The recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise have been revealed today (6 May), celebrating the achievements of businesses from across the UK and Channel Islands. This year, 197 businesses representing a diverse range of sectors have been recognised by His Majesty The King as among the best in the country, highlighting the ambition, ingenuity, and success of our diverse business community. Of these, a total of 11 awards went to businesses in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. Eight were recognised in the International Trade category, one for Innovation, and two for Sustainable Development. This year’s recipients from Yorkshire and the Humber include:

• White Rose Education, a West Yorkshire-based business exporting their educational resources for teachers and students globally to drive growth, strengthen UK relations, and promote world-class learning. They have been recognised in the International Trade category.
• Integra Buildings, a manufacturer challenging the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable construction through bespoke design and offsite manufacturing. Based in the East Riding of Yorkshire, they have been recognised in the Sustainable Development category.

Gareth Thomas, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports said: “There are some inspiring businesses from Yorkshire and the Humber recognised in this year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise: from White Rose Education’s success exporting educational resources around the world to Integra Building’s sustainable manufacturing methods. “I wish the winners every success as they continue to grow, innovate and prosper, and commend the invaluable contributions they have already made to communities at home in Yorkshire and Humber region and abroad, helping to boost the UK economy.” Michael Gosling, chair of the White Rose Education Board, said: “Receiving The King’s Award for International Trade is a huge honour and a reflection of the dedication, hard work and passion that drive everything we do at White Rose Education. “This recognition not only celebrates our global reach but also reinforces our commitment to supporting teachers and pupils around the world with high-quality, accessible educational resources. It’s a proud moment for our entire team and is a testament to the positive impact we’re making in classrooms worldwide.” Gary Parker, CEO of Integra Buildings, said: “Receiving The King’s Award for Enterprise is a tremendous honour for our business and all of our team. This award reflects and rewards the total commitment we have across our business to excellence in project performance and delivery. It also recognises our commitment to adopting sustainable policies and practices in everything we do. “Modular building has so many advantages over traditional methods of construction; one of those being that it is inherently more sustainable. We passionately believe that the future of construction is modular, and that the companies embracing sustainability will be the most successful for many years to come.” The King’s Awards for Enterprise were previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and were renamed two years ago to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 59th year, has awarded over 8,000 companies since its inception in 1965. His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants – The King’s representatives in each county – will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year. One representative from each winning business will also be invited to a special Royal reception event. Yorkshire and the Humber recipients include:

Vuba Chemical Innovations Limited

Solderking Assembly Materials Limited

Technical Services (UK) Ltd

The Group Company (UK) Ltd

Abbey Forged Products Ltd

International Energy Products Limited

Think So Ltd

Turner & Townsend (Holdings) Limited

White Rose Education Limited

Integra Buildings Limited

AES Engineering Ltd

  Mark Davies, founder of ThinkOTB, recognised for its excellence in International Trade, said: “It’s a huge honour to follow on our Queen’s Enterprise Award five years ago, with a King’s Award. We’re proud to be one of the UK’s most creative companies operating in a niche marketplace, which combines innovation with marketing, becoming a ‘go-to’ expert for many international businesses. We’ve pioneered highly successful techniques that have helped some of the world’s most recognisable brands to innovate.”

Hull City Council will receive £3.9 million from the UK government to support the rollout of 42 zero-emission buses, with deployment expected by spring 2027.

The funding is part of a broader £37.5 million Department for Transport initiative aimed at adding 319 electric buses across 12 local authorities in England. The move aligns with the government’s push to decarbonise public transport, while supporting UK-based manufacturing and local job creation.

The investment coincides with the ongoing passage of the Bus Service Bill, which seeks to return more control of transport services to local councils.

This follows Hull’s recent approval of a separate £7.6 million DfT grant focused on enhancing bus service frequency, adding up to 30 new shelters, and improving accessibility across key routes.

Business and transport leaders in West Yorkshire are preparing to present revised plans to complete the long-delayed White Rose Rail Station project in Leeds. The £26.5 million scheme, which stalled in March due to unforeseen cost increases, remains incomplete despite reaching around 70% construction progress.

Located between Morley and Cottingley on the Leeds–Huddersfield line, the new station is adjacent to the White Rose Business Park and within walking distance of the White Rose Shopping Centre. It is intended to boost transport links for South Leeds and support economic development in the area.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), working in partnership with landowner Munroe K and principal contractor Spencer Rail, is now seeking approval to secure additional funding to resolve outstanding project issues. The matter will be discussed at the WYCA meeting on 8 May.

