Awards spotlight – UK Business Awards (The Dons)

Do you believe that your business, team, or an individual leader has demonstrated outstanding achievement, resilience, ingenuity and delivered inspirational results in the last 12-18 months? Run by Awards International, The UK Business Awards (UKBA) provides an independent “seal of approval” to honour such accomplishments. Affectionately known as The Dons, in honour of the late Don Hales’s passion for business and the awards industry. Launching several of the most successful business awards before going on to found Awards International with Neil Skehel in 2008, Don is widely regarded as an Awards Industry pioneer.

This year the awards theme is “Ignite your Business Growth”, reflecting the UKBA’s commitment to empowering entrants to learn and grow. The organisation has additional events and resources available to support this business growth theme with topics including, investment, digital transformation and skills for the digital age.

With its original purpose to promote enterprise and leadership, the UKBA recognises amazing businesses and their leaders, giving them the opportunity to share and celebrate the learnings from leaders and forward-thinkers who have dedicated their lives to making business exceptional.

Beyond sharing best practices, the UKBA offers organisations—whether small or large—an opportunity to promote professional improvement, learning, and personal development.

The UK Business Awards welcomes business initiatives from any type of organisation with operations in the UK: public or private, SMEs or large businesses, B2B, B2C and B2G.

Categories are many and varied, with options including the ever-popular ‘Best Customer Experience’ and ‘Best Company to Work For’ awards. You’ll also find tech-based categories such as ‘Best E-Commerce’ or ‘Best Website’ and awards specific to learning like the ‘Best Learning and Development’ or ‘Best Apprenticeship Employer’ categories. In fact, with 25 different categories available, there’s sure to be one to suit your success. I’ll give you a full run down on the categories later.

While many people find awards submissions daunting, the organisers of the UK Business Awards are committed to supporting you every step of the way. Here’s how they ensure your success:

• Dedicated awards consultants: The UKBA provides expert guidance to help you prepare a compelling submission.
• Case studies: Access real-world examples of successful entries to inspire and inform your own submission.
• Top tips articles and webinars: Learn from industry experts through informative articles and webinars.
• Draw inspiration from previous winners: Explore the achievements of past winners and consider joining their ranks.
• Feedback and recognition: As a finalist, you’ll receive a benchmark feedback report, including competitor scores and judges’ comments.

“Entering the UK Business Awards was such a great experience for us, the presentations, judging and awards ceremony was a thrilling process. Prior to the awards the organisers were so supportive with any questions we had, and the judges were really high calibre”

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal Weston College

How do I enter the UK Business Awards 2024?

Entry is now open, so you can get started on your journey to winning an award! The standard entry deadline is September 20th 2024, but there are significant cost savings available if you can meet the early bird deadlines that are available in June and August.

Entry fees do depend on the size of your business and which deadline you submit for, but typical standard entries cost £299+VAT for small businesses and £399+VAT for a Medium/Large organisation. You can also make savings by opting for the four-entry package, which saves 20% and costs £849+VAT or £1199+VAT depending on business size. You can view the full information about entry costs here.

The robust and transparent entry process is split into two parts; a written entry and a live judging event at the Awards Finals on November 12th 2024, each part will make up 50% of your overall score. Once you’ve registered and paid, you’ll be given access to an online entry portal where you’ll find an entry template that’s the same for most categories (Team of the Year, Leader of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year may differ, please check your individual entry form).

The standard entry sections which will earn you up to 100 marks are:

• Business Strategy.
• Goals and Objectives.
• Planning and Implementation.
• Stakeholder Engagement.
• Innovation and Creativity.
• Impact and Outcomes.

The scores from these sections will be used to decide on finalists, and those shortlisted will be invited to take part in the Award Finals. This live judging part is a 30-minute session, split into 15 minutes for your finals presentation and 15 minutes for judge’s Q&A. During both scoring rounds, the judges submit their comments and feedback alongside their final scores – which helpfully feature in the Benchmark Reports which are given to all participating finalists.

Importantly, the scores of both the written entry and the finals presentation are combined and calculated to decide the winners – so both are equally important to score top marks!

What are the UKBA categories? 

The UK Business Awards 2024 has 25 different categories to choose from. Designed specifically to capture all of the key aspects of business in the UK. The categories are split into three main sections: Business Classics, Best Business in the Backbone Sectors and Business Professionals.

Perhaps you’ve implemented innovative new technology or brought a dynamic new product to market that has impacted across a range of sectors? Have you successfully launched a new business in the last two years that deserves recognition? Have you been shining a light on ESG and taking strides to making your business Net Zero ready? Or do your team deserve recognition for outstanding performance and impact?

Check out the full list of categories available here and see which award you like the sound of picking up!

Entry tips for the UK Business Awards 2024

One of my biggest tips is to start the entry process as early as possible. Start gathering data and evidence and building your story and also make sure that you know who needs to approve it, and what kind of availability they have for sign off.

