A teacher training business has received one of the business world’s most prestigious honours after being recognised for innovation in its field.
Evidence Based Education (EBE) was presented with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation at its head office in Sunderland city centre earlier this week [28 August].
The company, which relocated to Sunderland in January after receiving support from Sunderland City Council, was presented the award by The Lord Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear, Susan Winfield, OBE.
Staff members and partners also joined the celebrations, as well as the Mayor of Sunderland, Cllr David Snowdon, Mayoress, Cllr Dianne Snowdon and the Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council, Cllr Michael Mordey.
Photos from the day can be found below:
Speaking about the award, Managing Director Jack Deverson, said:
It has been a huge honour for EBE to receive such a prestigious award in just our fourth year of trading. There is much hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make what we do possible, and our team deserves all the recognition for ensuring everything we do is as effective as it can be.
As we continue to build a reputation for world-class support and innovation in education, we hope the Queen’s Award can provide a real platform in our mission to affect the education of hundreds of thousands more learners around the world.”
Founded in 2015, Evidence Based Education is the brainchild of academic and former teacher, Prof Stuart Kime and Jack Deverson, who is qualified in Chinese and German. Its team delivers both online and on-site training to teachers and schools nationally and internationally, as well as providing consultancy and developing tools to help improve the quality of teaching.
The company started life in Durham before moving to Sunderland in a bid to grow its team and tap into the city’s rich talent pool. EBE now employs twelve people and has ambitious plans to increase its digital offering over the next year as it continues to disrupt the industry. Jack added:
We continue to set ourselves ambitious targets for widening our impact and continuing to grow the organisation. To fuel this growth, we have some really exciting plans to bring to fruition in the coming 18 months.
We’ve been self-funded from day one, and while that does bring challenges at times, it also affords us the flexibility and agility we need to navigate a complex and changing environment. We hope to continue driving positive change in education for years to come, all from our home in the heart of Sunderland!”
The Lord Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear, Susan Winfield OBE, said:
I am absolutely delighted that Evidence Based Education has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation.
It’s a fantastic achievement by such a young company and having talked to them today, I realise how their creative skills and their drive and ambition has helped them achieve so much in such a short time.
I hope this can be a signal to other companies in this part of the world about the importance of using their own company’s work to apply for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.”
Evidence Based Education’s move to Sunderland was supported by Sunderland City Council, which worked closely with the firm throughout its relocation, providing EBE with the support required to accelerate its ambitious plans.
Speaking at the presentation, Cllr Michael Mordey, Deputy Leader of the council, said:
We are absolutely delighted to be here today to see Evidence Based Education receive this prestigious accolade.
To receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise shows just how innovative of a company EBE is and we’re proud to have been able to support them on their journey. We look forward to seeing where the company goes from here.”
Stretching back to 1966, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise recognises and encourages the outstanding achievements of UK businesses in the fields of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity.
