New business awards

The eighth HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards has been launched '“ an annual search for the UK's most promising start-up businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them.

The Awards, backed by the government and supported by Sky News and the Daily Express, welcome any fledging firms less than three years old which can prove they have the recipe for success.

The Start-Up Stars Awards culminates with a black-tie event at London's Dorchester Hotel on October 29, where the UK's top new businesses will hope to be crowned 'Start-Up Star 2008' and to walk away with a cheque for 50,000, courtesy of HSBC.

A cheque for 5,000 will also be presented to the business scooping the Green Award and demonstrating they are putting the environment at the top of their business agenda.

As official supporter of the Awards, Google will be offering 5,000 of AdWords and a visit to their London office as a prize to both the National Winner and the Green Award Winner. Each of the runners-up will receive 2,500 of AdWords.

Helping to launch the Awards, Minister for Business and Competitiveness, Shriti Vadera said: "Successful start-ups are essential to the UK meeting the challenges of today's globally competitive market. Small and growth businesses are an important source of innovation, competition and new ideas and of course help to create new jobs.

"I am grateful to HSBC, the Daily Express and Sky News for developing the HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards 2008. Awards such as these, contribute to encouraging a culture of risk taking and aspiration that will help us achieve our ambition of being the most enterprising economy in the world."