ENTRIES are starting to arrive for this year’s Medway Business Awards.

With just four years to the London Olympics 2012, the 2008 contest has a sporting theme.

Millions of pounds of contracts will be on offer to Kent and Medway firms in the run-up to the Games.

There should be plenty of extra business coming to Medway as its shapes up for an extravaganza that is much more than sport. Expect more tourism, jobs and publicity.

As soon as the athletes have packed their bags at the end of this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, eyes will turn to London and the county as the race for training camps and other Olympic projects begin.

With Medway on London’s doorstep, local firms are poised to benefit.

This year’s contest is bigger than ever before, with big cash prizes worth more than £5,000 on offer.

Prizes will be presented at a glittering gala dinner in the banqueting suite at Gillingham’s krbs Priestfield Stadium in November.

Any firm with a turnover of up to £5.6 million is eligible to enter, as long as it has been in business for more than a year by July 31, 2008, and operates from Medway.

First register your interest on the form published in the print edition of the Medway Messenger every Friday, or log on to go to to the website below.

It is time to put your business in the spotlight and show off your achievements. Judges will be looking for those special ingredients that mark you out from the rest.

So, Medway businesses, you are under starters’ orders.

Get set - now go for the finishing line!

And it could be you winning the gold medal.

This year’s sponsors are: Enterprise Agency of North Kent, E.ON, Thames Gateway (Kent) Chamber of Commerce, Lloyds TSB Commercial, Medway Council, Medway Enterprise Agency, Medway Enterprise Hub, Medway Messenger, Reeves & Neylan, University College for the Creative Arts, University of Kent, Furley Page.