Remaining works include mechanical and electrical systems, lift installation, internal and external finishes, and railway-specific infrastructure such as signalling and passenger information systems.

Despite the full budget being allocated—£12 million from the Transforming Cities Fund and £5 million from the Leeds Public Transport Infrastructure Programme—the project has faced several cost and delivery challenges since construction began in Spring 2022.

Residential developer Torsion Homes has announced a £53.3 million order book as it launches a new office in Stockport, signalling a focused expansion strategy across the North West.

The Leeds-based company is currently delivering seven residential schemes, including a £12 million development at Val D’or in Leeds, now under construction. Other ongoing projects include sites in Scorton, Richmondshire (£2.7 million) and Hebden Bridge (£4 million).

Torsion Homes operates a vertically integrated model covering land sourcing, development, construction, and sales. It is actively seeking land opportunities for sites with 10 to 40 units or more, with or without planning permission, to support its long-term pipeline.

The Stockport office marks a strategic step in scaling operations beyond Yorkshire, aligning with the wider Torsion Group’s three-year regional growth plan, which focuses on supplying housing across city centres, towns, and rural areas.

The expansion underlines the company’s ambitions to position itself as a key player in addressing the UK’s housing demand, particularly across Northern England.

A lack of reliable internet access is limiting productivity gains and delaying digital adoption across UK agriculture, according to new industry data.

The survey, commissioned by infrastructure provider CityFibre, found that 8% of farms still have no internet access, while 42% of respondents cite slow or unstable connections as a key barrier to investing in new technology. This comes despite nearly 60% of farmers expecting to scale up their use of digital tools—including AI and real-time data systems—over the next five years.

While cost remains the top obstacle to tech investment, poor connectivity is directly undermining the uptake of precision farming, operational automation, and digital admin tools. On farms where full fibre broadband is already in place, respondents reported tangible improvements in efficiency and diversification.

The issue goes beyond operations. Poor rural broadband is also disrupting workflows at the household level, with 90% of farmers avoiding internet use at peak times, creating friction in both business and personal settings.

CityFibre, one of the private players tasked with delivering the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme, has secured £865 million in public funding to build out fibre networks across nine rural regions. Combined with private co-investment, the initiative represents £1.2 billion aimed at connecting over 1.3 million homes and businesses.

With agriculture under pressure to modernise amid rising costs and tight margins, the survey reinforces the commercial case for accelerated digital infrastructure in underserved areas.

European cybersecurity distributor Elovade Group has entered the UK market through the acquisition of Brigantia Partners Ltd., based in North Yorkshire.

The deal is Elovade’s eighth and largest acquisition, strengthening its footprint across Europe, where it already operates in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Nordics and Italy. Brigantia, headquartered in Thirsk, will continue to operate under its existing brand for the time being.

The acquisition retains Brigantia’s current vendor portfolio and team, with managing director Angus Shaw now leading Elovade’s operations across the UK and Ireland. Founder Iain Shaw and chairman Martin Wright are exiting the business as part of the transition.

Elovade, formerly known as EBERTLANG, is pursuing strategic growth in European markets with a focus on IT security and managed services. The acquisition adds a UK distribution network to its offering and positions Brigantia as a key part of its plans, including the potential future rollout of Elovade Cloud Services in the region.

The transaction was advised by Watson Farley & Williams, BDO, and Singular Group AG on behalf of Elovade and HQ Equita, while KPMG and Squire Patton Boggs advised Brigantia.

Age UK Lindsey, a long-established charity supporting older adults in Lincolnshire, will cease operations this week due to sustained financial pressure. The closure affects services provided across West Lindsey, East Lindsey, and North Lincolnshire.

The organisation cited a combination of long-term funding shortfalls, rising operational costs—including increases in National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage—and lingering economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

While Age UK Lindsey is shutting down, related services in the region will continue through Age UK Lincoln and South Lincolnshire, which is working to absorb affected clients and coordinate future support.

This closure underscores a broader trend within the UK voluntary sector. According to the Charity Commission, financial pressures have reduced public donations significantly since 2020, even as demand for services has tripled. Many organisations are facing difficult decisions, including closures and mergers, as funding fails to keep pace with growing needs.