CPA Awards 2012 - open for entries

Launched by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), this year's CPA's support FDF's focus on 'delivering sustainable growth', recognising organisations that are not only exceptional in terms of their business success, but are also committed to making a positive difference – be it to their local community, their natural environment or their staff. Alongside, the CPA's established categories of: Apprentice of the Year, Education, Environment, Good Employer, Health and Wellbeing and Local Community, the new categories for 2012 are: Export Success of the Year, Growing Business of the Year and Developing Skills for the Future – a category dedicated to innovative recruitment and retention activities. Heading up this year's judging panel of industry experts will be John Stevenson MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Food and Drink Manufacturing. The CPA's are free to enter and are open to businesses up and down the food chain from farming to restaurants. The closing date for entries is Friday 4 May. Winners will be announced at a celebratory lunch at Shakespeare's Globe in London on Wednesday 24 October. Terry Jones, FDF's director of communications said: "The CPA's are an important opportunity for us to recognise the positive impact of food and drink businesses across the UK - not just to their local communities, but to the economy at large. "The new categories for this year's CPA reflect our focus on delivering sustainable growth and will enable us to recognise how innovative and entrepreneurial food and drink businesses are, whilst also being a sector of whom we can all be truly proud."