We are delighted to announce that World First has been awarded the prestigious 2016 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade – the UK’s highest honour for international business success.
The accolade was awarded for our innovation in cross border currency transfers and the business’ role in facilitating international trade for UK SMEs, including online marketplace traders.
The award is the highest form of recognition for business success in the UK and is presented following recommendation to HM The Queen by the Prime Minister. Awards are made today, the 21st April, the occasion of the Queen’s 90th birthday.
Having transferred over £26bn for more than 75,000 businesses and individuals since 2004, the award is also recognition of our rapid growth. In the last two years alone, we have grown from 200 people to over 400 today with offices in five countries around the world.
The Lord-Lieutenant of the County, The Queen’s local representative, will present the business with the award later in the year. World First’s co-founders, Jonathan Quin and Nick Robinson, will also attend a reception at Buckingham Palace in July.
Commenting on the award win, Jonathan Quin, CEO and co-founder of World First, said: “It’s always nice to win awards but to be one of a select few businesses to receive a Queen’s Award as recognition of our success in international trade is especially pleasing. We set ourselves challenging growth targets and it is our innovative approach to technology coupled with an absolute focus on our customers that helps us to achieve these targets, and in so doing help thousands of SMEs and marketplace sellers around the world to increase their international trade too. It’s a real demonstration of what Fintech businesses like ours are capable of. This award is another step in making traditional banks sit up and take notice of the specialist service we provide and the specialist products we offer.”
This week also saw us launch our inaugural quarterly Global Trade Barometer which captures the behaviours and outlook of UK SMEs when it comes to foreign exchange.