Leighton Buzzard business shortlisted for 2020 Small Award

A web and graphic design agency in Leighton Buzzard has been nominated for the Supply Chain Champion at The Small Awards 2020.

Aubergine, founded in 2002 by Bekki and Mark Tomkins, from Eaton Bray, was set up to provide multi-discipline creative agency support for local businesses.

Coming from large agency backgrounds, they wanted to provide a high level of experience and talent but for local and small businesses at affordable prices.

The team consists of 10 designers, developers and multi-talented members, they work out of their studio in Church Square, Leighton Buzzard.

The Small Awards, organised by Small Business Britain, is a nationwide search for the smallest and greatest firms in the UK, across all sectors.

Launched in 2017, it celebrates smaller businesses that are often overlooked for recognition at other national awards.

This year’s Small Awards will cast a particularly important spotlight on the sector’s crucial role in helping the country through the pandemic crisis.

The awards form a vital part of Small Business Britain’s ongoing ‘Back to Business’ campaign.

With eleven unique categories, the awards celebrate the dynamism of the UK’s small business sector, across everything from longstanding family businesses and innovation-led start-ups, to social enterprise champions.

Mark Tomkins, creative director and founder, said: “We’re thrilled and incredibly proud to have been shortlisted for these awards and this is a great way to recognise the high level of talent we have in our small businesses across the country.

"The recognition is for them and all the other people working in small businesses across the UK during this challenging time.

"If there’s one thing I know about UK business – is that we’re skilled and resilient and we will all find a way through these tricky times.”

Michelle Ovens MBE, founder of Small Business Britain said: “The UK’s 5.8 million small businesses make a powerful contribution to people’s lives up and down the country, and this has been particularly striking recently.

"These firms mean so much to their customers and staff and they are truly at the heart of communities, but they are not in the limelight enough.

"The Small Awards recognises the fantastic contribution of small firms like Aubergine.

"We want to give them all a deserved boost - particularly in these challenging times!

"We had a record number of applications this year, with an incredibly high standard of entries, so all of the small businesses shortlisted should be rightly proud of this achievement.”

Judged by a panel of leading enterprise experts, the winners of all categories, along with the overall winner of Small Business of the Year, will be announced on July 2.

This year, in light of social distancing, Small Business Britain is reformatting its traditional glittering gala dinner ceremony into a lively virtual event.

Small businesses across the country will zoom in together for an evening of fun celebration, featuring entertainment, special guests, speeches, networking and more!

The team at Aubergine recently created colouring pages for every village and town across the country, and some requests from across the world, to keep children entertained during lockdown.