Unimed Procurement Services received Queen’s Award for Enterprise in prestigious presentation ceremony

Leading procurement agency Unimed hosted a prestigious ceremony in its Leicester office on January 19, where the organisation was officially presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade.

Having won the award in 2022 for its outstanding contributions in the procurement field, Unimed has achieved a significant milestone in its journey to support a healthier world.

In attendance at the ceremony were Michael Kapur Esq OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire Susan Whelan OBE, Lord Mayor Councilor George Cole, and Leicestershire County Council Chairman Dr Kevin Feltham, as well as the Unimed team and their friends and family.

The event began with a champagne reception and a selection of refreshments for guests to enjoy, followed by the arrival of His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, who was welcomed by founder and managing director of Unimed Shameet Thakkar for an introductory meeting and a tour of Unimed’s offices.

Taking place soon afterwards was the award presentation ceremony, which included an inspiring speech from His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, followed by the presentation of the emblem and grant of appointment signed by the late Queen Elizabeth II and ex-prime minister Boris Johnson.

“The late Queen Elizabeth II instituted the Queen’s Awards by royal warrant in 1966. These Awards will stand as a lasting legacy to her memory,” said His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant in his speech.

“The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most coveted awards in the UK for businesses; they are only awarded to those who are truly outstanding in their field. There were only 141 Awards given out in 2022 under the International Trade category, and only 13 of those went to businesses in the East Midlands. This puts into perspective just how rare and exceptional Unimed’s performance has been.

“Since 2018, Unimed has achieved international trade growth to the tune of nearly 1700%, enabling the company to trade in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania.

“The Queen’s Award recognises the performance of a company as a whole. Everyone that works at Unimed should be proud of the company’s collective achievements, and share in the honour of receiving this prestigious award. I hope it acts as a source of great pride and that it helps Unimed further promote its services across the globe.”

As a symbol of its extraordinary achievement, Unimed was also awarded a glass award trophy, each one being one-of-a-kind due to their unique manufacturing process, where heated glass is dipped in water to create a special cracked effect, meaning no two trophies are the same.

Following His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant speech, Unimed’s founder Shameet Thakkar’s acceptance speech reaffirmed the company values and goals: “Unimed’s culture is first and foremost rooted in the belief that everyone should have access to essential healthcare products, no matter their physical location in the world.

“We believe in changing the procurement model to operate in ways that entirely benefit those in need, an important part of which involves prioritising ethicality, transparency and reliability.”

Shameet was also keen to highlight the importance of prevention in achieving equitable access to healthcare and improving global health standards: “Healthcare procurement is not just about providing emergency supplies when disasters strike or when health crises arise, but it’s also about minimising their impact, and without prevention, this becomes much more difficult.

“Unimed believes there’s an essential need to improve access to diagnostic equipment and to prioritise prevention over treatment. Nothing is more important than strengthening health systems and increasing their resilience to protect populations. This is simply not possible without a change in mindset, and we are proud to be amongst those striving to drive this change.”

To learn more about Unimed Procurement Services, please visit: https://www.unimedps.com/