Innovation and technology are the respective themes of a prime category in this year’s Ely Standard business awards.

Both will be part of the requirement for many companies as we begin the return to work following the covid-19 lockdown.

Entrants for this year award should show how they have introduced new ideas, techniques or technology into the organisation or marketplace or how creative ideas are being turned into business success stories.

Coincidentally utilising new ideas and technology have been part of the thinking of Mayor James Palmer in recent weeks.

He is keen that once we get back to work, we focus on the innovations and technology that are available to make our journeys to work less stressful and more in keeping with our expectations of life after lockdown.

“My absolute priority is to enable people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to get back to work and their lives as quickly and safely as possible, says Mayor Palmer.

“One thing that is so important to get right is transport. We are supporting businesses in creating plans for phased working times to reduce the amount of people moving across the region at one time.

“Whilst travelling by bus or train is likely to increase contact with others and therefore the spread of the virus, it also isn’t viable or desirable to have everyone make every journey by car.”

He said his combined authority had “drawn up a plan to help more people to use bikes and other safe modes of travel to get around.

“I have been lobbying government for funding from a £250 million pot announced for upgrading cycling lanes and the provision of electric bikes and e-scooters and await further announcement on a release of funds that will allow us get on and deliver this for our region.”

In the long term, council officers are looking at large scale interventions, including rolling out more cycleways, expanding on existing routes, and converting roundabouts and junctions to give greater priority to cyclists and pedestrians.

Other initiatives including a loan scheme for electric bikes, a cycle repair voucher scheme, widening cycle bridges over the River Cam, park and cycle schemes are being costed and assessed for viability.

Your ambitions may perhaps be on a less grand scale and more modest budget, but all are vital to our economic success.

We want to hear an outline of your business, details of the idea or product, how it being implemented or developed and the impact.

About the Awards:

This year we have the following categories available to enter:

• New Business of the Year

• Small Medium Enterprises of the Year

• Family Business of the Year

• Supporting Young People Award

• Commercial Business in The Community

• The Customer Service Award

• Business Growth Award

• Business Person of the Year

• Employer of the Year

• The Innovation Award

Criteria for each of the categories can be found on the awards website.

The Judges’ Award & The Business of the Year Award - These awards are not directly entered but chosen by the judges & will be announced on the night.

Entry deadline for the 2020 awards is July 3 2020 at 5pm. All entries can be made through the awards website www.elybusinessawards.co.uk/