110 Businesses Reach Final of Prestigious European Business Awards

LONDON, February 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

110 businesses have been announced as the finalists and Ruban d'Honneur recipients in the 2015/16 European Business Awards sponsored by RSM.

The finalists were chosen from 678 National Champions by an esteemed panel of judges made up of European business and political leaders, academics and entrepreneurs. The judges will now undertake face-to-face interviews with each finalist in order to decide the overall winners of the Awards' 11 categories to be announced at a Gala Ceremony in June.

The European Business Awards engaged with over 32,000 companies from 33 countries this year, a 33% increase from last year, and a record-breaking number for the competition now in its ninth year.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: "To survive in this economic climate is hard enough, so to innovate, prosper and grow in the way this year's Ruban D'Honneur recipients have is truly remarkable. Europe needs more companies like these. Well done to them all."

Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM, the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms and the lead sponsor of the European Business Awards, said: "At RSM, we help middle market companies to operate in the increasingly complex and rapidly changing global business landscape. The Ruban d'Honneurs announced today are typical of those companies that our member firms work with on a daily basis, and so it is encouraging to see their growth and prosperity. We wish them well in the third and final round of judging and look forward to announcing the overall category winners at the Gala Event."

The 110 companies chosen as Ruban d'Honneurs this year come from 30 countries across Europe, with the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Portugal and Italy having the highest number of businesses chosen to move to the final stage of the competition.  

Running alongside the independent judging part of the competition is a public vote, which will decide the 'National Public Champions' of the competition for each country. To vote for your favourite company go to http://www.businessawardeurope.com. The winners of the public vote will be announced on 7^th March.

The competition was created to celebrate and promote business success and support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.  Additional sponsors and partners of the Awards include ELITE and PR Newswire.

For more information on the Awards, the Ruban d'Honneur winners by country and the public vote please visit http://www.businessawardseurope.com and follow us on twitter at @rsmEBA

About the European Business Awards: 

The European Business Awards' primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.

For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

• It celebrates and endorses individuals' and organisations' success
• It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to
• It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 9^th year. It attracted over 32,000 businesses to the competition last year and in the public vote generated over 170,000 votes from across Europe.

http://www.businessawardseurope.com.

About RSM  

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 760 offices and more than 38,000 people internationally. The network's total fee income is US$4.64 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.

RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.

RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. http://www.rsm.global  

About UK Trade & Investment: 

UKTI works with UK based businesses to export to international markets and supports overseas companies to look at the UK as the best place to set up or expand their business. If you are a company interested in expanding in to the UK, please contact Lisa.Greig@mobile.ukti.gov.uk or visit http://www.gov.uk/ukti

About ELITE: 

ELITE is an integrated service designed to help SMEs prepare and structure for the next stage of growth through access to long term financing opportunities.

ELITE targets SMEs with a sound business model, clear growth strategy and a desire to obtain funding in the near future.

ELITE offers an innovative approach, including a training programme, a working zone supported by a tutorship model and direct access to the financial community through dedicated digital community facilities. It is "capital neutral" to any financing opportunity, providing access to Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds, debt products, etc.

ELITE was successfully launched in Italy in 2012 and in the UK in 2014. It now accounts for more than 200 companies of different sizes and sectors, more than 150 partners and more than 70 long term investors. It is a European platform deeply rooted in each domestic market, through partnership with local institutions combined with the opportunity to access international support and advice.

It will be a community of excellence: companies, advisors, investors and stakeholders with an interest in supporting SMEs. The larger the community, the wider the range of business and growth opportunities offered to ELITE members.

About PR Newswire 

PR Newswire is the leading global provider of PR and corporate communications tools that enable clients to distribute news and rich content. We distribute our client's content across traditional, digital and social media channels in real time with fully actionable reporting and monitoring.

Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

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