Aside from those practicalities, the most important thing to remember when you are trying to craft a winning entry is to:

• Tell your story: Highlight your journey, any challenges you faced, and your successes.
• Quantify achievements: Never make claims you can’t prove. Use data to showcase growth, revenue, or impact.
• Differentiate: Explain what sets you apart, remember the judges might not be from your industry, you need to make it clear what makes your story worthy winners.
• Be concise and clear: Judges appreciate clarity, and always stick to the entry rules and word limits!

Next steps?

If you are feeling like these are the awards for you, perhaps you would like some help. Maybe you’re already thinking ‘this sounds like us!”, but don’t know where to start. Clients often come to us with blank award entry forms – we can help from as early as this stage. How do you tell your story in the best way possible? How do you make sure that you’re covering off the awards entry criteria, without boring the judges? What makes an entry stand out? How do you write a winning entry?

We’ve spent 18 years working with businesses to help them do exactly that, winning our clients over 2,000 awards, including many top awards for Awards International programmes, and we’d be delighted to help you create your UKBA entry. Details of our award entry writing services can be found here.

These awards are likely to be very popular again this year, so please get in touch asap to see how we might be able to help. Our team would be happy to give you a call to help you double-check your chances of success and explain our pricing options. You can contact Boost via our contact form or email directly via info@boost-awards.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Milly

Awards spotlight – UK Business Awards (The Dons)

Do you believe that your business, team, or an individual leader has demonstrated outstanding achievement, resilience, ingenuity and delivered inspirational results in the last 12-18 months? Run by Awards International, The UK Business Awards (UKBA) provides an independent “seal of approval” to honour such accomplishments. Affectionately known as The Dons, in honour of the late Don Hales’s passion for business and the awards industry. Launching several of the most successful business awards before going on to found Awards International with Neil Skehel in 2008, Don is widely regarded as an Awards Industry pioneer.

This year the awards theme is “Ignite your Business Growth”, reflecting the UKBA’s commitment to empowering entrants to learn and grow. The organisation has additional events and resources available to support this business growth theme with topics including, investment, digital transformation and skills for the digital age.

With its original purpose to promote enterprise and leadership, the UKBA recognises amazing businesses and their leaders, giving them the opportunity to share and celebrate the learnings from leaders and forward-thinkers who have dedicated their lives to making business exceptional.

Beyond sharing best practices, the UKBA offers organisations—whether small or large—an opportunity to promote professional improvement, learning, and personal development.

The UK Business Awards welcomes business initiatives from any type of organisation with operations in the UK: public or private, SMEs or large businesses, B2B, B2C and B2G.

Categories are many and varied, with options including the ever-popular ‘Best Customer Experience’ and ‘Best Company to Work For’ awards. You’ll also find tech-based categories such as ‘Best E-Commerce’ or ‘Best Website’ and awards specific to learning like the ‘Best Learning and Development’ or ‘Best Apprenticeship Employer’ categories. In fact, with 25 different categories available, there’s sure to be one to suit your success. I’ll give you a full run down on the categories later.

What’s in it for us?

It’s no secret that putting together a successful business award entry takes time, effort and skill. So why do we do it? There’s lots of reasons, not least the rare opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate your team’s hard work. But being an awards winner or finalists will also:

1. Boost credibility: Winning an award adds credibility to your brand. It signals that your company stands out in its field.
2. Increase visibility: Awards generate positive publicity. They put your business in the spotlight, attracting potential customers and partners.
3. Enhance reputation: Awards validate your achievements and differentiate you from competitors.
4. Attract talent: Being an award-winning company makes you more appealing to top talent.
5. Give networking opportunities: Awards ceremonies provide excellent networking platforms.

While many people find awards submissions daunting, the organisers of the UK Business Awards are committed to supporting you every step of the way. Here’s how they ensure your success:

• Dedicated awards consultants: The UKBA provides expert guidance to help you prepare a compelling submission.
• Case studies: Access real-world examples of successful entries to inspire and inform your own submission.
• Top tips articles and webinars: Learn from industry experts through informative articles and webinars.
• Draw inspiration from previous winners: Explore the achievements of past winners and consider joining their ranks.
• Feedback and recognition: As a finalist, you’ll receive a benchmark feedback report, including competitor scores and judges’ comments.

“Entering the UK Business Awards was such a great experience for us, the presentations, judging and awards ceremony was a thrilling process. Prior to the awards the organisers were so supportive with any questions we had, and the judges were really high calibre”

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal Weston College

How do I enter the UK Business Awards 2024?

Entry is now open, so you can get started on your journey to winning an award! The standard entry deadline is September 20th 2024, but there are significant cost savings available if you can meet the early bird deadlines that are available in June and August.

