Business Awards - why apply for them?

In this article, we will cover why there are an increasing number of business awards and why winning and applying for awards can help your organisation grow. We will review a few top tips for writing business award submissions as well as check out the competition to highlight the types of businesses which are winning awards now.

What are business awards?

Business awards are official recognition given to companies and individuals for their outstanding achievements in business. These awards are intended to recognise excellence, promote best practices, and inspire innovation in the business world. Winning a business award can boost a company's reputation, increase visibility, and generate positive publicity.

Not to mention we offer this as a service! Business award writing is one of the many aspects of business development that we can assist with.

What are the benefits of applying for business awards?

There are many benefits to applying for business awards, which explains why they are increasingly competitive. Business awards can be a key part of a business's growth strategy for several reasons:

• Winning an award can help to increase the visibility of your business and boost your reputation. It can also provide credibility for your brand, products, or services, which can be an important factor in attracting new customers

• Winning an award can give your business a competitive advantage over others in your industry. It can help you stand out in a crowded market and make it easier for you to differentiate yourself from your competitors

• Winning an award can be a morale boost for your employees. It can provide them with a sense of pride in their work and reinforce the value of the work they do

• Applying for and attending award ceremonies can provide excellent networking opportunities. You can meet and connect with other businesses and industry experts, which can lead to potential partnerships and collaborations

• Applying for business awards often requires businesses to demonstrate how they meet certain standards or criteria. This can help businesses to benchmark their operations against industry standards and identify areas for improvement

• Winning an award can provide external validation of the quality of your products or services. This can be an important factor for customers, investors, and partners when making decisions about working with your business

• Applying for and winning awards can help to increase your brand's visibility and awareness. This can lead to increased traffic to your website, social media channels, and other marketing materials

• Winning an award can help attract new customers, leading to increased revenue for your business.

Being shortlisted for an award can still provide your business with a level of credibility and recognition, which can help to build trust with customers and other stakeholders. It is still a great boost for staff morale and a chance to network with potential customers.

Will business awards help me win more public sector contracts when tendering?

When looking to grow your business through public sector contracts, the benefits listed above can substantially impact you.

It is about familiarity, relationship building, and providing a low-risk and reassuring solution. Within bids and tenders, there is a constant push to create relevant evidence to reassure public sector buyers of your performance. The independent verification of your performance via an award is a great way to do this and can form part of your evidence and discriminator.

For details of our bid writing services click the link here.

Away from the formality of public sector tenders and to find more information on traditional sales and marketing techniques to sell into the public sector or build relationships, click the link here. We offer a public sector-focused sales and marketing support service helping our clients:

• Engage with the public sector
• Increase sales via frameworks (and off-framework).

What business awards are right for me?

Deciding which business awards to apply for can be a strategic decision for a company, and it's important to carefully consider the potential benefits and costs of each award before committing time and resources to the application process. Here are some key factors to consider:

• Look for awards that are relevant to your industry or area of expertise, as these are more likely to provide valuable exposure and recognition for your company. Consider the specific criteria of each award to ensure that your company meets the requirements for eligibility

• Consider what benefits your business could gain from winning a particular award, such as increased exposure, brand recognition, customer trust, and industry credibility. What are you hoping to achieve? These benefits can help you narrow down your selection and prioritise the awards that offer the most value for your business

• Applying for awards can be time-consuming and may require additional resources, such as hiring a consultant or dedicating staff to the application process. Consider the costs and time commitment involved for each award, and weigh these against the potential benefits
• Research the past winners and finalists of each award to get a sense of the competition and the types of companies that have been successful in the past. Consider whether your company has a realistic chance of winning, and focus on the awards where you feel you have the strongest chances of success

• Consider the reputation of the awarding body, as this can impact the perceived value of the award in your industry and among potential customers. Look for awards that are well-respected and have a track record of recognising outstanding companies.

Making an informed decision is key. If you are looking for support and guidance with this please contact us now.

Business award writing services

Like many other areas such as sales, marketing and tendering, there are outsourced or professional services organisations who can support you.

