Hot on the heels of the Small Business of the Year win at the NEPIC Industry Awards 2022 last week – we’re in the running for another high-profile accolade.

A joint entry from us and Programme and Project Partners (PPP) for the Swimming with the Big Fish SME Matchmaker Service has made the shortlist for the Collaboration award at this year’s Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC) Awards.

It’s fantastic for everyone at Solomons who are part of the SME Matchmaker team and a great achievement to get this far considering it is one of, if not the, most hotly contested categories for these awards, which celebrate the achievements of businesses and individuals working in the nuclear and wider energy supply chain in Cumbria.

For us, the development and delivery of this unique and innovative Service is a real step-change in what we do. It certainly takes us beyond the traditional function of a Quantity Surveying practice but reflects our passion for the individual and collective power of SMEs like us!

Swimming with the Big Fish SME Matchmaker Service brokers introductions and develops relationships between those bidding to become Key Delivery Partners and high performing SMEs willing to invest in West Cumbria.

Its helped SMEs secure 26 places on 3 work packages awarded by PPP so far - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Electrical & Instrumentation, Mechanical Pipework. And there’s still plenty more packages (some of which are huge) to be awarded.

Significant pledges have been made by these SMEs in terms of anticipated supply chain spend, planned investment in new or existing West Cumbria-based facilities/offices, in addition to new permanent jobs and apprenticeships and a wide range of social impact initiatives.

Like everyone, we’re now eager to see these pledges delivered, allowing these SMEs to invest, grow and make a real difference to the lives and career prospects of people in West Cumbria and Cumbria.

Click here to find out more about the Matchmaker Service and progress to date.

And you can see the full shortlist for the BECBC Awards 2022 by clicking here.

We’ll be receiving a visit from judges from BECBC and the category sponsors the National Nuclear Laboratory next month (April).

And we’ll find out if we’ve won at the award ceremony, which takes place on Thursday, May 26 at Energus, Workington.

Fingers crossed!