It's time to enter Insider's flagship Deals and Dealmakers Awards.
The awards mark and celebrate the best transactions of all types done over the past year and those who bust a gut to bring them to a close.
We have refreshed this year's awards with some different and some redrawn categories to keep up with the changes happening in the dealmaking market in Scotland.
The awards will be judged by an independent judging panel composed of senior executives and non-executives with substantial dealmaking experience.
The categories in the year's awards are:
Acquisitive Company of the Year
This award recognises the Scottish-headquartered company which delivered the most ambitious, innovative acquisition or acquisition strategy in 2018/19.
Sale of the Year
This award is for the Scottish-headquartered company which carried out the most successful and impressive sale or sales in 2018/19.
Transformational Deal of the Year
This category recognises the deal of any type – including management buyouts, buy-ins, employee buyouts – which transforms the fortunes of a Scottish-headquartered business.
SME Transformational Deal of the Year sponsored by LendingCrowd
This award is for a Scottish-based company with an annual turnover of less than £20 million that has been involved in a transformational deal whether acquisition, sale, fundraising or MBO/MBI.
Corporate Finance Team of the Year sponsored by CMS
This category will celebrate the team that made the greatest contribution to a deal or deals in the year. It may be a lead advisory, financial diligence or tax team; or a team providing specialist diligence, market insight or advice to bring an edge to deal making in Scotland.
Funder of the Year
Recognises the role of the funding community in making deals happen. The funder may have provided debt, equity or an alternative source of finance and supported the management teams of Scottish based companies to add value and take the business to another level.
Emerging Dealmaker of the Year sponsored by Shawbrook Bank
This award will recognise a newcomer to the Scottish dealmaking community who has played a key role in making a deal or deals happen. The individual may have identified the opportunity or played a key role during negotiations.
Legal Advisor of the Year sponsored by Law Society of Scotland
This award recognises the skills of legal advisors involved in deals. The judges will be looking at a range of factors including innovation and the ability to resolve complicated issues. Individual lawyers or teams at individual firms can be nominated for this award.
Early Stage Deal of the Year
This category recognises the quality of the investment capital, the level and quality of the syndication of the investment, the scale of the market opportunity for the company and the potential return for investors, and the role of the management team and its advisors in realising the deal.
Deal of the Year sponsored by ThinCats
The judging panel will select the best deal chosen from the category winners.
They will be presented at a glittering ceremony at the Deals and Dealmakers Awards Dinner on Friday 30 August at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Glasgow Central. To nominate by the closing date on Friday 17th May, click here
