HAMPSHIRE'S best firms are today being urged to apply for the UK's most prestigious business honour The Queen's Award for Enterprise 2007 with the help of two current holders of the honour.

David Moore, chairman of the prime minister's committee for the Queen's Awards, visited PIPS Technology, in Eastleigh, and Primayer, in Denmead, yesterday.

PIPS won the award in the innovation category last year for its automatic number plate recognition software to cut crime.

Primayer's acoustic technology is being used by major water companys to find and mend leaking water pipes and conserve water supplies.