Courier Business Awards 2025: Growth
Entries are now open for The Courier Business Awards 2025 Growth category.
The Courier Business Awards, held in partnership with Henderson Loggie, celebrates the achievements of companies operating in Tayside, Fife and Stirling.
Since the awards started more than a decade ago, we've heard about the exceptional service offered, innovative products and solutions brought to the market and remarkable growth stories.
Entries are now open – we can't wait to hear more about your accomplishments over the past 12 months.
Winning a hotly contested Courier Business Award is a fantastic achievement for any business. It means a winning company is a leader in its sector and can be used to promote its products and services. It is also a boost for staff to know the work they do has been recognised.
Our winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony held at the Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee this October, which brings together hundreds of business leaders for a night to remember.
Entering is simple and free. We'd love to hear about your business.
The Growth category is sponsored by Hillcrest.
This award recognises companies which have achieved sustained growth over the past three years. Open to any business from any sector which can show evidence of turnover growth of at least 50% over the last three years.
Winner will demonstrate:
Entries close at 5pm on Monday July 14.
Click here to enter the Courier Business Awards 2025 Growth category.
Thank you to Hillcrest for sponsoring the Growth category at the Courier Business Awards 2025.
Hillcrest was first established in 1967 as Hillcrest Housing Association. Over the decades, it has grown and developed into a large, diverse and continually evolving social organisation. Its mission is to help people live better lives.
The companies within Hillcrest provide housing, maintenance services, support, training and employment opportunities. Its structure allows them to work together to make a positive social impact by contributing to improving the quality of life of the people and communities we work with.
A spokesperson for Hillcrest said: 'Hillcrest is proud to support the Courier Business Awards by sponsoring the Growth category. We look forward to celebrating the outstanding achievements of businesses in the region.'
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The Courier
03-06-2025
- The Courier
Angus automation firm looking for 50 staff in 'difficult' hiring environment
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The Herald Scotland
22-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Investigation details 'dubious' payments at Scottish college
A separate report into allegations of bullying, discrimination and corruption in the college's construction department has criticised the culture in place and recommended further investigations of, and training for, staff. Neither report has currently been made public. Speaking anonymously to The Herald, one member of staff at the college said that they had been 'suppressed'. The Henderson Loggie review was instigated during a meeting between the firm and college leadership in February 2023. The investigation was initially to focus on four specific areas: part-time pension contribution rates, processing of leavers, pensions, and long-term absences final calculations. However, the scope was subsequently extended following a request by the college's Head of HR to also investigate the use of 'salary advances' in order to 'artificially adjust payroll figures following identification of payroll errors.' A separate report into the issues around part-time pension contribution rates has already been submitted. Staff from Henderson Loggie were asked to determine whether salary advance transactions related to three ex-employees were 'genuine and appropriate' and to evaluate how they had 'impacted upon the College, the ex-employees concerned, and HMRC". Their report reveals that staff were overpaid after administrative failures led to them being kept on the payroll system after their leaving dates. Instead of seeking to recover the money, administrators used 'salary advance' processes to 'net off' the overpayments, but 'these transactions were purely artificial, and did not represent any actual monies being repaid by the ex-employees.' One consequence of this approach was that the college underpaid HMRC for PAYE contributions. Investigators found that a note from a meeting on 3 October 2023 stated that 'these transactions were created in order to trigger refund payments from HMRC, which is currently held by the College and not refunded to the respective employees' and that 'as the transactions are erroneous, concern was raised on the grounds of legality and appropriateness of this.' It was agreed in the meeting that the payments must be reversed and the college should liaise with HMRC. Henderson Loggie also uncovered an earlier email from the college's previous Head of Finance. On 27 September 2023 they told Finance, Payroll and HR team members: 'I have to repeat, for what will be the last time, that we cannot make phantom payments to people through the payroll to correct an error or whatever, as was discussed. We have a few of these that we will have to tidy up before the auditors come in. If they find them, we will be roasted." The report also explains further erroneous uses of salary advance facilities, including a 'reduction in salary to recover the equivalent value of goods stolen' by an employee who subsequently left the college. Although the use of salary advances for these purposes has now stopped, investigators recommended that the college 'should consider undertaking a detailed exercise to determine how the historical overpayments to employees and pension schemes, as well as underpayments to HMRC, should be addressed and communicated to staff and other relevant stakeholders, including HMRC". READ MORE: The report also confirmed that South Lanarkshire College has been making pension payments to a number of individuals despite a lack of any written records explaining the terms of this agreement. College payroll systems were found to include a number of former staff members classed as 'pensioners' after taking early retirement. There are 'no copies of any agreements for these former colleague to receive the money' and in some cases the recipients are actually next of kin. The report states that the 'only available evidence' explaining these payments 'are copies of letter sent to the Scottish Office Education & Industry Department in October 1995". In the absence of further clarity, investigators state that there are 'insufficient grounds to stop payments and that payments should continue until the death of the 'pensioners' or their spouses, as evidenced by regular verification checks". In addition to the financial irregularities, the report also details internal failures to properly process and submit pensions data for staff, leading to legal breaches. The college is expected to 'supply timely and accurate information' to the Strathclyde Pension Fund Office (SPFO), but has experienced 'systemic and long-standing issues' complying with this requirement. Weekly payroll submissions were found to be 'several months out of date' when examined in April 2024. Similar problems were found regarding the submission of information to the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA). The report found that 'for a number of years, including in 2020/21 and 2021/22, the College has failed to submit annual data to the SPPA by the deadline of 31 May.' It also notes that the Chief Executive of the SPPA reported the college to the Pensions Regulator in September 2021, and that the following year a letter was issued 'informing the Acting Principal of a serious delay in submitting member data to the SPPA. It was stated that despite repeated efforts to engage with College staff, the College had failed to provide SPPA with accurate and timely data by the deadline of 31 May 2022' – this matter was also reported to the regulator. 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The Courier
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- The Courier
New Dundee city centre flats remain empty months after work was completed
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