A LOUDWATER photography firm, a Wycombe charity and an Amersham care home are among the finalists in the county's leading business awards.

All three firms and many more from across south Bucks are up for a gong at the 2024 Buckinghamshire Business Awards, due to be held later this year.

A spokesman said: "After several months of careful deliberation, shortlisting, and visits to a selection of the fantastic businesses that entered this year’s Buckinghamshire Business Awards, the category sponsors and independent judging panel faced the challenging task of narrowing down the exceptionally high standard of entries to the final three businesses in each category."

Wycombe Wanderers Foundation, the charity arm of the local football club, has impressed judges and has been announced as a finalist in the Apprentice and Young Person Employer of the Year award.

They are up against Oxford-registered business Added Value Solutions UK and Penn-based recruitment agency Zenopa Ltd, on Church Road.

Meanwhile Amersham-based Ashridge Home Care Ltd is up for the Community Champions Award. They will be fighting off Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and cyber security experts Red Helix, also based in Aylesbury.

But if the care services firm doesn't win that award they will have a second attempt at glory, as the firm is also up for Excellence in Customer Experience Award.

They are competing against Loudwater photography Analogue Wonderland, based on Treadway Hill, and Marlow food packaging firm Bonds Packaging.

One of the most hotly-contested awards of the evening will be the Business Leader of the Year award. Three have been shortlisted this year including Martina Porter, managing director of All Spring Media.

Martina, who has more than 20 years' experience in the film industry, set up her Chesham-based business in 2011 as a media education consultancy.

Catering boss Bonnie May, chief executive of Global Infusion Group, has been nominated too and Karim Kassam. manager of Horwood House Hotel in Milton Keynes who has reportedly 'doubled' bookings since he took over.

The awards organiser said this year's shortlist has "once again reinforced Buckinghamshire as the entrepreneurial heart of Britain".

Philippa Batting, director of Buckinghamshire Business First, said: "The quality of entries was outstanding, and I know that our judges faced a huge challenge in choosing the finalists. I’d like to wish each and every one of them the best of luck.

She continued: "The Buckinghamshire Business Awards would not be possible without the support of our category sponsors and media and production partners."

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on October 9 at Aylesbury's Waterside Theatre.

The full list of finalists

Apprentice and Young Person Employer of the Year sponsored by Buckinghamshire Council

Added Value Solutions UK (AVS UK)

Wycombe Wanderers Foundation

Zenopa Ltd

Business Leader of the Year sponsored by Dux Advisory Ltd

Martina Porter – All Spring Media Ltd.

Bonnie May – Global Infusion Group Ltd

Karim Kassam – Horwood House Hotel

Community Champions Award sponsored by Chandler Garvey Ltd

Ashridge Home Care Ltd

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Red Helix Ltd

Creative Business of the Year sponsored by Pinewood Group Ltd

Corzo & Wood Ltd

Film & TV Academy Ltd

The Polka Digital Ltd

Enterprising Business of the Year sponsored by B P Collins LLP

All Spring Media Ltd.

Analogue Wonderland Ltd

Xpress Labels Ltd

Excellence in Customer Experience Award sponsored by Buckinghamshire Building Society

Analogue Wonderland Ltd

Ashridge Home Care Ltd

Bonds Packaging Ltd

Growth Business of the Year sponsored by Richardsons Chartered Accountants

Active in the Community CIC

Antac Support Services Ltd

Starpeak Insurance Solutions Ltd

Innovative Business of the Year sponsored by Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone

Foam Engineers Ltd

Independent Marketing Sciences Ltd

Red Helix Ltd

Net Zero Ambition Business of the Year sponsored by Net Zero Bucks

Delilah Cosmetics Ltd

Independent Marketing Sciences Ltd

Spotless Garments Ltd

New Business of the Year sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University

Logiscool Coding School

Premier Care Support Ltd

Robinson Management Services Ltd

Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Business of the Year sponsored by Stoke Park

Horwood House Hotel Ltd

Kew Little Pigs Farm Ltd

The Walled Garden and Clara’s Corner