We are delighted to be supporting the Most Promising New Business category again this year at the British Chambers of Commerce's Chamber Awards. BT shares a common goal in wanting to help small businesses grow and succeed, whether they are just starting out or have been in business for a while.

As a partner of the BCC, BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services including networked IT services, telecommunications services and higher-value broadband and Internet products and services. With our regional teams, BT works across the whole of the UK, marshalling resources and solutions to meet the challenges and issues of different localities.

The small business sector is the real economic powerhouse of UK plc and one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy. Entrepreneurial businesses in particular are flourishing in the face of the changing business world and it is extremely important that these changes are recognised. We want to break down the barriers for small businesses and technology is enabling us to help small businesses to do this.

We are again delighted to be a category sponsor of this year's Awards, and hope that our partnership programme with the BCC helps its members to develop their own businesses further.

For more information please contact us on 0800 800 152 or visit www.bt.com/bcc

Microsoft is pleased to be able to sponsoring the Impact of Technology on Your Business Awards for small and medium businesses. In today's intensely competitive economic environment, Microsoft believes that technology can provide a key differentiator for small businesses, enabling them to keep ahead of the competition by working smarter and more efficiently. Mobility solutions such as tablet PCs, smartphones and Internet enabled PDAs give small business staff the ability to work from anywhere making them more adaptable, faster to respond and offering a much more flexible lifestyle.

Microsoft and its partners offer a range of products and solutions that are specifically designed to help small businesses adapt to the changing business environment and take advantage of the latest technologies. The Small Business Server 2003, Microsoft CRM and Office Small Business Edition 2003 are all designed to support small businesses as they grow and look to drive more revenue into their business.

Because of Microsoft's ongoing commitment to the small business market we are very pleased to be a sponsor of the Chamber Awards again this year, and to recognise and reward the Chamber Member that the judges deem to be the leading company or organisation within the Chamber Network.

For more information about how Microsoft can help small businesses, visit www.bcentral.co.uk

RBS Group is delighted to have formed a long-term strategic partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce to support the small business sector. Together we will be able to deliver a range of financial services and business development activities both at a national and a more local level.

As part of our commitment we are delighted to be the main sponsor of the BCC Awards 2007. RBS Group, which includes business banks NatWest and RBS, are sponsoring the ‘Winner of Winners’ Award. At RBS Group we understand what it takes for a business to be successful in business and to recognise this achievement we shall be presenting the overall winner of this prestigious award a cheque for £50,000.

RBS Group is also sponsoring the ‘Achievement in International Trade’ Award. With over one million business customers and dedicated managers with a wealth of experience, we are well-placed to help businesses adapt to the challenges of international business. As the global economy becomes increasingly important, we are proud to be recognising success in the international arena.

RBS Group, which includes NatWest and RBS, are proud to be Britain's leading small business bank. That position has been earned because we have invested time and effort to understand the issues that matter to small firms. We have used this knowledge to develop products and services that meet their needs.

NatWest and RBS business banking are committed to providing free face to face advice through locally based experienced managers, recently introducing a further 500 locally based business managers into our network of 2,277 branches.

For more information on how RBS Group can help your business, visit rbs.co.uk or natwest.com

Xerox has a long and proud history of supporting Britain’s small businesses and are delighted to be supporting the Entrepreneur of the year category as part of the national Chamber Awards programme.

Xerox is world renowned for its commitment to innovation in document management and the quality of its products and services. Right across the UK, many businesses use Xerox products day in and day out. In many ways, business runs on documents from sales invoices and marketing collaterals, to annual reports. For

For more information please visit www.xerox.co.uk

The Learning and Skills Council exists to make England better skilled and more competitive.

We have a single goal: to improve the skills of England’s young people and adults to ensure we have a workforce of world-class standard.

The LSC is responsible for planning and funding high quality education and training for everyone in England other than those in universities.

Our vision is that by 2010, young people and adults in England have knowledge and skills matching the best in the world and are part of a truly competitive workforce.

For more information please visit www.lsc.gov.uk

BlackBerry is pleased to be supporting the national British Chambers of Commerce national Chamber Awards for 2007 as the category sponsor for Business of the Year.

A BlackBerry smartphone is a tool for people who know where they’re going in life. It provides convenient access to the information you need to act quickly and decisively, on a pocket-sized smartphone. Whether you’re a busy individual or a global business executive, a BlackBerry smartphone will win you the time to run your day more effectively. A BlackBerry solution keeps you in contact with clients, colleagues and friends using phone, instant messaging, or sms/mms. It also gives you access to your emails, organiser, business applications, the web, and much, much more. Whatever you need, a BlackBerry solution is right there when you need it.

For more information please visit www.blackberry.com

As one on the leading green energy generators in the UK, we are delighted to be sponsoring the Green Award at this year's British Chambers of Commerce's Chamber Awards.

