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Nominations for the 2026 SSEAs are OPEN!
The Security & Safety Entrepreneur Awards (SSEAs) are open to entrepreneurs in both start-ups and established businesses, working in any area of security and safety, in any sector operating in the United Kingdom. We take a wide definition of ‘security’ to include any type of protection against any type of intended threat and ‘safety’ to include protection against any other type of threat, involving any type of asset be that people, property, organisations, products/processes/services, or places.
The categories and criteria for the SSEAs are listed below.
The criteria for the SSEAs entries are decided centrally by the SSEAs. Please note that it is important that all the entry criteria are covered in the submission, as judges can only provide their scores against the information that is submitted on the entry. External links and attachments are not permitted.
Entries Close at midnight on the 4th February 2026.
The judges are responsible for selecting the finalists and winners of each category. Their decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The award organisers also reserve the right to not award a category if circumstances deem it necessary. There is no charge to submit an entry.
Nominees may enter themselves or others more than once in multiple categories.
Please note that nominations are scored on the quality of the answers. Answers that are deemed too short will not be submitted to the judges, and there is no advantage given to nominees who enter multiple times in the same category.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year (aged 30 and under)
sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP)
To win the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award (aged 30 and under), nominees should demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurial skills, be that innovation, leadership, and/or impact in their respective fields. The following are examples of the criteria that judges may consider when evaluating nominees:
- Business achievements: showing a successful track record of launching and growing their businesses; evidence of revenue growth, customer acquisition, and solid business model.
- Innovation: demonstrating a creative and original approach to their business, industry, or market; unique business models/approaches; using disruptive technologies.
- Leadership: displaying strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate and inspire teams; managing risk and making difficult decisions; evidence of effective communication, strategic thinking, and a clear vision for the future.
- Social Impact and Sustainability: demonstrating a positive impact; showing evidence of corporate social responsibility, sustainable practices, and contributions to social or environmental causes; recognition from awards/accolades.
- Personal qualities: possessing personal qualities such as business acumen, resilience, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks; overcoming challenges, adapting to change, and learning from failures.
To enter this category you will be asked to:
- Describe the entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the key milestones, challenges faced, and lessons learned discussing how these experiences shaped the young entrepreneur today. (Up to 500 words)
- Demonstrate the innovation, creativity and/or personal qualities needed in developing the business outlining the impact and successes achieved. (Up to 500 words)
The judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding performance in:
Business achievements, Innovation, Leadership, Social impact and sustainability, Personal qualities
Entrepreneur of the Year
sponsored by The Banks Foundation
To win the Entrepreneur of the Year award, nominees must demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurial skills, innovation, leadership, and impact in their respective fields. The following are examples of the criteria that judges may consider when evaluating nominees:
- Business achievements: showing a successful track record of launching and growing their businesses; evidence of revenue growth, customer acquisition, and solid business model.
- Innovation: demonstrating a creative and original approach to their business, industry, or market; unique business models/approaches; using disruptive technologies.
- Leadership: displaying strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate and inspire teams; managing risk and making difficult decisions; evidence of effective communication, strategic thinking, and a clear vision for the future.
- Social Impact and Sustainability: demonstrating a positive impact; showing evidence of corporate social responsibility, sustainable practices, and contributions to social or environmental causes; recognition from awards/accolades.
- Personal qualities: possessing personal qualities such as business acumen, resilience, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks; overcoming challenges, adapting to change, and learning from failures.
To enter this category you will be asked to:
- Describe the entrepreneurial journey and the growth and success of the business outlining how leadership and strategic decision-making have contributed to the achievements and milestones of successes achieved. (Up to 500 words)
- Describe how major risks were identified and managed and the ways these shaped the business or venture, highlighting any personal qualities that were instrumental to success. (Up to 500 words)
The judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding performance in:
Business achievements, Innovation, Leadership, Social impact and sustainability, Personal qualities
Intrapreneur of the Year
An intrapreneur is any employee within a company who demonstrates an entrepreneurial approach to turning an idea into a profitable output, this may involve reimagining an existing product/service or generating a new one. Nominees should demonstrate their personal contribution via leadership, dedication, and/or impact in championing the product/service. The following are examples of the criteria that judges may consider when evaluating nominees:
- Business achievements: playing a key part in the growing of the business; presenting evidence of attributable revenue growth, customer acquisition, profitability, market share, and/or other key performance indicators.
- Development: showing evidence of skills/knowledge development; benefiting from and/or contributing to mentoring/coaching.
- Engagement: effectively engaging key internal and external stakeholders; effective communication; being recognized as a business enabler; winning awards/accolades.
- Social Impact and Sustainability: demonstrating a positive impact; showing evidence of corporate social responsibility, sustainable practices; serving community interests.
- Personal qualities: possessing personal qualities such as business acumen, resilience, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks; overcoming challenges, adapting to change, and learning from failures.
To enter this category you will be asked to:
- Describe the intrapreneurial journey and the growth and success of the business outlining how leadership and strategic decision-making have contributed to the successes achieved. (Up to 500 words)
- Describe how major risks were identified and managed and the process of engaging and managing different stakeholders including details of the personal qualities and/or outlining the successes and impacts that have been achieved. (Up to 500 words)
The judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding performance in:
Business achievements, Development, Engagement, Social impact and sustainability, Personal qualities
Entrepreneurial Business of the Year
sponsored by Skills for Security
To win the Entrepreneurial Business of the Year award, nominees must demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurial skills, business acumen, and growth potential. The following are examples of the criteria that judges may consider when evaluating nominees:
- Entrepreneurial skills: displaying exceptional entrepreneurial skills, including the ability to identify opportunities, take risks, and innovate; evidence of developing new products, services, or business models/approaches.
