Rural Entrepreneur of the Year
The Rural Entrepreneur of the Year</b> award
This award recognises individuals building and shaping rural businesses through vision, risk-taking and leadership — the people driving change and creating new opportunities across the rural economy.
This is a category for the person, not the business — though the strength of the business is part of the evidence.
What judges are looking for
- Personal vision — what the entrepreneur set out to do, and what they’ve built.
- Risk taken and managed — the bets, and how they were navigated.
- Leadership — team built, partners brought in, sector influence.
- Commercial outcomes — growth, investment, market position of the underlying business.
- What’s next — credible ambition for the next chapter.
Who should enter
Founders, co-founders or senior leaders who are the driving entrepreneurial force behind a UK rural business. Self-nominations and third-party nominations both welcome.
Entry Tips
- Use specific figures — revenue, %, headcount, acreage, customers served.
- Back claims with evidence: coverage, quotes, accreditations, photos.
- Focus on the last 24 months of performance.
- Read the criteria carefully and answer them directly.
