Deloitte, the leading business advisory firm, in association with Barclays, has announced the launch of the 2015/2016 Best Managed Companies Awards Programme.

The Best Managed Companies Awards Programme recognises companies operating at the highest levels of business performance, and highlights the power of the best indigenous companies.

Northern Ireland firms that are successful in this year’s programme will join the Best Managed Companies network of over 100 leading firms that have been recognised in the seven years since the programme began.

One of the primary objectives of the awards programme is to showcase the success of indigenous companies and acknowledge the contribution that this sector makes to the economy.

The winners over the first seven years of the programme have total revenues of over £7 billion and employ more than 5,000 people.

Competing companies will be put through a rigorous judging process, measuring a company’s performance using a wide range of criteria including strategy, capability, commitment, financials and management performance across all key functions of the business. Firms that are successful at the end of this process will be announced in March 2016 at a gala awards ceremony in Dublin.

Glenn Roberts, Head of Private Markets for Deloitte in Northern Ireland commented: “These awards are all about confidence – of our winning companies and of the indigenous business sector in Northern Ireland. The winners to date epitomise the resilience and the ambition that is present in firms right across the island of Ireland.

“Deloitte is now calling on companies, from across Northern Ireland, that are similarly confident, and are achieving their goals of being more innovative, more agile, more ambitious and more expansionary, to apply today. By demonstrating their successes, not only does it increase the confidence within their companies, but also contributes to the overall confidence in the economy. We are delighted to be playing our part in showcasing the success of local firms who are operating at the highest levels of business performance.”

The Best Managed Awards programme is the only programme that considers companies from every perspective and evaluates management practices. The judging panel will take a holistic view of the companies, their performance in relation to their peers, and the industries that they are operating in, in order to determine management success.

Adrian Doran, Head of Corporate Banking for Barclays in Northern Ireland, said: “The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards recognise and celebrate the valuable contribution that indigenous companies make to our economy and we are delighted to be associated with such an important programme for the third year running.

“Over the past two years, we have had the pleasure of working with companies across a range of sectors to support them in the development of their winning business plans, and we look forward to working with this year’s entrants as they strive to achieve the same goal.”

The awards programme, which is open to businesses across the 32 counties of Ireland, offers benefits to all that enter the programme – not just the winners. Valuable insights into the fundamentals for long-term success of their business will be available to all applicants - and those who progress through the awards process will receive customised feedback and coaching from Deloitte and Barclays, thereby benefiting from experienced business acumen and expertise.

In addition, winners also receive national and peer recognition, the opportunity to network at the gala awards ceremony and attend the Irish Management Institute’s symposium. For winning companies the ‘Best Managed’ designation is an important accolade – but, perhaps most importantly, the awards provide a reason to celebrate the efforts of the entire business.

The closing date for entries is 7 August 2015. For further information and details of how to enter the awards, visit www.deloittebestmanaged.ie