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WordPress Women in Business Membership & Payments Client Project

Best Business Women
Awards
The UK's largest women
in business awards.

Founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Debbie Gilbert, the Best Business Women Awards is the UK's most prestigious recognition programme for female entrepreneurs — with over 7,500 entries, 2,000 event attendees and a social reach of 250,000+ during awards month. We built and maintain the platform that powers every aspect of the programme, from first entry to Gala night.

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bestbusinesswomenawards.com
Best Business Women Awards website
Industry
Women in Business Awards
Established
Since 2015 — over a decade of celebrating female entrepreneurs
Platform
WordPress with membership, payments & submission management
Scale
19 categories · 7,500+ entries
7,500+
Entries received since the programme launched in 2015
2,000+
Attendees across all awards events since inception
250K+
Social media reach during awards month
£80K+
Raised for charity since the programme began
The Challenge

A programme at this scale
needs infrastructure to match.

The Best Business Women Awards has been running since 2015 and has grown into the UK's largest and most prestigious recognition programme for female entrepreneurs. With thousands of entries annually across 19 categories — many of them sponsored by household business names — the platform isn't just a website. It is the operational backbone of the entire programme.

Female entrepreneurs from every industry, at every stage — sole traders, established companies, charities and social enterprises — need to find their category, register an account, complete a detailed submission, pay their entry fee and return to track their progress. Across hundreds of entries per cycle, none of that can be managed manually if the programme is to run at this level of credibility.

The platform had to do two things simultaneously: project the prestige and professionalism the awards are known for, and quietly handle all of the operational complexity in the background so that neither the organiser nor the entrants ever feel the weight of it.

The challenge at scale
✕
Hundreds of entries arriving across 19 categories requiring organisation
✕
Multiple sponsor relationships to reflect correctly across the platform
✕
Entrants needing to manage their own submissions and track their status
✕
Winners Club and finalist benefits to deliver reliably after each cycle
What the platform delivers
✓
Every entry categorised, timestamped and ready for judges automatically
✓
Sponsor credits managed cleanly across all 19 category pages
✓
Personal dashboards let entrants manage, check and update their submissions
✓
Winners and finalists access benefits through a dedicated member area
The Platform

Prestige on the surface.
Automation underneath.

Best Business Women Awards homepage
Best Business Women Awards categories
Best Business Women Awards entry
Best Business Women Awards member area
Best Business Women Awards finalists
Best Business Women Awards gala
Best Business Women Awards winners
What The Platform Delivers

Everything the programme
needs to run at this level.

Entries arrive complete and ready for judging
Advanced submission forms — built around what business expert judges actually need to evaluate — collect financial performance, evidence of client satisfaction, differentiation and business impact. Every entry arrives structured, not as an email attachment in need of sorting.
Payments collected automatically, no chasing needed
Entry fees are integrated directly into the submission flow. Every entrant pays at the point they submit — no invoices to raise, no bank transfers to reconcile, no chasing payments against incomplete applications.
Every entrant manages their own account
Full WordPress membership means entrants register, log in, and handle everything from a personal dashboard. They can enter multiple categories, track their status and access finalist communications — without the organiser needing to be in the middle of it.
Finalists and winners receive everything they're promised
The BBWA is the only awards programme that ensures every finalist receives recognition. The member area delivers logos, certificates, press templates, social assets, podcast invitations and Winners Club access — all managed through the platform, not via individual emails.
Sponsors presented with the prominence they've paid for
With 19 sponsored categories and some of the UK's most respected business names involved, the platform manages sponsor attribution cleanly and consistently — giving each sponsor's brand the right visibility across the relevant category pages and communications.
A platform built to grow year on year
New categories, new sponsors, new award years — the custom post type architecture means the programme grows without rebuilding. After a decade of operation, the platform is as capable of handling a record entry year as it was when it first launched.
Award Categories

19 categories celebrating
female entrepreneurs at every stage.

Best Businesswoman in Business Services
Accountancy, HR, IT, law, web design and more
Best Businesswoman Working with Children & Families
Nurseries, therapy, tuition and family wellness
Best Businesswoman in Animal Services
Pet care, grooming, training and animal welfare
Best Businesswoman in a Creative Business
Photography, design, arts, music and crafts
Best Businesswoman in Marketing & PR
Agencies, digital consultants and PR professionals
Best Green Business
Measurable commitment to environmental sustainability
Best Customer Service
Consistently outstanding client satisfaction
Best Coach
Business and life coaches with proven results
Best Consumer Business
Retail, e-commerce and consumer services
Most Inspiring Businesswoman
Trailblazers who inspire their industry and community
Best Business Award
Established female-owned businesses, 5+ years trading
Lifetime Achievement
15+ years of sustained excellence and influence
Best Businesswoman in Health, Wellness & Beauty
Salons, fitness, therapy, spas and aesthetic clinics
Best New Business
Businesses started January 2022 or later
Best Solopreneur
Female entrepreneurs building it entirely alone
Charity Champion
Charities and CICs — no entry fee required
Best Female Leader
Outstanding leadership in ownership or senior roles
Best Businesswoman in Recruitment
Recruitment owners who genuinely care for clients and candidates
Best Networking Group
Groups fostering professional connections and community impact
The Results

A decade of operation.
A platform that keeps up.

19
Award categories spanning every stage of female entrepreneurship — from new businesses and solo founders to 15-year veteran leaders
7,500+
Entries processed through the platform since 2015 — every one registered, paid and submitted without manual handling from the organiser
10+
Years the programme has been running, with the same platform architecture powering each new cycle without needing to be rebuilt

Running an awards programme
that needs to work at scale?

Whether you're launching from scratch or modernising an existing programme, we build the platforms that let events, awards and membership communities operate at the level they deserve. Free 30-minute call to start.

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