COMPANIES across the county are being urged to come forward to take part in the 2018 Oxfordshire Business Awards.

Entries for the awards are now open, following the launch in December at the Sadler Building at Oxford Science Park.

Organisers of the awards are urging businesses to get their entries in now as the deadline of March 2 is fast approaching.

More than 100 people from the county’s business community gathered in December for the launch of the 24th annual awards.

OBA chairman Paul Lowe welcomed awards sponsors and said he was delighted with the ‘really futuristic’ new venue, the university’s John Henry Brookes Building, which won a Royal Institute of British Architecture Building of the Year accolade in 2014.

Mr Lowe said at the launch: “It’s great to be working again with Oxford Brookes, which was a sponsor about five years ago.”

As well as a new venue, a new logo has been designed for the 13 awards, one of which is a new category.

The new award has been created for the most innovative technology firm.

It is backed by IT solutions company CIS.

The Faringdon-based company was established in 1989 specialising in IT solutions, services and consultancy.

The new award, called The CIS Technology Excellence Award, identifies and recognises an organisation’s focus on advancing their business through the use of information technology.

The awards ceremony itself will take place on Friday, June 15. The Oxfordshire Business Awards is open for entries at oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk