THE county's brightest business stars have just a few days left to submit their entries for this year's Hampshire Business Awards.

The awards are Hampshire's annual search for the best in business and this year's winners will follow in the footsteps of BAA Southampton Airport, Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel and Hamble-based Point Source, which triumphed in the 2004 awards.

Three awards are open for entries. They are:

The Bond Pearce Innovation Award: recognises innovation in business process, products or services;

KPMG Company of the Year: seeks out all-round business excellence and achievement;

The RBS International Trade Award: rewards companies with a strong track record in international trade.

Companies are encouraged to enter as many categories as they wish but need to have their entry form or online application submitted by midnight this Friday.

Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Nick Page of civil lawyers Bond Pearce, said: "Although there is just one week left to go until the deadline, we still want to hear from as many companies as possible to make the 2005 awards the biggest and best ever."

Entries can be submitted online at www.hampshirebusinessawards.com or entry forms can be obtained by e-mailing sharon.james@rbs.co.uk