Smarta, together with O2, has this week announced the launch of the 2012 Smarta 100, a celebration of the most exciting and disruptive small businesses in the UK today.

With a £10,000 cash prize for the overall winner, courtesy of O2, the Smarta 100 awards are a pulse-check of the 100 most innovative and disruptive businesses and an opportunity to reward those companies that are on track to be the fast-growth superstars of the future.

Seven Hills has sponsored the ‘Best use of Marketing’ category and will provide a PR masterclass for the winner of that category.

This year, the Smarta 100 winners will be decided by a line-up of judges comprising some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs including Theo Paphitis from Ryman and star of Dragons’ Den; Rowan Gormley, founder of Naked Wines and winner of the Smarta 100 in 2011; Mike Soutar, founder of Shortlist and Stylist magazines; Thea Green MBE, founder of Nails Inc; Andy McLoughlin, founder of British technology success story Huddle; Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK, Alastair Lukies founder of Monetise and Will King, founder of King of Shaves.

Businesses from across the UK are invited to apply online at www.smarta.com/100 from June 11th. The closing date for applications is September 1st.