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Elevator is on the lookout for ‘out of this world’ entrepreneurs and pioneering businesses ahead of its 2020 Awards.

An elite showcase of Scotland’s rich entrepreneurial talent, the 2020 Elevator Awards officially launched earlier this week with the addition of three new categories: Founder of the Year, Social Enterprise of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

The 21st annual awards, supported by principal sponsor Royal Bank of Scotland, will once again recognise Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent, celebrating business growth and success, rewarding individual excellence and applauding those who have shown exceptional resilience.

New category Founder of the Year has been introduced as a result of the expansion in Elevator’s Accelerator offering, with programmes now running in Moray, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth across the digital, creative, energy, academic and general business sectors. The award will recognise founders who show real potential for business growth and success in their chosen market.

Social Enterprise of the Year is open to organisations which give back, enrich communities and make a strong contribution to society. The accolade will recognise those who demonstrate an excellent vision with a clear social, environmental and/or community impact.

While Young Entrepreneur of the Year has been introduced to spotlight individuals under the age of 30, who possess outstanding entrepreneurial flair and professional capability.

The full list of 2020 Elevator Awards categories are:

New Start of the Year
Business Success Under 5 Years
Business Success Over 5 Years
Innovation of the Year
Social Enterprise of the Year
Spirit of Enterprise
Founder of the Year
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year
As one of Scotland’s leading business support organisations and social enterprises, Elevator reinvests surplus income from the awards back into a full programme of entrepreneurial initiatives including its suite of accelerator programmes, Challenge Weekend and BeBrave! Festival.

Entries are now open until Monday 16 March 2020, with finalists announced in April. Entries are open to all businesses with headquarters in Scotland – categories, criteria and application forms can be found here. Winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on 25 June at Ardoe House Hotel.