to cut waste, integrate renewable technology, and find new ways of managing energy consumption.

Leicester and Leicestershire has been attracting the very best young people to study at its three universities for decades. The specialisms on offer are wide and there is significant opportunity for integrating R&D into business through our region’s incubators and KTP programmes.

We want to hear from individuals and groups with the next award winning ideas - regardless of the sector. This might be graduate start-ups or research spin-outs. Alternatively, it may be a student developing an exceptional idea as part of the work as an undergraduate or doctoral researcher.

Each year at the Leicestershire Innovation Awards, an idea, product or service emerges that has the potential to revolutionise a particular sector and change the way we live our lives.

This award will be awarded to a category finalist who has achieved something that is truly breathtaking - whether they have already brought it to market or are in the process of doing so.

This is a closed category with no nomination process, the winner will be decided by the judging panel.

The Outstanding Contribution Award is a special accolade recognising an individual who has achieved the rare distinction of inspiring and delivering innovation repeatedly over the course of their career.

Previous winners have included health researcher Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE, Richard Freeman, of precision optics expert Zeeko, and Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, inventor of DNA fingerprinting.

This is a closed category with no nomination process, the winner will be decided by the judging panel.