RECESSION-beating businesses from Worcestershire are being encouraged to nominate themselves for this year’s Midlands Business Awards.

The annual event has been expanded to include 10 categories this time around, with more than 200 companies from around the region entering in the last two years.

MBA managing director Harj Sandher said: “We are always finding new ways to make it bigger and better each year. We have managed to grow the event through the recession of last year.

“The awards opens the door for any company to generate extra PR and adds credibility. We promote the winners and finalists all year round.”

Companies can enter themselves or be nominated.

Entries are judged by an independent panel who select the five finalists from each category. The first stage of judging will take place in September, where the finalists will have face-to-face interviews with the panel.

The categories are: Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year; Midlands Young Entrepreneur of the Year; Midlands Networker of the Year; Midlands Service Provider of the Year; Midlands Innovation of the Year; Midlands Business Club of the Year; Midlands Enterprising University of the Year; Midlands Exporter of the Year; Midlands Business Person of the Year and Lifetime Contribution to Midlands’ Business.

Fortunes in the region have improved dramatically in the past year, according to new figures.

Most sectors are showing increases in sales at home and abroad in the first quarterly economic survey of the year undertaken by the West Midlands Chambers of Commerce (WMCC).

The figures show that the region is slowly emerging from the depths of the recession. Simon Topman, chairman of the WMCC, said: “These new figures offer great encouragement but we must remember that we are starting from an extremely low base. Nevertheless, an all-round upturn is being experienced and we must be grateful for that.”

For more details, visit midlandsbusinessawards.com.