The countdown to the 2018 Summit Entrepreneurship Awards in Glasgow is under way, as tickets for the grand celebration dinner are released for general sale today. (Tuesday 2 October)

Organised by STV and Entrepreneurial Scotland, Summit – Celebrating Scottish Entrepreneurship, will shine a spotlight on our most inspirational established and up-and-coming entrepreneurs from a range of backgrounds and sectors.

L to R Peter Reilly, STV; Graham Cambridge, Barclays; Sandy Kennedy, Entrepreneurial Scotland and Richard Slater, Deloitte at SWG3 in Glasgow, the venue for the gala awards night in November.

The 2018 Summit Entrepreneurship Awards are this year supported by Deloitte and Barclays. This year’s awards are also organised in collaboration with the Scotland CAN DO movement and Scotland is Now.

Richard Slater, Partner and Head of Deloitte Private for Deloitte in Scotland, said: “The Summit Entrepreneurship Awards puts the spotlight on Scotland’s entrepreneurial leaders. We look forward to working with our partners to search for the country’s best entrepreneurial talent and to recognise the individuals who have excelled over the past 12 months.

“Deloitte has been working with Entrepreneurial Scotland for over 12 years and during this time there’s been a great deal of change. But, what’s remained constant is the ambition and drive of Scotland’s entrepreneurial scene.  Deloitte has a proud tradition of advising entrepreneurs in Scotland all the way through the life cycles of their businesses from initial growth to sale, or even initial public offering. Over the years, we have invested much of our time with entrepreneurs, helping them to solve their most complex challenges and unlock their potential – something we remain absolutely committed to.”

Graham Cambridge, High Growth & Entrepreneur Business Manager at Barclays, said: “At Barclays we work with a host of entrepreneurial businesses who are innovating and thriving on a national and global scale. We’ve developed a dedicated High Growth and Entrepreneurs offering to meet their needs as part of our commitment to helping Scotland’s economy grow and supporting the Summit Entrepreneurship Awards is a natural extension of this.

“The awards celebrate the rich seam of companies doing great things in Scotland, and with categories covering everything from scale-ups to social enterprises it’s a reminder that any organisation can benefit from an entrepreneurial mindset.”

The 2018 Summit Entrepreneurship Awards recognise outstanding talent in seven categories:

• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Scale-Up of the Year
• Rising Star of the Year
• Intrapreneur of the Year
• Social Entrepreneur of the Year
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year,
• Academic Entrepreneur of the Year

Shortlisting from a strong list of nominations is now taking place. The judges are preparing for the difficult task of selecting the finalists, before the winners are revealed at a glamorous night of celebrations in SWG3, in Glasgow, on November 22.

The judging panel of sector experts includes: Gareth Williams, Skyscanner; Colette Grant, Grant Property; Stuart Brown, Barclays; Peter Reilly, STV; Richard Slater, Deloitte; Ian McConnell, The Herald.

STV Commercial Director, Peter Reilly, said: “The showcase of brilliant entrepreneurial stories across Summit is very inspiring. At STV we are privileged to support businesses every day across their growth journeys – we can’t wait to shine a light on and celebrate with Scotland’s brightest businesses in November.  The 2018 Summit Entrepreneurial Awards will be a fantastic celebration of our entrepreneurs who are working hard across all industries and sectors to create a real, sustainable positive impact on our country’s economy.”

The 2018 Summit Entrepreneurship Awards are building on the success of Entrepreneurial Scotland’s prestigious national awards, established 22 years ago.

Entrepreneurial Scotland Chief Executive, Sandy Kennedy, said: “For Scotland to truly thrive, it is vital that we showcase entrepreneurial role models of all kinds, wherever they are and at every stage of their journey. The awards dinner promises to be an inspiring evening featuring our most outstanding and successful innovators and is a fitting way to celebrate their amazing achievements.

“By increasing awareness of our brilliant entrepreneurs, and highlighting their contribution to our economy, we aim to inspire others to take the next step to scale up or start their own successful enterprises.”

Tickets for the celebration 2018 Summit entrepreneurship Awards dinner at SWG3 in Glasgow are available at www.summitscot.com/buy-tickets