Cumbria Lord-Lieutenant

The King's Awards for Enterprise

The King’s Awards for Enterprise (KAE) is the most prestigious business award in the UK, recognising outstanding achievements in innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility. It celebrates the vital role business plays in the life of the nation
KAE Clark Door 2024

The Cumbria Lieutenancy supports The King’s Awards for Enterprise by:

  • Promoting awareness of the award among local businesses and organisations
  • Encouraging eligible businesses to apply
  • Signposting companies to official resources and application guidance
  • Attending KAE presentations and award events locally.

Benefits of winning the award

If you get an award you’ll be:

  • invited to a Royal reception at Buckingham Palace
  • presented with the award at your company by the Lord-Lieutenant
  • able to fly The King’s Awards flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials (for example, on your packaging, advertisements, stationery and website)
  • given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy

The award lasts for 5 years.

Awards in detail

Award categories

There are four award categories:

Innovation: Honours businesses that have demonstrated exceptional innovation in products, services, or processes, leading to significant commercial success.

International Trade: Acknowledges companies that have achieved substantial growth in overseas earnings and commercial success through international trade.

Sustainable Development: Recognises organisations that have integrated sustainability into their business practices, showing outstanding commitment to environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility): Celebrates enterprises that have enhanced social mobility by providing opportunities through training, work experience, or employment, particularly to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Eligibility

To apply for the King’s Awards for Enterprise your organisation must:

  • be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
  • have a good compliance record with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - for example, showing you pay the right amount of tax on time
  • be a self-contained enterprise under its own management and complete its own accounts
  • have at least 2 full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents
  • demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance practices

Your organisation can be a business, non-profit or in the public sector.

Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria. See the The King's Awards for Enterprise: Eligibility - GOV.UK for full guidance.

Top tips from previous winners 

Working together with Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, we have created a podcast about The King's Awards for Enterprise.  

Featuring Deputy Lieutenant Mr Bryan Gray and previous winners, The Lakes Free Range Egg Company and Clark Door, the podcast has lots of useful information and top tips about applying for a King's Awards for Enterprise.

Lieutenancy support

The Lieutenancy Office may be able to offer advice and mentoring to eligible applicants in the completion of the online application form.

If you would like to speak to us about your potential application, please email lieutenant@cumbria.gov.uk and we will be happy to assist.

Alternatively, to contact The King's Awards Office directly, call their helpline on 020 4551 0081 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email kingsawards@businessandtrade.gov.uk

How to apply (2025 deadline: 9 September)

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter. You can apply for more than one category.

There is still time to enter the 2026 awards. The closing date is 1pm on Tuesday 9 September, 2025.

Apply now