BUSINESS leaders will gather later this week for the launch of this year's Oxfordshire Business Awards.

Planning and preparation starts early for the prestigious awards contest, which will conclude with a glittering awards ceremony in the summer.

On Thursday, the organisers of the awards, now in the 23rd year, will meet at Oxford Science Park on Thursday at 6pm, to announce the awards categories and encourage local firms to compete.

In June last year management consultants Newton Europe was named Darke & Taylor Business of the Year in the 2016 Oxfordshire Business Awards.

The business management consultancy, based in Kingston Bagpuize, scored a hat-trick of awards, as it also picked up the Employer of the Year Award and the Large Business Award.

Newton Europe director James Frost said: "It was a fantastic year for the team last year – we were really proud of what we achieved."

More than 400 business leaders and their staff gathered at the awards ceremony in June at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel in Sandford-on-Thames.

About 300 firms came forward to compete in 15 different categories.

Last year a new Food or Drink Producer of the Year award category was added, sponsored by caterers Oxford Fine Dining.

Three finalists for each category were chosen by judges, and guest speaker for the evening was Sky Sports presenter David Jones.

Awards chairman Paul Lowe said it was a night of celebration for some of Oxfordshire's most prestigious companies, and added it was a 'huge privilege' to be associated with the awards as they went from strength to strength.

Darren Aston, of Witney-based Aston & James office suppliers, said: "We certainly enjoyed the experience, a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

"It was brilliantly planned – I could see a lot of effort goes in to an awards evening of that size and calibre."

The Oxford Times backs the Charity and Community Award, which was won last year by Aspire Oxford, an award-winning employment charity.

Joint chief executive officer Paul Roberts said following the ceremony it was a 'privilege' to receive the award, with all the people helped by the charity having one thing in common, facing a barrier or social exclusion.

He added: "This year we are considering entering a different category."

Another winner last year was Simon Biltcliffe, of Bicester-based print firm Webmart.

He won The Shaw Gibbs Business Person of the Year.

And the Savills Property Award was won by Bicester Heritage, a centre for historic motoring and aviation.