The Outstanding Achievement award at the Eastern Daily Press Business Awards 2023 recognises a business or individual whose success has helped put Norfolk in the spotlight.

“I think the outstanding business or individual this year will be one that has really showcased Norfolk at its best in recent years – as opposed to over a long period of time,” said Tim Seeley, category judge and head of East Anglia mid-corporate banking at Barclays, which is sponsoring the award.

“What puts Norfolk on the map? What makes other businesses outside our region think ‘Gosh, that would be a great place to set up and operate from’?

“The 2022 winner, Cornwall Insight, made a very prominent contribution to national matters regarding energy last year, so it’s really about that impact and something that brings our region to life.”

Mr Seeley said it’s quite easy to pick a winner of the Outstanding Achievement award once they receive the nominations – which they personally request from business leaders across Norfolk.

“We do see such a wide range of people and businesses nominated for this award – but what is really fascinating is that when the judges get together, the winner jumps out,” said Mr Seeley.

“The judging panel in the past has always been pretty much in tune with itself,” he added. “We all tend to look for similar sorts of things and understand what we’re trying to highlight with the award.” 

Eastern Daily Press: Tim Seeley, category judge and head of East Anglia mid-corporate banking at BarclaysTim Seeley, category judge and head of East Anglia mid-corporate banking at Barclays (Image: Barclays)

This year, the judges will also consider how businesses and individuals support the people around them.

“The business environment today requires different skills and education levels, and I think those businesses that actually support their people in that development are the ones that are going to be the longer-term winners,” said Mr Seeley.

“I have the benefit of being able to look back more than 15 years, but even if we went back 10 or 12 years, we would have never imagined the sorts of skills that we need now,” he added.

“When it comes to people, having the foresight to understand what a business’s demands and needs are going to be in the longer term is a unique skill.”

Mr Seeley believes the Outstanding Achievement award stands apart from all of the other categories.

“You can’t enter this one – you have to be nominated,” he concluded. “It’s the recognition of your peers, so it’s a very prestigious award.”

The winner of the Outstanding Achievement award will be revealed at the awards ceremony on Thursday, November 23. 

To found out more about the EDP Business Awards 2023, visit the website or read about the other categories here.

Meet the sponsor

Barclays is a British universal bank that values the big picture. Supporting businesses turning over more than £6.5m pa, Barclays Corporate Banking has the banking excellence you’d expect with the data and insights you don’t. It looks beyond banking to help you see what really matters.

Through its dedicated sector and regional specialists, and the power of the wider Barclays network, it can act on those insights and provide you with innovative financing solutions that help you achieve a more expansive, better-connected future for your business.

See things differently with Big Picture Banking at Barclays.

Award criteria

The Outstanding Achievement award is a non-entry category and celebrates an individual or group that has played a transformative role in their business and in the wider business community.

They are a person or group whose achievements have helped put Norfolk firmly on the map as an innovative and dynamic place to live and work.

The Outstanding Achievement award is not just a look back over a career but also a look at the impact this business person or group is having both on the present and the future.