The Real IT Awards RITA have been rewarding outstanding IT teams and projects since 2004. Our Awards Spotlight for RITA 2020 guides you through the history of the awards, past winners, the entry process and all of the categories for this year, including a raft of new ones. All the details you need to know about one of the most credible awards in the UK IT industry.

The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For and the Great Place to Work scheme are two of the most popular ‘Best Employer’ league tables. Boost’s Rebecca Carpenter discusses these and similar schemes, as well as awards with ‘Employer of the Year’ categories, to help you decide which might be best for your company.

Have you successfully delivered a major HR strategy or project over the past year? If so, that project, your team, or the individuals involved may be eligible for an award. But with so many awards out there, do you need some help picking which award schemes to enter? Whether its talent management, recruitment, employee engagement or learning and development… Boost’s Chris Robinson says there’s an HR award and category that will be a perfect match for you.

Okay, so you’ve achieved something big within your business and now you want to shout about it – and rightly so. The extensive world of awards awaits you…but how do you ensure your entry makes the coveted shortlist, and gives you the best chance of proudly accepting a shiny new trophy? Boost’s Lesley Billen talks you through how to win business awards.

To win a Queen’s Award brings unparallelled prestige, exposure and recognition, with many recognising it as the highest UK official award for businesses. Anyone who could win an award from HM Queen Elizabeth II would certainly be mad not to try. Having personally helped more than 20 winning entries I hope this article will help you decide whether you COULD win an award, and if so, HOW to do so.

Do you think your business, team or even a specific individual deserves recognition for outstanding achievement? The UK Business Awards (UKBA) is your chance to recognise and honour this with an independent ‘seal of approval’. Now in it’s fourth year the UKBA (aka ‘The Dons’) is dedicated to rewarding those who have demonstrated exceptional business performance, shaping the future of business. Beyond being a vehicle for sharing best practice, the UKBA enables organisations who enter, whether an SME or large company, to promote professional improvement, learning, and personal development.

Pensions Awards are on the increase. We surveyed over 400 business decision-makers and the results showed that over 72.1% are influenced by awards when choosing providers of financial services and a massive 81.0% are influenced by awards when choosing HR services (including employee benefits). Is it any wonder that awards in the pensions industry are not only highly sought after, but are also highly competitive? Read our guide to the best pensions awards to enter.

The UK Customer Experience Awards is aimed at organisations who strive to enhance the customer experience they offer in an innovative way. Celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year, the programme has become a key staple in the awards diary for companies large and small. Milly Bones, a former UKCEA judge, guides you through everything you need to know before entering.

Search is an exciting arena, a true battleground for the soldiers of SEO, SEM and PPC, where everyone is constantly trying to improve their rankings and climb above the competition. Just try searching ‘Best SEO Agency’, for example, to see the unending war to win business being played out. Read Boost’s guide to which search awards you should enter.

As one of London’s top responsible business awards, the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards celebrate businesses that are achieving excellence in social impact. Recognising the vital role businesses across every sector have to play in this important topic, these awards recognise everything from responsible recruitment through to procurement and giving practices. Read our ‘Awards Spotlight’ guide for everything you need to know about entering.

Around 90% of business awards recognise departments, people, or industry sectors. However, there is a whole collection of award schemes which recognise the business as a whole, irrespective of industry sector. We call these ‘general business awards’ and they include very prestigious schemes like the National Business Awards and The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. Chris Robinson explains which of these awards suit your business best, and provides some top tips for increasing your chances of winning one.

If you work in, or supply to, the insurance sector, then the good news is there is a fantastic choice of insurance awards to enter, and we are not just talking about the most famous like The British Insurance Awards and The Insurance Times Awards. However, with this choice comes a challenge – unless you have an unlimited budget, you’re going to have to be choosy. This article will help you pick which insurance awards to enter.

Winning a customer service award is great way to impress customers, both current and potential. Boost’s Alex Coxon looks at 4 types of customer service awards and customer experience awards that you should enter, and which might best suit your team and your marketing goals. From Contact Centre Awards to Customer Service categories in General Business Awards, there are plenty of ways to show you provide exceptional customer service.

As part of our Awards Spotlight series highlighting the most credible UK business awards to enter, Faye Renshaw from Boost put Barclays Entrepreneur Awards organiser, Juliet Rogan, in the hot seat to find out more about the scheme and the benefits of entering.