GUEST COLUMN:
Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE
His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent
Across Gwent and throughout Wales, we are fortunate to have businesses that are leading the way in innovation, international trade, sustainability and social impact. Every day, these organisations are creating jobs, developing world-class products and services, and demonstrating the entrepreneurial spirit that makes Wales such an exciting place to do business.
Yet many of these outstanding businesses remain modest about their achievements. Too often, they assume that honours such as The King's Awards for Enterprise are reserved for much larger organisations or household names. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The King's Awards for Enterprise are the United Kingdom's highest official recognition for business excellence. They celebrate organisations of every size that have demonstrated exceptional achievement in areas including Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development, Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility and, from this year, the new Young Founder category. The awards are free to enter and are open to businesses, social enterprises and other organisations across the UK that meet the eligibility criteria.
Winning a King's Award brings far-reaching benefits. Alongside the prestige of receiving one of the country's most respected business honours, recipients gain international recognition, enhanced credibility with customers and investors, improved staff recruitment and retention, and valuable media exposure. Winners are entitled to use the King's Awards emblem for five years, receive the Award from their local Lord-Lieutenant on behalf of His Majesty The King, and are invited to a Royal Reception. For many businesses, the Award becomes a powerful endorsement that opens doors in new markets both at home and overseas.
As Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent, I have had the privilege of seeing first-hand the remarkable quality of businesses across our region. I firmly believe many more Welsh companies deserve national recognition and would be highly competitive applicants. Whether you are exporting around the globe, developing groundbreaking technologies, reducing your environmental impact or creating opportunities for people to succeed, your achievements deserve to be celebrated.
A recent example is Frontier Medical Group of Tredegar, which received the 2025 King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The company was recognised for its sustained international growth and the global impact of its clinically driven medical technologies, which are now used in more than 34 countries.
Reflecting on the experience, Frontier Medical Group said:
“Applying for the King's Award gave us the opportunity to step back and recognise just how far our business had come. The application process encouraged us to bring together evidence of our achievements, our innovation and our international growth. Winning the Award has provided independent recognition of our team's dedication, strengthened our reputation with customers and partners around the world, and created a real sense of pride across the whole organisation. We would encourage any eligible business not to underestimate its achievements and to consider applying.”
Their success demonstrates that world-class businesses are thriving here in Wales and that organisations of all sizes can achieve national recognition.
I would encourage business leaders across Wales to look closely at the eligibility criteria and consider making an application. The process requires careful preparation, but the rewards can be transformational. Even completing the application provides an opportunity to reflect on your organisation's achievements, measure your impact and articulate your ambitions for the future.
Applications for the 2027 King's Awards for Enterprise are now open. The deadline for entries is 1.00pm on Tuesday 8 September 2026. Businesses interested in applying can find full guidance, eligibility criteria and the online application process on the GOV.UK website.
Our region has every reason to be proud of its business community. I hope to see many more organisations from Gwent and across Wales putting themselves forward and receiving the national recognition they richly deserve.
