We’ve Won a National Award for Social Impact

Some recognition hits differently. Winning a national award is one thing. Winning it for work that genuinely changes people's lives is something else entirely.

We're proud to share that Yorkshire in Business has been named the winner of the Social & Community Impact Award at the 2026 National Enterprise Network (NEN) Awards, held at Barclays Head Office in Canary Wharf, London. The award was sponsored and presented by Kim Innes, founder of Humble Crumble, and recognises organisations delivering outstanding impact through enterprise.

For a not-for-profit enterprise agency based in Scarborough, celebrating its 40th year of supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, this kind of national recognition means a great deal. But what means even more is the work behind it.

The Programme That Earned This Recognition

The award was given for our Freedom Programme, delivered in partnership with East Riding of Yorkshire Council. On the surface, it sits at the intersection of enterprise support and adult social care. In practice, it is one of the most meaningful projects we have ever been involved in.

Here is the problem it was built to solve. Rural communities across Yorkshire face mounting pressure on the adult social care system. There are not enough care workers to meet demand, and the people who need support often struggle to access it. These two issues feed each other, and traditional models have not been able to keep pace.

The Freedom Programme responds to that gap in a way that is both practical and sustainable. We support individuals to become self-employed micro care providers within their own communities. In doing so, we help vulnerable residents access the care they need to remain independent in their own homes, while simultaneously helping those providers build real, flexible livelihoods through self-employment.

It is not a short-term fix. It is a structural solution, shaped around the specific needs of local communities rather than a generic national template.

What This Looks Like in Practice

The programme has already built a growing network of micro providers who are collectively delivering hundreds of hours of care each week. These are people who, in many cases, needed support themselves to take the first steps into self-employment. They needed confidence, practical skills, and the kind of guidance that meets them where they are.

That is what we do. Whether we are working with a first-time entrepreneur in Scarborough, a sole trader in the East Riding, or someone rebuilding their career after a significant life change, our approach centres on practical guidance over theory. We help people understand their purpose, identify their market, and build a business model that actually works.

The Freedom Programme is that same methodology applied to one of the most pressing social challenges in our region. It proves that enterprise support and community impact are not separate conversations. When you combine the right partnerships, a shared purpose, and genuine on-the-ground knowledge, enterprise becomes a tool for solving problems that no single sector can tackle alone.

Our CEO, Jenn Crowther, summed it up well when she said: "At Yorkshire in Business, we've seen first-hand how the Freedom Programme changes lives on both sides. We're supporting vulnerable people to access the care they need, while also helping individuals build confidence, skills and sustainable livelihoods through self-employment. It shows what's possible when organisations come together with a shared purpose."

Why Partnership Working Matters

The NEN conference brought together enterprise leaders, policymakers and practitioners from across the UK to explore the future of business support and inclusive economic growth. That conversation matters to us, because it reflects exactly what we believe.

Enterprise agencies should not be working in isolation. The Freedom Programme exists because Yorkshire in Business and East Riding of Yorkshire Council were willing to look at a shared challenge and ask what they could each bring to it. That collaborative approach is what created something neither organisation could have built alone.

For anyone involved in business support, local government, or enterprise communities, this is worth paying attention to. The most impactful programmes often sit at the edges of traditional categories. They do not fit neatly into a single funding stream or a single team's remit. But when the right organisations commit to working together, the results speak for themselves.

Forty Years and Still Building

Winning this award in our 40th year feels significant. Since 1986, we have supported thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses across Scarborough and beyond. Our team of qualified business advisors brings more than 100 years of combined experience to that work, covering everything from market research and business planning to funding navigation and digital strategy.

The Freedom Programme is a natural extension of that heritage. It is enterprise support applied to a community need, delivered with the same commitment to practical, long-term outcomes that has defined our work for four decades.

We are not slowing down. If anything, this recognition reinforces our confidence that the work we do matters, and that there is more of it to be done.

Get Involved or Find Out More

Whether you are starting a business, growing an established one, or looking for enterprise support that is grounded in real-world experience, we would love to hear from you. Visit Yorkshire in Business to find out how we can support you, and to learn more about the programmes and services we offer across the region.