IDM Energy’s co-founders have won the 2025 John Caudwell Award last week for their Highlands and Islands-based electrical and renewables company at the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Co-founders Iain Macphail and Kyle Smith were named National Winner 2025 of The John Caudwell Award, named after the billionaire and founder of Phones4U.
They beat 800 top UK entrepreneurs, who together hire over 25,000 people and make £2.25bn in income.
The company had previously won Service Industries Entrepreneur for Scotland in 2024 and Start-up Entrepreneur for Scotland and Northern Ireland at the same event both in 2022 and 2023, making this their biggest win yet.


Co-founder Iain Macphail stated: “This is such an incredible honour for us, and is a testament to the exceptional hard work of all our team, including those starting their journeys with us, and all those who have supported our vision for the company from the outset.
“We are hugely grateful to John Caudwell and all involved with The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, and congratulate all those who were nominated.”
Co-founder Kyle Smith added: “To have our investment in customer service, our progressive use of AI, and our best-in-class training recognised this way at such a high level nationally is a huge endorsement in how we are driving our business.
“It has been an incredible year in terms of growth, scaling up our team, expanding into the central belt, and securing new contracts, so this really is icing on the cake.”
John Caudwell, who sponsors the award, congratulated Iain Macphail and Kyle Smith for their great achievement, especially when the company had been founded in the middle of the Covid pandemic.
John also claimed: “Most importantly for this award, which I sponsor with Caudwell Children, they invest in people and give them real career prospects. Of their 21-strong team, seven are apprentices.
“The company also uses AI to remove repetitive admin so that those apprentices and all their staff are freed up to service customers, learn, and grow. It reminded me of my Phones 4U days when I banned emails!
“They are exceptionally deserving winners of this award.”
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