National Champions Named Across Europe in the European Business Awards 2016/17 Sponsored by RSM

LONDON, September 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

First Round of Europe's Largest Business Competition Selects Best From Over 33,000  

636 businesses from 34 countries have been named National Champions in The European Business Awards sponsored by RSM; Europe's largest business competition set up to recognize and celebrate business excellence.  

The Awards, now in its 10^th year, is supported by business leaders, academics and political representatives from across Europe, and this year engaged with over 33,000 businesses.

The companies chosen as National Champions in this first round of judging represent all major industry sectors and range from small start-ups to large multinationals. These companies will now move to the next stage of the competition, which includes a video presentation and a public vote.

Details of the winners can be found at http://www.businessawardseurope.com

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: "Congratulations to the talented businesses that have been selected to represent their country as National Champions. They are central to the success of Europe's strong business community, and have shown the core principles we look for of innovation, ethics and success."

Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM International, the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms and the lead sponsor of the European Business Awards, said: "The strength and depth of participants in the programme improves year on year, which is a true testament to the tenacity of businesses across the continent. I would like to offer my congratulations to all of the National Champions this year and I wish them luck in the coming rounds."

The next round requires the National Champions to make a presentation video, telling their unique story and explaining their business success. The Awards' independent judges will award the best of this group the 'Ruban d'Honneur' status and the selected companies will then go on to the Gala Final in 2017.

Separately, in a two stage public vote, the videos will be hosted on the European Business Awards website, and the company that receives the most votes in their country will become the 'National Public Champion'. Last year over 227,000 votes were cast as companies were supported globally by their clients, staff and peers, as well as the general public.

Lead sponsor RSM, the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms worldwide has supported the European Business Awards since its inception. The Awards' core purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. Additional sponsors and partners of the Awards include UK Trade and Investment, ELITE and PR Newswire.

In the 2015/16 competition, all EU member markets were represented plus Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Their combined revenue exceeded €1.2 trillion, employing over 2.5 million people.

For further information about the European Business Awards and RSM please go to http://www.businessawardseurope.com or http://www.rsm.global 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 10^th year. It attracted over 32,000 businesses to the competition last year and in the public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE, UKTI and PR Newswire.

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 innovative programme that offers mentoring, advice and access to finance to help fast growing companies on their way. ELITE is dedicated to the most exciting and ambitious firms, having a sound business model, clear growth strategy and a desire to obtain funding in the future.

ELITE companies can access a vibrant community which facilitates structured engagement between inspiring businesses, industry experts and the investor and corporate advisory community.
The long term objective of ELITE is to improve access to more sophisticated skill-sets, network and a diversified capital pool in order to prepare and structure for the next stage of growth and support for scale up challenges.

The programme has supported more than 400 ambitious firms since its launch in 2012. Inspiring, high-growth companies from 23 different countries are part of the programme today, which promotes relationships and creates opportunities with potential investors, as well as supporting management best practice and entrepreneurship.

For more information on ELITE please contact elite@lseg.com or visit http://www.elite-growth.com

About PR Newswire 

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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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