As the nation gets ready for The Queen’s platinum jubilee, the celebrations have started a little early here at Little Soap- as our beloved Eco Warrior range has been granted a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation! We’re absolutely thrilled- and we can’t wait to tell you more!
What is the Queen’s Award for Enterprise?
Open to all British businesses, the Queen’s Award for Enterprises is the most prestigious award that a UK based company can win. The entry process is rigorous and there are lots of strict criteria to be met before you even apply!
The awards have been running since 1965. Back then, there were known as The Queen’s Award to Industry, and since it began over 7000 companies have been given the royal seal of approval.
There are four categories, each recognising and celebrating outstanding achievements that really should be declared far and wide! The categories are Innovation, Sustainable Development, International Trade and Promoting Opportunity.
The innovation category is a celebration of businesses or organisations that are innovative not only in their methods of business, but in their products and services. This award is awarded for commercial success as a result of that innovation- and we are absolutely over the moon to have been given this amazing accolade!
What winning means to us
Winning any award is a huge achievement for the whole team, but there truly is something special about winning this one, on the year of the Queen’s platinum jubilee! The Queen’s Award is the highest official award for UK businesses (often seen as an MBE for business!), and its awarded by Her Majesty The Queen on recommendation from the Prime Minister!
The last two years have been exceptionally difficult for businesses all over the world, let alone here in the UK. Times have been tough for us all, but this award really does recognise the amazing resilience of our team here at Little Soap- and the dedication shown towards our ongoing innovation in plastic-free products. We’re redefining the bathroom, helping not only your skin but the planet too. And we couldn’t be more proud!
What next for Little Soap?
We’ve always believed that as a business, we have a responsibility to constantly strive to do better and to help improve the world. This is what keeps us going, day after day. Now that we’ve won the prestigious Queen’s Award, we have a new platform- and we intend to use it for good.
Now we can help to educate more on the importance of challenger brands: the Better Business Act; being a B-Corp; the absolutely critical need for UK manufacturing; the need for businesses to genuinely balance people, profit and planet at the heart of all that they do and- vitally- the importance of kindness.
And for you, our trusted and loyal customers and supporters? This award means that we carry on doing what we do best- producing gorgeous, eco-friendly soap, accessible to all.
A word on a few other amazing winners
You can read the full list of winners here, but we wanted to just give a quick shout out to some fellow winners of The Queens Award- and to let you know to look out for an exciting collaboration with them all, coming soon!
Nairn’s: winners of The Queen’s Award for excellence in international trade, Nairn’s specialise in the most amazing products made with oats. Nairn’s has been “baking in Scotland with pride and imagination since 1896” and their range is filled with delicious, healthy snacks that are all firm favourites here at Little Soap.
Nairn’s are proud to nurture trusted relationships with farmers and millers in the Scottish borders and use only the finest wholegrain oats that nature provides. Tasty, wholesome food that is simple and natural- perfect!
Fuel10k: Fuel10k make delicious breakfast goodies, but they’re a true business for good, too. Always striving to improve, Fuel01k are a fellow B-Corp brand, and they’re on a mission to maintain the “highest of standards when it comes to transparency and accountability of verified social and environmental performance.”
This means less waste, less carbon emission and less sugar in their products. We can certainly get on board with that!
WUKA: this fab brand has been granted the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development- and it’s a very well deserved award indeed! WUKA’s CEO and founder, Ruby Raut says: “Our brand was built with sustainability as a core foundation for our existence, so we are super happy to see it’s been recognised. We created WUKA to break taboos around periods while accelerating and innovating in sustainability. I’m so glad to be pioneering in the right direction, and we encourage all brands to do so. We have only one planet.”
So if you’re looking to make a sustainable swap from pads and tampons- WUKA is your new best friend.
Union Coffee: because who doesn’t love a decent cup of coffee to start the day right? Union Coffee are so much more than ‘just a coffee brand’ though. Winners of the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development for the second time (the first being in 2017), there are so many reasons why you need to switch to Union Coffee if you don’t; already drink it.
Determined to make coffee better for everyone, Union Coffee have a strong focus on ethical sourcing, utilising strong partnerships with farmers they trust. This brand trade directly with the farmers to ensure that they’re paid fairly and so can invest in their farms, families and workers. “We call it Union Direct Trade, and we’re proud that we were one of the first roasters in the UK to trade directly with coffee farmers.”
Union Coffee now works with over 42 producer partners and is available in 14 countries. Amazing!
