The third annual Private Business Awards, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers in association with HSBC Private Bank, has reached the stage of producing shortlists across a raft of categories, featuring firms such as footwear firm Dr Martens, Hotel Chocolat and Big Bus Tours.

Last year’s Private Business of the Year Award was given to JCB, the engineering company. The final shortlist for the awards was drawn from a record 700 nominations from private businesses across the length and breadth of the UK.

“A challenging economic environment often marks a period of transformation for the UK business landscape and acts as a catalyst for growth for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Private business deserves a bigger voice in the UK as a successful generator of new business opportunities. We need to celebrate and showcase the sector’s innovation, optimism and success and these awards are unique in the UK as the only national awards to do this,” Charlie Hoffman, managing director, HSBC Private Bank (UK), said.

The winners of the Private Business Awards will be announced at a dinner to be held at The Guildhall, London, on Wednesday 11 September 2013.

The shortlist

Employer of the Year

Briggs & Forrester Group Ltd

Express Engineering (Thompson) Ltd

itsu

Pentland

Sheffield Forgemasters

Technology Innovation of the Year Award - Sponsored by Currencies Direct

Apical

Appsense

DiGiCo

Spex Services Ltd

Thunderhead.com

Social Enterprise of the Year Award - Sponsored by Bryson Charitable Group

B4Box Ltd

Blue Skies Holdings

East Belfast Mission

Enabling Enterprise

Street Soccer Scotland

High Growth Business of the Year Award - Sponsored by Equistone Partners Europe Limited

Big Bus Tours Ltd

BrewDog plc

Opus Energy

Quidco/Maple Syrup Media Ltd

Sauflon Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Exporter of the Year Award - Sponsored by HSBC Commercial

CDE Global Ltd

Fever-Tree Ltd

Owen Mumford Ltd

Petroleum Experts Ltd

Ulster Carpet Mills (Holdings) Ltd

Rising Star of the Year Award

Fourfront Ltd

Intelligent Energy Ltd

Jamie's Italian Ltd

Moo.com/Moo Print Ltd

Spex Services Ltd

CEO of the Year Award

Paul Lindley/Ella's Kitchen

Peter Bruce/Entier

Angus Thirlwell/Hotel Chocolat

Graham Honeyman/Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd.

Kevin Oakes/Steelite International

Private Business Woman of the Year Award - Sponsored by PwC

Debbie Morgan/Dr. Martens/R Griggs Group Ltd

Karen Hamling/ITH Pharma Ltd

Nica Burns/Nimax Theatres Ltd

Angela Rushforth/ The Ridgeons Group Ltd

Janis Sinton/TasteTech Ltd

Family Business of the Year Award

Allied Vehicles Ltd

Oaklands Farm Eggs Ltd

Owen Mumford Ltd

Rigby Group Ltd

Wates Group Ltd

Private Business of the Year Award - Sponsored by HSBC Private Bank Ltd

AES Engineering Ltd

Dr Martens/R Griggs Group Ltd

Euromonitor International Ltd

Logson Group

Walkers Shortbread Ltd