Award Criteria & Entry Details


We have refreshed the line up of award categories this year, with a full list included below.


To review the criteria and submit your entry, please click on the relevent link below, complete the form as indicated and press submit. Please be mindful of the recommended word count. 


For any queries and to NOMINATE a company other than your own for any category, please email events@obn.org.uk.


Entry Timeline:

  • Entry process open - mid April
  • First round entries close - Friday 7 July
  • Finalists announced - Friday 11 August
  • Winners announced live in London - Wednesday 22 November


Click a category below to review criteria and enter:


  1. Best Startup Biotech Company​, Kindly sponsored by Milton Park (Incorporated after 1 June 2021)
  2. Best Emerging Biotech Company​, Kindly Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific (Incorporated 1 Jan 2018 - 1 June 2021)
  3. Best Established Biotech Company​ (Incorporated before 1 Jan 2018)
  4. Best Early Stage Medtech Company​, Kindly Sponsored by Penningtons Manches Cooper (Incorporated after 1 June 2018)
  5. Best Established Medtech Company​ (Incorporated before 1 June 2018)
  6. Most Transformative HealthTec Company of the Year​
  7. Most Impactful CRO of the Year​
  8. Young Life Sciences Entrepreneur of the Year​, Kindly Sponsored by Oxford Technology Park
  9. Most Impactful Industry Collaboration of the Year​
  10. BioSeed One-to-Watch Award​
  11. Best Industry Support Partner of the Year​
  12. Special Recognition Award 2023​

OBN Award Judges 2023


With thanks to the industry leaders contributing to the final judging panel this year:


Nick Pumphrey, CSO, Etcembly

Kat Arney, Founder & CCO, First Create the Media

Louise Sutton, Industry Director, Biotech, Fisher Scientific

Oliver Pumfrey, Managing Director, FTI

John Chaddock, VP Head of REED Operations and Site Head, Ipsen

Prashant Shah, Co-Founder, o2h

Stuart Rose, CEO, OBN

Alex Batchelor, Co-Founder and CEO, OxDX

Wendy Tindsley, Innovation Director, Oxford Innovation

Emma Palmer-Foster, Strategic Communications Consultant, Oxford Science Park

Malcolm Silander, Co-Founder, Precision BioSearch

Frances Murphy, Executive Director, Precision for Medicine

Laura Holland, Director of Strategic Marketing, Rosalind Franklin Institute

Peter Hamley, CSO, Samsara Therapeutics

Catherine Fletcher, Principal, Science Creates

Colin McCall, Partner, Taylor Wessing

Mark Beresford, Global Enterprise Lead, ThermoFisher Scientific

Kirsty Dolphin, Partner, Venner Shipley

Lorna Cuddon, Managing Director, Zyme

Yusuf Ali, Wellbeing, Health & Protection Technical Adviser, Partners&

Emma Tinsley, Chief Executive Officer, Weatherden

Neil Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, SEHTA