BOLTON businesses are being challenged to seek a prestigious royal accolade.

Since 1992 there has not been one local winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise which recognises and rewards exceptional achievements and advances in all areas of British business.

It is the UK's highest accolade for outstanding commercial success -- the business equivalent of the Honours, with substantial spin-offs for winners.

But, while most of Bolton's civic rivals in Greater Manchester and Lancashire have consistently produced Queen's Award winners, there have been only four from the town since the awards scheme was introduced in 1966.

They were: Wolstenholme Bronze Powders (1968), William Hare Ltd (1978), Armstrong Competition Motorcycles Ltd (1985) and Stakehill Engineering Ltd (1992).

And, so far, only a handful of local firms have responded to the new campaign to attract entrants for the Queen's Award 2002.

Mr David Moore, head of The Queen's Awards Office, said today: "It's time to redress the balance.

"We know there are a lot of talented firms in Bolton and we want them to come forward and receive the recognition they deserve. In a town where traditional businesses are thriving alongside high-tech companies at the cutting-edge of innovation, there must be potential winners of this unique award.

"So we are throwing down a challenge to businesses in Bolton -- send off for our information pack, put your bids together, and go for the Queen's Award. There's still plenty of time to enter."

Any type of business can apply for a Queen's Award in one or more of three categories -- International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.

Entrants must be UK-based, employ at least two people, and be high achievers in their field. A business unit within a larger organisation or even a non-profit making body can apply, provided that they operate on business lines and can produce figures to demonstrate that their achievements have resulted in commercial success.

Winning companies -- which can display the Queen's Award emblem for five years -- benefit from publicity both when winners are announced and when Lord Lieutenants present their Awards.

The Queen also invites three members of each winning company to a special reception at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Moore said: "Queen's Awards don't just honour growth -- they help to create it as well. "The prestige of being associated with the Awards provides winners with valuable promotional and marketing tools in an increasingly competitive domestic and global economy.

"There's even a spin-off for unsuccessful entrants -- they receive a feedback report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of their application to help them to become winners of the future."

Some 46,400 companies have applied for Queen's Awards since the scheme was introduced in 1966, and there have been 4,415 winners.

More than 130 winners of 2001 Awards were announced on April 21 -- the Queen's personal birthday -- ranging from companies with just three employees to one with 25,000.

Nearly a third of them employ fewer than 50 people, dispelling the widespread misconception that only large enterprises are successful.

Ten winners from the North-west ranged from a centuries-old Liverpool shipping line to a new company set up to recycle CDs, and from a Cheshire farm that has developed a true low-fat Cheddar cheese, to Chester Zoo, among the first winners of the new Sustainable Development Award.

For an entry pack or for further information, would-be Queen's Award winners should phone 0870 513 4486 or visit www.queensawards.org.uk

The deadline for this year's awards is October 31.