New and established businesses from across The Marches are being urged to enter the latest round of the Rural Business Awards.

Aimed at showcasing the UK’s best rural enterprises, the awards are an opportunity for sole-traders and larger organisations in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Telford & Wrekin to be recognised for their hard work.

The independent awards programme covers six regions, the North, the Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland, the South West, the South East, and the East.

The regional rounds will be followed by a national final, where winners from each region compete to win a national trophy.

The 2019-20 awards are open to any size business embracing a rural theme, serving a rural clientele or operating from a rural base (a settlement of less than 10,000 people).

Entries close on June 7, 2019, and the categories are:

Best Rural Start-Up

Best Rural Diversification Project

Best Rural Retail Business

Best Rural Professional Services Business

Best Rural Creative, Artisan or Crafts Business

Best Rural Digital, Communications or Media Business

Best Rural Social Enterprise, Charity or Community Project

Best Rural Tourism Business

Best Rural Recreational or Outdoor Pursuits Business

Best Rural Food or Drink Business

Rural Young Person of the Year

To find out more about the awards and entry criteria visit the website https://www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk/.