E.ON is one of the UK’s leading power and gas companies, generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas. We are part of the E.ON group, the world's largest investor-owned power and gas company and employ around 18,000 people in the UK. Our retail business has around 7.4 million electricity and gas accounts, both domestic and SME, in addition, we have around 13,000 industrial and commercial customers.

We are committed to reducing the carbon intensity of our UK energy generation by 10% by 2012 on top of a 20% cut since 1990.

For more information please visit www.eonenergy.com

Qdos is delighted, once again, to be sponsoring the Chamber of the Year award.

Businesses today have to contend with the increasing burden of legislation i.e. employment law, and the proliferation of ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors which makes dealing with employment issues ever more difficult, time consuming and costly.

Qdos, in conjunction with the BCC, have a number of solutions to this such as providing www.chamberhr.co.uk and www.chamberhs.co.uk to 40,000 individual businesses subscribing to the service through membership of 35 different Chambers.

Additional HR support can be provided with the new ChamberHR System. This is an on-site consultancy product which provides Chambers with a cost effective solution for members.

Qdos also offers taxation, VAT, and training solutions to businesses and has for the third consecutive year been listed in the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track Awards.

To find out more about us please visit. www.qdosconsulting.com

Composite Legal Expenses is extremely pleased to be sponsoring the prestigious Excellence in Membership Growth category.

Composite has had a close relationship with the BCC and its Chambers for over 7 years, providing members with Chamber Legal Expenses and 24/7 legal advice lines. As a key membership benefit, Chamber Legal Expenses covers a huge range of legal costs – an absolute necessity for members, helping keep their businesses safe from ‘legal harm’ in today’s litigious society.

Following the success of Chamber Legal Expenses, Composite (in conjunction with Qdos Consulting) launched the innovative Chamber HR solution – a combination of proactive on-line HR advice supported by the Chamber Legal Expenses product.

As one of the UK’s leading legal expenses insurance providers, Composite’s expertise has been recognised through many insurance industry and business awards.

We are proud to be a strategic partner of the BCC.

For more information please visit www.composite-legal.com

The Stelios - Disabled Entrepreneur Award

Stelios Haji-ioannou, one of the UK's leading and most famous entrepreneur is searching for a disabled entrepreneur who has shown that the barriers placed in the way of disabled people have not stopped them in their quest for success in business. Leonard Cheshire, the UK's largest disability charity are helping in this search and Stelios will present the winner with their award at the British Chambers of Commerce highly prestigious Awards Dinner.

For more information please visit www.disabledentrepreneur.org

A not-for-profit organisation, Westfield Health have dedicate themselves to the values of well-being. Due to their business philosophy of embracing the spirit of social, ethical and environmental responsibility's they are sponsoring this years British Chambers of Commerce's Chamber Awards floral table displays.

Westfield Health is one of the most successful secure health insurers in the UK with over 85 years experience and more than a third of a million policyholders enjoying cover with them.

Their reputation for innovation, quality and service has been recognised nationally, with Westfield winning, three years running, the prestigious UK awards of ‘Best Healthcare Cash Plan Provider' in the Health Insurance Awards for 2004, 2005 and 2006, ‘Best Insurance Provider' in the Guardian and Observer Consumer Finance Awards 2004 and 2005, and attaining the Servicemark Gold Level of Achievement 2005.

Proud of their not-for-profit status, every year Westfield Health make substantial donations to the NHS and medically related charities.

For more information about Westfield Health and how they can help make a difference visit www.westfieldhealth.com

Monkie have worked closely with the British Chambers of Commerce over the past few years, delivering creative and effective solutions to a number of their national and international initiatives. As such, we are more than happy to sponsor the 2007 Chamber Awards through the production of creative support materials for the event.

We help many businesses find both a national and international voice and understand how this impacts on the local, regional and national economies. Brand awareness, through creative development and implementation plays a pivotal role in business perception and so too, success.

In common with the BCC, Monkie are focussed on delivering creative services that help realise the maximum potential in any business, be them SME's or established international bodies or organisations.

For further information and details of how Monkie can help promote your business, please visit www.monkie.co.uk

The Zoo team are delighted to be supporting the British Chambers of Commerce Awards 2007.

Having helped many SME's to establish themselves within their sector through the supply of print, promotional packaging and associated services, we are only too aware of how the efforts of innovative business and entrepreneurial spirit should be championed.

Zoo help both emerging and established businesses by taking away the added pressure of managing print and promotional packaging requirements on any scale. We develop relationships with our clients that are long lasting and form the basis of true partnerships - a fundamental key to business success, a concept our time working with the BCC has reinforced.

To find out how the Zoo team can deliver an effective and economic solution for your business, please visit www.zoosolutions.co.uk