Submitting award entries can be time consuming, but there are also lots of benefits to applying:

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1 Applying for awards Is your business making a difference through your CSR programme? Have you thought about applying for an award to recognise contributors and celebrate your achievements internally and externally? wins, or even just being shortlisted, can be a great way to gain internal and external support and recognition for your CSR programmes. However, crafting a winning entry can feel overwhelming and it s often difficult to know where to begin. As award season approaches, Heart of the City shares some top tips and things to consider before applying. Benefits of applying for awards: Submitting award entries can be time consuming, but there are also lots of benefits to applying: Entering awards are a way of celebrating achievements in CSR programmes and highlighting how your business is making a genuine impact The process can help to showcase best practice in CSR and inspire others to take action within their own business Applying for an award and being nominated can help to increase brand awareness and get your business profile out there Entering an award is a great way to benchmark against other businesses and to gain feedback from expert panels on your progress Being nominated/ winning an award is a great engagement tool both externally and internally to share with your clients, customers and employees. Things to consider before you apply: 1) Have you got a stand out project? For the majority of awards, judges are looking for stand out projects - something that is engaging your workforce, is innovative, creating impact and addressing a real social need. Before you apply you will need to be able to evidence the impact you have had through a project. Have a go at drafting your project in bullet points. Can you succinctly outline the problem, key steps to addressing this and the impact you have had? 2) Spend time researching the right award for your business There are hundreds of awards you could apply for. Check out our helpful list of awards and highlighted categories which might be of interest. Some awards specifically have small businesses categories whilst others are for larger businesses. Start by thinking about your project and the area this falls into e.g. community investment? charity partnership? environmental? diversity and inclusion? Could you think about entering an industry specific award e.g. insurance or legal industry have a number of their own awards. 3) Set aside some budget are competitive there can often be an entry fee to submit your award entry and if shortlisted an additional cost to attend the awards ceremony (around VAT for a table of 10). Do your research on this first, and check you have budget to cover it. Entry fees can be as much as VAT. There are some free awards, including the Lord Mayor s Dragon that are keen to remove any barriers to applying. 1

2 Tips on Applying for : 1) Plan ahead and read the small print take the time to read through the guidance notes for the award you are entering. Make sure you meet the entry criteria and understand the structuring of questions and word limits. 2) Be concise and to the point Judges read many applications, make sure your application is succint. Limit your descriptions of context and think about use of headings and bullet points where you can to highlight key points. 3) Focus on the difference made This is your opportunity to share the impact your project has had, who has benefited and in what way. Talk about the benefits to community partners, beneficiaries and your own organisation. 4) Evidence of impact It is likely ou will be required to demonstrate the impact your project has had. Think about tangible quantitative stats you can include to back up your submission as well as qualitative information, including quotes and testimonials. 5) Innovation Has your business taken a new approach to an overlooked social issue? Have you used technology or collaborated with others to achieve something remarkable or tackles an issue of real relevance to your business? Judges are often looking for projects which are different and take new approaches to problems. Think about the unique selling point of your project and highlight key innovation examples where possible. 6) Robust monitoring systems think about the monitoring systems you have in place to measure the outcomes of your project. You will need to be able to show the targets you had in place, how these were measured and what was achieved. 7) Share what you ve learnt when things haven t gone to plan Be honest about challenges you have experienced and talk about ways you have overcome these. 8) Business case and societal benefits Focus on what the key business benefits have been to your own organisation. Has this been a project that has engaged your entire workforce? Make sure you comment on this as well as the benefits to society. 9) Choose support materials carefully chose the best and most relevant stats, videos, images and testimonials to support your case. Are there key quotes/ endorsements you can get from your stakeholders that were involved in your project? 10) Evidence future plans include a brief overview of your future plans for the next stage of your project. 2

3 CSR/ Sustainability Below is a list of just some of the awards your organisation could apply for. You should also have a look at your industry awards as some will have a responsible business category (for example, if working in the insurance industry have a look at the British Insurance ) About the awards Categories Ceremony BITC Responsible Business July Charity Times Children and Young People Now Clean City Corporate Engagement For businesses that have integrated sustainability across their business and are demonstrating commercial success as a result. Celebrating best practice in the UK charity and not-for-profit sector, organised by Charity Times The Children & Young People Now recognise those working with children, young people and families. Rewarding and promoting best practice in waste management in the City of London Recognises successful and innovative corporate partnerships and sponsorships, and the communication strategies around those collaborations. Responsible Business of Building Stronger Communities Building Resilient Business Corporate Community Involvement CSR Project of The Partnership Working The Recruitment and Professional Development Small sites, large sites and facilities managers Best CSR activity/programme to develop a corporate reputation Best alignment of brand values during a CSR programme Best community involvement during a CSR programme Best engagement of an internal audience in a CSR programme. November tbc June DSC Social Change edie s Sustainability Leaders Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Celebrates individuals and effective organisations committed to making a positive impact on society. Brings together businesses and professionals looking to move beyond environmental objectives; deliver transformational change in society and create more value within their organisation. Celebrating excellence and leadership in sustainable business. Everyday Impact New Enterprises Influencer Sustainable Business of Sustainability Manger of Innovation of Responsible Business of December January 3

4 Global Good Guardian Sustainable Business Lord Mayor s Dragon The Lloyds Bank National Business Recognises those who are doing 'Global Good' for Environment, Leadership, Community, Education, Employee Engagement, Carbon Impact, CSR, Social Impact. Celebrates organisations and individuals working towards sustainable business. Celebrates businesses that are achieving excellence in social impact in Greater London Recognises and rewards excellence across all sectors in the UK Overall Excellence in CR Best Individual Community Project Best Partnership in the Community Best Education Project Best Employee Engagement Scheme Building Sustainability Waste Water Finance for good Sustainable business of the year Heart of the City Inclusive Employment Accelerator Innovation The Lloyds Bank Small to Medium Sized Business of the year May tbc September November Social Enterprise Third Sector Business Charity Recognises organisations for their business excellence and contribution to society, as well as the achievements of people working at the heart of the sector. Recognises the contribution made by UK businesses to charities and social enterprises Buy Social November Employee engagement initiative of the year Small business community impact May UK Social Mobility Recognises best practice and innovation and celebrates excellence and achievement and elevate social mobility as a cause equal to the level of other diversity issues. Organisation of Innovation Recruitment Programme of Progression Programme of Community Programme 4

5 Rating agency indices/ membership indices and annual surveys Below is a list of just some of the annual surveys, indices and benchmarking tools you may like to use to track the progress of your business. Indices/ Annual Survey Carbon Disclosure Project Dow Jones Sustainability Indices FTSE4Good GivX Living Wage Accreditation Stonewall s Workplace Equality Index Social Mobility Employer Index The Times Top 100 About Runs the global disclosure system that enables companies, cities, states and regions to measure and manage their environmental impacts. Family of indices evaluating the sustainability performance of thousands of companies Series of benchmark and tradable indexes for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investors Benchmarking tool to measure community investment activities Accredited Living Wage Employers have been certified by the Living Wage Foundation Benchmarking tool for employers to measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace Benchmarking tool that ranks Britain s employers on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds and showcases progress towards improving social mobility. A definitive guide to the top small, large and non-profit companies in the UK. 5