Successful submissions for industry awards  

Gaining industry profile, boosting staff morale, reinforcing your credibility… a winning awards entry (or even a shortlisting) can have a real impact on your business.

But awards submissions take time and effort.

And your entry will need to stand out to make judges sit up and take notice.

There is an art to crafting a successful awards submission, so here are some tips to help you…

Be in it to win it

There are lots of reasons why you should put the time into submitting an awards entry. These include: generating PR coverage; showcasing your performance; building confidence amongst your stakeholders; acknowledging your employees; promoting your business’s capabilities; and gaining recognition.

So ensure your submission does not let you down! Answer each question with a winning mindset and tell the judges why you should win the category.

Success depends on good preparation!

Allow plenty of time to develop your entry. Plan ahead and carefully consider the judging criteria.

You should ensure you have all the information required when submitting the awards entry. Don’t fall down at the last hurdle because you have left it late to submit and don’t have all of the information you need!

It’s also advisable to get a team together when planning an awards submission. You can then discuss ideas and draw from different perspectives in your business. 

Do your research

It’s important to look at previous winners. What has made them stand out.

And remember that ‘big isn’t always better’. Don’t be discouraged if a past winner is a larger business than yours. Judging is not always focused on high sales or workforce growth: let your innovations, commitment to talent and approach to new markets shine through.

Keep it clear and simple… and answer the questions!

Don’t ‘copy and paste’ from your website, sales presentations or brochures. It’s unlikely this information will answer the questions set.

Your entry should be easy to understand…and many businesses also fall down by not answering all of the points set out in the specific award criteria.

It’s also likely that you will only have a set word limit to cover your answer. Information should therefore be relevant and answer the criteria and question.

In addition, be careful about recycling previous award entries. What worked for one award may not be relevant for another!

Where is the evidence?

Make a list of facts and figures that will support your application. Do not make vague generalisations. Specific evidence will make the awards entry more compelling.

Tell your story and stand out from the crowd

If you don’t state your achievements and successes, then how will the judge know about them? It’s vital to have a winning mindset.

You should include information on key milestones such as a turnover, recruitment, or investment goals and convey your journey to success. Awards entries should be memorable.

The last stage

Ask someone objective to read your final submission. If they are not impressed, the judges won’t be.

And you should make sure your entry is checked by someone outside of the awards writing process. Typos can ruin an otherwise strong entry!

Learn from experience

If you aren’t shortlisted, learn from it and try again next year. Practice makes perfect and it increases your chances of winning next time. You can also use your award entry as a tool for assessing and benchmarking your business performance.

But first and foremost, do not waste time and resources in entering an award unless you are in it to win it!

If you need any help with your awards submissions, we’d be happy to help. Get in touch.