A great line-up of Wearside and East Durham businesses have made it to the shortlist of this year’s Portfolio Awards.
And listed below is the full round-up of all those still in the running for honours.
Managing Editor Gavin Foster with the judging panel at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards.
Judges met twice at Port of Call in Sunderland, in the impressive setting of the venue’s tipis which were installed just this summer.
Judges examined every entry before deciding who should progress to the next stage.
After hours of deliberation, they agreed on the finalists and agreed it had been a tough task to whittle down such a high standard of entries. But they eventually narrowed down the field in 17 categories, while the winners of two further categories will be revealed at the finals.
The next stage is the grand final at the Stadium of Light, on Thursday, October 26.
After hours of deliberation, the judges agreed on the finalists. They also agreed it had been a tough task to whittle down such a high standard of entries. But they eventually narrowed down the field in 17 categories, while the winners of two further categories will be revealed at the finals
Echo reporter
Make it Sunderland is again our headline sponsor, and will sponsor our overall Business of the Year Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement award, which is in the sponsor’s gift.
Make It Sunderland is also backing the contribution social enterprises make to the city in the Social Enterprise Award.
Other sponsors are Northumbrian Water, TTR Barnes, BIC, Sunderland BID, The Bridges, Sunderland College, Wessington Dental, Gentoo, Station Taxis, Creo, The Fans Museum, Stagecoach North East, JB Skills Training, Lumley Castle Hotel, and Sunderland 2021 – the team behind Sunderland’s City of Culture Bid.
Watch out for an eight-page supplement in the Sunderland Echo on Wednesday, October 25 - complete with a reminder of all the shortlisted contenders as well as more details of the awards.
The judging of the Portfolio Awards in the impressive Port of Call venue.
Then, a day later, Sunderland Echo will be there to follow all of the action at the grand finals on October 26 with coverage on social media on the evening.
There will also be a full report in print in the Sunderland Echo in the next day’s edition on October 27. It will include photographs as well as a full list of all of the winners.
And watch out for a full colour supplement the week after the awards, filled with photographs and interviews with all of the trophy winners.
The shortlist
Judging underway at the Portfolio Awards.
Small Business of the Year, sponsored by the BIC
NE Blinds
Artventurers
Bespoken Interiors
New World Designs
Medium Business of the Year, sponsored by TTR Barnes
Judges deliberate over the Portfolio Awards.
Ashford Orthodontics
Peterlee Glass
Rokshaw Ltd
Soho66
Large Business of the Year, sponsored by Sunderland College
Premier Tech Aqua UK
JB Skills Training
Employer of the Year, sponsored by Creo
Sharon Boyd (I.M.P.A.C.T. Northeast)
Rokshaw Ltd
The Bridges
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year, sponsored by Lumley Castle Hotel
Shai Dee Wild
Claudia Bradford
Technology of the Year, sponsored by Stagecoach
Wessington Dental
Consult and Design
Soho66
Quvu Contact Centre Management
Social Enterprise Award, sponsored by Sunderland City Council
East Durham Business Service
Media Savvy CIC
Eco-Enterprises Co-op
City Centre Business of the Year, sponsored by The Bid
Cuppas &Cakes Cafe
Middleton Jewellery Repairs
Robs Butchers
New Business Award, sponsored by The Bridges
Candy Snaps Photobooth &Candy Cart Hire
McDonough Marketing Communications (MMC)
Inflo Limited
Hidden
Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Omega Plastics
Soho66
Best Training Provider, sponsored by SAFC Museum
Media Savvy CIC
Sunderland College
New Results Training
JB Skills Training
Exporter of the Year, sponsored by JB Skills
New World Designs
Inflo Limited
Consult and Design
Leisure Business Award, sponsored by Northumbrian Water
Pub Culture (The Peacock & Dun Cow)
The Roker Hotel
Funky Indian
Port of Call
Creative Industries Award, sponsored by the City of Culture Bid
Roar Motion
Artventurers.
New World Designs
Coatsink
Sole Trader of the Year
Candy Snaps Photobooth & Candy Cart Hire
East Coast Fitness
Best Age Friendly Business, sponsored by the Sunderland Echo
Station Taxis
Bespoken Interiors
Fans Museum
Special Community Award, sponsored by Gentoo
Smiths Shoes
The Shippey Campaign
Sunderland Maritime Heritage
MelanomaMe
The winners of the Overall Business of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Awards will be revealed on the night.
