ENTERPRISING small businesses in East Durham will find out this week whether they have been recognised in this years Celebration of Enterprise awards.

The awards, organised by the area’s enterprise agency the East Durham Business Service (EDBS), aim to recognise those small firms who have made a difference locally through job creation to promoting the area’s reputation.

The judges were delighted to received a record number of entries this year, the eighth that the awards have been running.

EDBS chief executive Peter Chapman said: “We were incredibly impressed with the standard of entries this year. The only problem was that it took us a long time to choose a winner for each category.

“Entrants displayed their remarkable talents to us and were the source of much deliberation within the judges’ room.

“The awards this year are on a bigger scale than ever and the quality of entrants has reflected that.”

Three new categories were introduced to the Celebration of Enterprise Awards 2011 – SME Business of the Year, Apprentice of the Year and Employee of the Year.

The shortlist for the awards stretches from agricultural to engineering, design, retail and health-based businesses.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Wednesday, November 16, at Ramside Hall Hotel, attended by 200 specially invited guests.

Nigel Hardy, chairman of EDBS, said: “I’m thrilled with the response we’ve had – the event is a great way to showcase talent and talent has certainly been showcased here.

“It will be a great evening as it always has been, but this year’s applicants have helped to make it the biggest and best yet.

“I would like to wish everybody the best of luck and to those that applied but were unsuccessful, thank you for giving us such a difficult task.”