How can Thornton & Lowe help me apply for and win business awards?

As a bid and award writing consultancy, Thornton & Lowe offers a range of services to help businesses improve their chances of winning business awards.

These services include:

• Award selection service: Many businesses struggle with identifying which awards to apply for, given the vast array of options available. We can help businesses identify the awards that are most relevant to their industry, goals and achievements

• Award writing service: Once businesses have identified the awards they wish to apply for, we can help them prepare their submissions. This can include working with the business to identify and articulate their achievements, drafting compelling narratives, and ensuring that all submission requirements are met

• Award review service: Even if a business has prepared a submission, it can be helpful to have it reviewed by an experienced professional to ensure that it is as strong as possible. We can provide feedback on submissions, identifying areas where the submission can be improved to increase the business's chances of success.

By outsourcing the award writing process our clients benefit from our professional team's consistent expertise and capacity. For further details see our award writing service page here or contact us now.

3 Top Tips for writing business awards

1. Clearly understand and follow the award criteria and guidelines provided by the awarding body

Take the time to carefully read through the award criteria, paying attention to the specific requirements and the judging criteria. Make sure you fully understand what the judges are looking for and how they will assess your entry

Make sure you answer the questions directly and don't veer off-topic. Be clear and concise, and make sure you provide evidence to back up your claims

Make sure you follow all of the guidelines provided by the awarding body, including word counts, formatting, and submission deadlines. Don't leave things to the last minute, and make sure you proofread your entry carefully before submitting it

If possible, seek feedback from someone who has experience writing award entries or has a fresh perspective on your business or project. They can offer valuable insights and help you fine-tune your entry for maximum impact.

2. Use specific and measurable examples to illustrate your achievements and successes in the context of the award category

Once you have a clear understanding of the criteria, you can identify specific examples that demonstrate your achievements and successes in that area

Using data, facts, figures, screenshots, case studies, testimonials and key performance indicators (KPIs), for example, which support your claims can make your application more compelling and impressive

To ensure that your examples are relevant and understandable to the judges, it's important to provide context. This can include information on the challenges you faced, the actions you took, and the outcomes you achieved. This will help the judges understand the impact of your achievements and successes

Storytelling can be a powerful tool to engage the judges and make your application stand out. Use a compelling narrative to describe your achievements and successes, and show how they have had a positive impact on your customers, employees, or the wider community

While it's important to provide specific and measurable examples, it's also important to focus on quality over quantity. Choose the most compelling examples that demonstrate your achievements and successes in the context of the award category, and use them to make a strong case for why you deserve to win the award.

3. Tailor your writing to the target audience and showcase what sets your business apart from the competition

Before you start writing your submission, research the awarding body and the judging panel. Understand their values and what they are looking for in a winner. This will help you tailor your submission to meet their expectations

To stand out from the competition, you need to showcase what makes your business unique. Highlight your key strengths and achievements, and explain how they differentiate you from other businesses in your industry

Judges are often reviewing multiple submissions, so it is important to keep your submission concise and engaging. Use clear and concise language, and avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be confusing. Use headings and bullet points to break up the text and make it easier to read.

Who are Thornton & Lowe?

Thornton & Lowe is a professional services business with a mission to help more SMEs (small and medium enterprises) win more public sector contracts than any other consultancy in the UK. To do this our growth support services include:

• Bid writing: An outsourced bid writing and management consultancy providing our clients with consistent and reliable support

• Public sector framework consultancy: Guiding our clients on framework selection, opportunities and compliance
• Bid training: Upskilling our clients with bid writing skills and helping them further understand the requirements of the public sector

• Bid templates: Aimed at businesses who are new to bidding and require a cost-effective solution to respond to frameworks and tenders

• Business award writing: Helping our clients create verified evidence and networking opportunities to support their business growth strategies

• Bid design services: Making your tenders, bids, proposals and awards stand out from the crowd

• Tender Pipeline: Our free software solution to monitor public sector tenders and your competition.