Four businesses from the West Midlands have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the 2021 awards, announced today.

The awards for the West Midlands Lieutenancy area - which comprises Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton - are all for International Trade and have been awarded to:
 

• Daily Irish Services in Dudley; a worldwide freight forwarding company specialising in sea and air freight, bulk haulage, and European and Irish shipping.
• Embed Ltd, Coventry:  founded from the demise of MG-Rover and specialising in electronics and embedded software using model-based development.
• GuyKat Solutions Ltd, Birmingham:  a professional services agency focusing on corporate learning and development.
• Perinatal Institute, Birmingham: a not-for-profit social enterprise whose mission is to improve the quality and safety of maternity care.

The awards are widely recognised as the highest commendation available to business honouring leading UK businesses who exemplify entrepreneurial skills and attitudes through innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
 
Her Majesty the Queen’s representative for the West Midlands, Mr John Crabtree OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, paid tribute to the Queen’s Award for Enterprise winners. He said:
 
“This has been an enormously challenging year for businesses, and it is great to see enterprise and entrepreneurship – particularly on the international stage – honoured in this way. Each company has demonstrated a commitment to long-term and sustainable growth. Each of these businesses is a role model to others and all are deserving of this, the highest business accolade it is possible to receive.
 
“I hope too that their success will encourage other businesses to consider themselves for the awards. The West Midlands is the second largest Lieutenancy area in the UK and the heart of enterprise, and we have many more companies that are deserving of recognition.”
 
Now in their 55th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country which recognise outstanding achievements by UK businesses in four categories: innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
 
The awards last for five years and are judged by independent panels based on recommendations. They are then passed to the Prime Minister’s advisory committee, who make the final recommendation to Her Majesty the Queen.