Award for Best Business for Innovation

Sponsor: Minesoft

Minesoft is a global software company specialising in online patent information products and services. Our areas of expertise include Patent Information, Intellectual Property document retrieval, Patent Analytics, Patent Archiving and Competitive Intelligence and all areas of Industrial Research including chemistry, engineering and technology.

Our solutions – including PatBase, the international searchable patent database – are designed to help organisations exploit the commercial value of IP and scientific information throughout the innovation process. We serve many Fortune 500/FTSE 100 companies around the world, as well as specialist IP, patent attorney and search firms.

Founded in 1996 by Ann Chapman and Ophir Daniel and headquartered in Richmond, Minesoft meets the needs of a fast-growing global client base with international customer support (including locations in USA, Japan, Germany and Israel), and by partnering with some of the information industry’s leading names. Minesoft won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2009.

Minesoft is proud to sponsor the Richmond Business Awards recognising and celebrating local businesses, and would like to wish all nominees the best of luck!

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Entry Form for Best Business for Innovation

Your Name

Your Job Title

Your Email

Your Phone Number (mobile and/or landline)

Name of business or organisation

1. Does your business or organisation do work and/or is it based in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames? 20 words:
Please include information about the size of your company in terms of number of employees and /or turnover.

2. If not based in the Borough please specify what % and how much work you do in Richmond upon Thames? - max 50 words

3. Innovation is the application of a better solution that meets new requirements or needs through any mechanism such as more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to market - tell us about your innovations and how they are original, new or important in your own field of work?
This question is focused on the better solutions you have developed. When describing these please explain what about them is innovative – this should not only be a brief technical description, but should also include an explanation of how they are different from what you offered before (if relevant) and /or how they are different from alternatives on the market. Also tell us when were these innovations /innovative products /services developed and when were/ or are to be made available to customers.

4. What requirements are the innovations addressing and how? 200 words

5. How have the innovations made a difference – this might be anything from cost savings; increased profit, sustainable environment, better customer service, improved safety etc – please provide evidence of this. 400 words

6. What impact has innovation had on the business and the wider community– this might be anything from cost savings; increased profit, sustainable environment, better customer service, improved safety etc - please provide the evidence of this - 200 words
- This question is focused on your company. How has innovation made a difference to your company? Please also tell us any local impact e.g. creation in local jobs.

7. Who will collect the Award at the awards ceremony should you win?

Please upload your company logo (high res and low res versions please) and any other documents relevant to your entry here (max. 5Mb)

Entry Guidelines:

To enter you need to be a business or organisation in Richmond upon Thames or do significant work in the borough. When completing the entry forms please use metrics for example proportion of turnover, %, numbers in your evidence – this will assist in the judging. All sizes of businesses and organisations are invited to enter and all will be judged according to their size. If you do not have all the answers you could still win – our independent judges will judge you fairly. The number of characters allowed per question indicates the maximum – by no means do you have to use all of these to answer the questions fully. Please attach any additional evidence such as press releases or testimonials or confidential business balance sheets to support your entry.

Prior to entering the Awards this year, please pay the entry fee using the PAY ENTRY FEE button below. This entitles your business to: enter multiple Richmond Business Awards; 2 tickets to attend The Awards Ball, so you and your colleagues can enjoy the fun event including a drinks reception, fine dining and dancing at the iconic Twickenham Stadium; and last but not least so you can pick up your Award should you win. Before paying the fee, join the Richmond Chamber of Commerce to access the subsidised Awards Entry Fee, the extensive business network, compelling advertising and PR packages, free mentoring services, varied weekly events, facilitation services and more. These Entry Fee seats can be added to a table for 10 should you wish to purchase a table so that we can accommodate tables of 12. Please note that the entry fee is paid only once and entitles your business or organisation to enter multiple Awards.

If you have any questions about entering any of the categories, the process or anything else please contact us at email@richmondchamberofcommerce.co.uk and the team will be delighted to assist you.