Entry fees do depend on the size of your business and which deadline you submit for, but typical standard entries cost £299+VAT for small businesses and £399+VAT for a Medium/Large organisation. You can also make savings by opting for the four-entry package, which saves 20% and costs £849+VAT or £1199+VAT depending on business size. You can view the full information about entry costs here.

The robust and transparent entry process is split into two parts; a written entry and a live judging event at the Awards Finals on November 12th 2024, each part will make up 50% of your overall score. Once you’ve registered and paid, you’ll be given access to an online entry portal where you’ll find an entry template that’s the same for most categories (Team of the Year, Leader of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year may differ, please check your individual entry form).

The standard entry sections which will earn you up to 100 marks are:

• Business Strategy.
• Goals and Objectives.
• Planning and Implementation.
• Stakeholder Engagement.
• Innovation and Creativity.
• Impact and Outcomes.

The scores from these sections will be used to decide on finalists, and those shortlisted will be invited to take part in the Award Finals. This live judging part is a 30-minute session, split into 15 minutes for your finals presentation and 15 minutes for judge’s Q&A. During both scoring rounds, the judges submit their comments and feedback alongside their final scores – which helpfully feature in the Benchmark Reports which are given to all participating finalists.

Importantly, the scores of both the written entry and the finals presentation are combined and calculated to decide the winners – so both are equally important to score top marks!

What are the UKBA categories? 

The UK Business Awards 2024 has 25 different categories to choose from. Designed specifically to capture all of the key aspects of business in the UK. The categories are split into three main sections: Business Classics, Best Business in the Backbone Sectors and Business Professionals.

Perhaps you’ve implemented innovative new technology or brought a dynamic new product to market that has impacted across a range of sectors? Have you successfully launched a new business in the last two years that deserves recognition? Have you been shining a light on ESG and taking strides to making your business Net Zero ready? Or do your team deserve recognition for outstanding performance and impact?

Check out the full list of categories available here and see which award you like the sound of picking up!

Business Classics:

• Best Company to Work For
• Business Change and Transformation
• Best Corporate Social Responsibility
• Best Customer Experience
• Best Use of Social Media
• Best Digital Marketing Campaign
• Best Learning and Development
• Best Use of Technology
• Best Innovation in Business
• Best Product or Service Development
• Best Apprentice Employer
• Maggie Colman Customer Service Award
• Best ESG Model
• Best New Business
• Best Growing Business
• Best E-Commerce
• Best Website

Business in the backbone sector:

• Best Business in Construction And Engineering
• Best Business in Healthcare Infrastructure
• Best Business in Energy Transition And Sustainability
• Best Business in Agriculture
• Best Business in Downstream Automotive

Business Professionals:

• Team of the Year
• Leader of the Year
• Entrepreneur of the Year

Entry tips for the UK Business Awards 2024

One of my biggest tips is to start the entry process as early as possible. Start gathering data and evidence and building your story and also make sure that you know who needs to approve it, and what kind of availability they have for sign off.

Aside from those practicalities, the most important thing to remember when you are trying to craft a winning entry is to:

• Tell your story: Highlight your journey, any challenges you faced, and your successes.
• Quantify achievements: Never make claims you can’t prove. Use data to showcase growth, revenue, or impact.
• Differentiate: Explain what sets you apart, remember the judges might not be from your industry, you need to make it clear what makes your story worthy winners.
• Be concise and clear: Judges appreciate clarity, and always stick to the entry rules and word limits!

Next steps?

If you are feeling like these are the awards for you, perhaps you would like some help. Maybe you’re already thinking ‘this sounds like us!”, but don’t know where to start. Clients often come to us with blank award entry forms – we can help from as early as this stage. How do you tell your story in the best way possible? How do you make sure that you’re covering off the awards entry criteria, without boring the judges? What makes an entry stand out? How do you write a winning entry?

We’ve spent 18 years working with businesses to help them do exactly that, winning our clients over 2,000 awards, including many top awards for Awards International programmes, and we’d be delighted to help you create your UKBA entry. Details of our award entry writing services can be found here.

These awards are likely to be very popular again this year, so please get in touch asap to see how we might be able to help. Our team would be happy to give you a call to help you double-check your chances of success and explain our pricing options. You can contact Boost via our contact form or email directly via info@boost-awards.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Milly

Boost – a helping hand entering awards

Boost Awards is the world’s first and largest award entry consultancy, having helped clients – from SMEs to Multinationals – win over 2,000 credible business awards. Uniquely we have a whole team of in-house writers, graphic designers and awards experts to give you maximum support when entering awards. Increase your chances of success significantly – call Boost on +44(0)1273 258703 today for a no-obligation chat about awards.

(C) This article was written by Milly Bones and is the intellectual property of award entry consultants Boost Awards. Images used with the kind permission of UK Business Awards, who sponsored the content.