- Innovation: demonstrating a creative and original approach to the business; leveraging technology; developing new processes; entering into new partnerships to achieve success; earning recognition from others via awards/accolades.
- Customer focus and value proposition: demonstrating a clear understanding of customers’ needs and preferences; evolving a compelling value proposition that differentiates it from competitors; delivering exceptional customer service and satisfaction.
- Leadership and culture: demonstrating strong leadership and management skills; a culture that fosters innovation, collaboration, and employee engagement; evidence of a clear vision and strategy for the future; effective execution and communication of a strong strategy.
- Social impact and sustainability: demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility, sustainability, community involvement; highlighting environmental stewardship, ethical sourcing and production practices; philanthropic initiatives that benefit local communities.
To enter this category you will be asked to:
- Describe the value proposition that sets the business apart from competitors and how services/products have been targeted at key audiences outlining major risks and/or barriers and how they were managed. (Up to 500 words)
- Describe the key successes of the business outlining the key strategies and tactics that led to them. (Up to 500 words)
The judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding performance in:
Entrepreneurial skills, Business acumen, Growth potential, Customer focus, Innovation
Market Disruptor of the Year
Market Disruptor of the Year is a highly sought-after category that recognizes businesses that have challenged the status quo and disrupted traditional markets or industries with innovative products, services, or business models. The following are examples of the criteria that judges may consider when evaluating nominees:
- Innovative product or service: introducing a truly innovative product/service that has disrupted the market; created new customer demand and/or improved the customer experience in a significant way.
- Scalability and market potential: demonstrating significant potential for growth and scalability, as well as a clear strategy for expanding the market reach and customer base; evidence of a clear vision and strategy for the future; the effective execution and communication of that strategy.
- Competitive advantage: demonstrating a clear competitive advantage over existing market players; adopting a unique intellectual property, proprietary technology, or a differentiated business model.
- Customer focus: demonstrating a deep understanding of customers’ needs and preferences and then meeting them; delivering exceptional customer value and satisfaction.
- Impact on the industry: demonstrating a significant impact on its industry; changing the ‘rules of the game’, creating new markets and/or business models, and/or redefining industry standards.
To enter this category you will be asked to:
- Describe the rationale and the disruption tactics adopted and including any innovative/creative approaches explaining why they were effective. (Up to 500 words)
- Outline the main obstacles encountered and how they were overcome and the overall impact achieved. (Up to 500 words)
The judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding performance in:
Innovative product or service, Scalability and market potential, Competitive advantage, Customer focus, Impact on the industry
Family-Owned Business of the Year
sponsored by the British Security Industry Association
The Family-Owned Business of the Year category recognises the important role that family businesses play in driving economic growth and creating jobs. This category is open to businesses that are owned and operated by a family, with family members actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the business. The following are examples of the criteria that judges may consider when evaluating nominees:
- Family involvement: demonstrating a strong family involvement in the day-to-day operations of the company, with family members actively engaged in strategic decision-making, leadership, and management roles.
- Business performance: evidencing a strong financial performance and a track record of sustained growth and profitability; evidence of a clear business strategy, sound financial management, and a commitment to innovation and adaptation in response to changing market conditions.
- Social Impact and Sustainability: demonstrating a commitment to corporate social responsibility, including environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and ethical business practices; evidencing tangible outcomes and achievements in these areas.
- Customer satisfaction and loyalty: demonstrating high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty; acting on customer feedback; showing ratings, testimonials or reviews; a strong track record of customer retention and repeat business; a clear strategy for building customer loyalty and advocacy.
- Family values and legacy: demonstrating a commitment to maintaining family values and legacy; having a clear plan for succession and continuity.
To enter this category you will be asked to:
- Explain the role of the family and any family values that have been key in shaping and driving operations, outlining the major risks and/or barriers faced and how they were managed. (Up to 500 words)
- Describe the key successes of the business outlining the key strategies and tactics that led to them and the role of the family in sustaining them. (Up to 500 words)
The judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding performance in:
Family involvement, Business performance, Social impact and sustainability, Customer satisfaction and loyalty, Family values and legacy
Lifetime Achievement
sponsored by AJAX
This award recognises a senior member of the entrepreneurial community. It recognises an individual who has consistently shown outstanding performance over an extended period of time and has had a substantial impact in any area of the security and safety sectors.
In nominating someone for this category (it is nomination only) you will be asked to:
- Describe the individual’s career, including key moments and prominent achievements. (Up to 500 words)
- Describe how entrepreneurial excellence has been at the forefront of activities throughout the individual’s career, how this person made a significant contribution to entrepreneurialism in any aspect of the security and safety sectors. (500 words)
The Judges will be looking for evidence of outstanding entrepreneurialism in:
- The roles held by the individual and the significance of them to entrepreneurialism
- Highlighting the factors that enable the individual to excel
- Identifying the ways in which the individual has influenced the communities engaged with
- Providing examples of building and maintaining effective relationships with key stakeholders
- Demonstrating the overall value added