Soap Media collecting their award for e-business of the year in 2013

Nearly a quarter of all entries into a Lancashire business awards have come from Preston-based businesses.

The Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBAs) have seventeen categories and judges said amongst the record number of applications the city was the standout for wanting to show it was the best.

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Organised by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce the judges are now checking businesses are eligible.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Babs Murphy said: “Our judges have an impossible job every year because even selecting those businesses we are going to the first round of interviews means disappointing hundreds of fabulous businesses.

“By having creating a bench-marking criteria through our research partnership with Lancaster University Management School, we have a robust way of selecting our finalists to ensure the BIBAs remains the one they all want to win.”

A glitzy ceremony will take place at Blackpool Tower in September.

The initial shortlist is due to be released by Friday 2 May and the judging process then begins on May 19.

Two Preston businesses scooped prizes last year, with Preston Bus winning leadership team of the year and digital agency Soap Media won e-business of the year.

Preston Bus team collecting their leadership award

In total 1,231 businesses entered the awards across 17 categories.

Do you run a business? Did you enter? Let us know in the comments below