The organisers of the Cornwall Business Awards 2017 are calling for local businesses to submit their entries as the final deadline of Sunday 12th March approaches.

The awards are organised and presented by Cornwall Development Company in association with Business Cornwall Magazine and the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce. “This is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses, large and small, to gain recognition for their success and for the vital contribution they make to our local economy," said Colin Dennis, chairman of Cornwall Development Company. "Now in their twelfth year, the quality of the entries we have received so far has once again been impressively high.”

Any business based in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly can enter one or more of 14 award categories. Around 300 business leaders will attend the awards dinner at St Mellion International Resort on May 18, which many regard as the most important business gathering of the year in Cornwall.

Rugby hero and TV personality, Matt Dawson, has already been announced as the headline speaker for the event .

Kim Conchie, of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, said: “Every successful local business should appreciate the importance of these awards. I would urge as many as possible to get their entries in ahead of the deadline. Winning a Cornwall Business Award creates great publicity for your business and is also an excellent morale-booster for your hard working teams.”

Entries should be made online and the closing date for entries is midnight on March 12. A full list of the award categories and criteria, and an online entry form, are available at cornwallbusinessawards.co.uk.