Nominations have officially opened for the 2026 UK Employee Ownership Awards 2026. Click or tap here to apply now.
The awards, sponsored by eoa Trustee member, Howden , celebrate Great EO and showcase the businesses and individuals that are truly Owning It!
New Date, New Location, New Categories
Unlike previous years, the awards are taking place at the Library of Birmingham in June as part of the newly launched eoaLive! event bringing together the award ceremony with EO Day.
The event will also feature keynotes, breakout sessions, and plenty of networking. Tickets launch at the end of February.
This year also sees the launch of two brand-new award categories: ‘EO Business Leader of the Year’ and ‘Trustee of the Year’.
That gives you even more chances to celebrate success and shine a light on the people bringing EO to life inside your business.
Owning It
The theme running through this year’s eoaLive! event, EO Day, and UK EO Awards is Owning It. It continues the ‘Owning the Future’ thread from last year’s eoa Annual Conference and offers a bold declaration for the sector.
It’s all part of our mission to mainstream employee ownership, propelling the sector to 7,500 business by 2030 via our UK EO Growth Strategy.
“Since becoming Chief Executive of the eoa in 2022, I’ve looked forward to the UK EO Awards more and more each year. It’s one of the rare moments in the calendar where the EO sector comes together under the spotlight to celebrate shared success and showcase the people and businesses that are truly Owning It,” says James de le Vingne, Chief Executive of the eoa.
“Regardless of size or sector, the awards bring us together with a pride and joy that continues to be a privilege to be part of. I can’t wait to read through all the nominations but, if previous years are anything to go by, it’s going to be almost impossible picking winners from such strong submissions.”
David Howden CBE, Founder and CEO, Howden, said: “I love employee ownership and we’re proud to have been a part of the eoa as a Trustee member for the past few years. We’re especially delighted to be sponsors of the UK Employee Ownership Awards for 2026.
“As an employee owned business, we’ve witnessed the magic of employee ownership up close, and we know all about its unique ability to attract the best talent. Which is why I can’t wait to hear all the incredible success stories shaping this sector and celebrating the nominees and winners later this year.”
Deadline
You’ve got until 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 April to get your awards nominations in.
The shortlist will be announced during the week commencing 27 April.
Winners will be revealed at a gala dinner taking place at our eoaLive! event at the Library of Birmingham on 10 June. Tickets will be available to book at the end of February.
Click or tap here to see all the categories, find out more, and apply.