To be included in The Press & BHP's Top 50 SME's companies must fulfil two of the following criteria:

- Have fewer than 250 employees

- Have less than £25.9 million turnover

- Have less than £12.9 million gross assets

Businesses must be an independent company or the ultimate holding company of a UK group, and must not be not be a charity, academy, Limited Liability Partnership or listed Public Limited Company.

They must also be up-to-date filing accounts at Companies House.

SME's have been included from across York and North Yorkshire, covering the circulation area of The Press.

To qualify for consideration, SMEs must have a principal trading address or registered office within one of the following postcode areas: DL6 2, DL7 8, HG1 1, HG1 3-4, HG2 4, HG2 7, HG5 0, HG 5 8, LS24 8-9, LS25 5-6, YO1, YO3, YO5, YO7-8, YO10-12, YO16-19, YO22-24, YO26, YO30-32, YO41-43, YO51, YO 60-62.

Some neighbouring towns to the region have also been included in this survey.

For financial periods of more than or fewer than 52 weeks, the figures have been annualised on a pro-rata basis.

The figures have been compiled by BHP Chartered Accountants using latest published financial information at the time of carrying out this survey filed at Companies House and financial data provided by Bureau van Dijk’s Fame.

Private company information can be incomplete: in preparing this table every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that no qualifying companies have been omitted. In certain circumstances the compilers of the table have made exceptions to the qualification criteria and their decision is final.

Nominations for next year's table are welcome at info@bhp.co.uk