Sponsors (pictured)

The awards have now been launched and this year sees three new sponsors, McNealy Brown, HSBC and last year's winner GoResponse Ltd.

The awards have now become an important calendar date for Swale business and if last year's anything to go by, recession or not, they will place themselves up front and show off the diversity and quality that has kept them competitive on a world market.

Swale is an interesting area having a large farming community as well as cutting edge technology firms, so the entries are always very interesting.

The gala night is in early October and this year the sponsors are: GoResponse Ltd, The East Kent Gazette, HSBC, Kent Science Park, McLaughlin Hook, McNealy Brown, Spain Bros, Swale Borough Council, Thames Gateway (Kent) Chamber of Commerce, Thomson, Snell & Passmore and the University of Greenwich