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Management Today Business Awards


Championing the best of British business

The Management Today Business Awards recognise the organisations and individuals breaking new ground and achieving consistent excellence across any sector of British business.

We want to recognise excellence across all sectors of UK business and entries are encouraged from small, medium and large businesses, focusing on your achievements over the last 18 months. 

Whether you're a dynamic start-up, a thriving family or private equity backed business, or one of Britain's biggest firms, there is a category for you. The awards will allow businesses to share best practice, showcase your work both to key stakeholders and clients, and compare your company against the very best of the entire UK business community, not just those in your specific industry.

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Download the Entry Kit

Why Enter?


Launched in 1966, Management Today is Britain’s premier business title, curating practical advice and brilliant thinking to help leaders build or sustain world-class companies. 

Entering these awards is a chance to boost your national coverage, stand out amongst the competition, get noticed by the country’s top business leaders, investors and commentators, and be recognised for your work, all backed by Management Today. 

We will be announcing the winners of Management Today’s Business Awards at a virtual ceremony in March 2021. Winners will also be profiled on the Management Today and the Management Today Business Awards websites. 

Who can enter?

We want to recognise whole organisations and individuals across all sectors of UK business. Entries are accepted from all organisations of any size. The awards will allow businesses to share best practice and inspire their people, and are a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Eligibility period

If you have done great work or have a superb case study that you would like to showcase, it must have originated within the last 18 months (between January 2019 - January 2021). We are aware that on some occasions results may still be ongoing, so we will suggest supporting material that is relevant for the work to the point of entry. Please mark clearly anything that is confidential and not able to be published. We will be looking for success in financial metrics (revenue, profits, ROI, productivity), staffing and customer satisfaction as well as the credibility and impact within both the business and the industry.  

NextGen businesses

In each category, the winner will be supplemented by an additional NextGen winner, drawn specifically from the ranks of businesses that were established within the last five years and/or have no more than 500 employees. 

You will be asked to specify whether you are a NextGen business on your entry form. There are also a select number of size-specific categories.

Deadlines and Fees


Standard entry fee - Available until Thursday 28th January

Business Award entry: £550

NextGen entry: £475 


To be eligible to enter as a NextGen entrant, the business needs to have been established within the last five years and/or have no more than 500 employees. You will be asked to specify whether you are a NextGen business on your entry form. There are also a select number of size-specific categories.


Enter now

Download the Entry Kit

Judges


Categories


Company Awards

We want to recognise excellence across all sectors of UK business and entries are encouraged from small, medium and large businesses, focusing on your achievements over the last 18 months.

Whether you're a dynamic start-up, a thriving family or private equity backed business, or one of Britain's biggest firms, there is a category for you. The awards will allow businesses to share best practice, showcase your work both to key stakeholders and clients, and compare your company against the very best of the entire UK business community, not just those in your specific industry.

Entries should be submitted in a document including an elevator pitch (50 words), story (300 words) and proof (300 words).

 

Business of the Year
This award will be awarded to the category winner that, in the judges’ opinion, stands out above all the rest. This category cannot be entered directly and is chosen by the chair of judges

 

Best Use of Innovation in Business
Businesses must constantly do new, different, smarter or better things if they are to thrive in a competitive market. This award will recognise organisations that have put effective and inspirational innovation at their heart, creating ground-breaking and revolutionary new products or services with the potential to disrupt and reshape entire industries.

Entrants must be able to demonstrate business growth and market impact with tangible results.

 

Most Successful Global Expansion
In today’s global economy, opportunity knows no borders. This award recognises businesses that have successfully grown in global markets over the last 18 months and are on track for long-term sustainability.

Judges will be looking for the rationale, the sales and marketing strategy, and ultimately the results and the impact on the business.

 

Best Business Turnaround
Turnarounds are among the toughest tasks in business. This award recognises organisations that have successfully improved their financial position by implementing effective operations, establishing solid management and generating positive cash flow - all leading to the recovery of a struggling business.

Entrants must demonstrate how the business turnaround has been achieved and also why it was necessary. What did it entail, how were the business, clients and employees impacted by the turnaround and how has the business measured the success of the turnaround?

 

Most Impactful Social Initiative
Business isn’t just about profit; it’s also about purpose. This award champions businesses working as a force for good, highlighting their environmental and/or social impact on the wider community.

Entrants will need to provide details of the work they’re doing, why they’re doing it and the impact it has had (including statistics where appropriate).

 

Most Successful Reinvention
If a business is to survive, it must evolve, adapt and transform. This award is for firms that have successfully reinvented themselves, adjusting their business model to grasp opportunities, supercharge growth and deliver outstanding results.

Entrants should explain the need for the transformation, the journey (including any challenges that were overcome) and the strategic and financial results.

 

Project Awards

These awards focus on projects and initiatives that businesses have implemented and/or improved in the past 18 months for the benefit of the organisation and the people within them.

Entries should be submitted in a document including an elevator pitch (50 words), story (300 words) and proof (300 words).

 

Special Recognition Award: Response to Covid-19
The coronavirus pandemic has left businesses around the world counting costs and wondering what recovery could look like. This award celebrates the UK firms that have gone above and beyond to support their communities, workers and customers, showing their humanity while still looking out for the long-term sustainability of the business.

Entrants should demonstrate how they have met community, customer and worker needs during this difficult lockdown period, and how they have communicated clearly with all their stakeholders.

 

Best Wellbeing Initiative
Workers wellbeing is a key factor in determining business performance and long-term effectiveness.

This award celebrates forward-thinking businesses that have built and nurtured a positive workplace culture. Entrants need to demonstrate how their initiatives have resulted in outstanding levels of staff engagement and productivity, and ultimately driven demonstrable business growth.

 

Best Marketing Campaign
Communicating the value of a product or service to its audience through the right messaging is vital to its success. This award acknowledges original, ground-breaking and effective campaigns that are either a one-off or part of a wider strategy.

Judges will be looking for the objectives of the campaign, the innovation and delivery and how this impacted the business.

 

Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative
Becoming a truly inclusive workplace requires transparency and authentic behaviour, driven by a core belief in equality of opportunity. An inclusive organisation ensures that all individuals have a voice and are supported to work at their best.

This award can recognise what your company is doing in one of these key areas, or a unique D&I initiative specific to your business or sector:

Origin (includes race)
Balance (gender balance, work/life balance)
LGBT+
Mind (mental health and awareness)
Parents & Carers
Neurodiversity (supporting neurodivergent colleagues in the workplace)

 

Best Talent Management Scheme
Even the best strategy won’t get the job done without the right people. Organisations need to recognise and retain their high-performance and high-potential workforce, through initiatives to develop, support and upskill employees.

This award recognises employers that have designed and implemented a future-fit, evidence-based and ethical talent management strategy to address their current and future needs.

 

Individual Awards

For these categories, entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated. Each entry will be judged in the same way. Written entries should provide evidence of business performance, leadership and growth, development of company culture, where available statistics on diversity and gender pay gap (and the explanation behind it) and what the individual has done to improve these within their organisation. Entrants should also include examples of their ability to drive transformation and how they have contributed to the industry in which they operate.

This should be done through a document consisting of an elevator pitch (50 words), story (300 words) and proof (300 words).

 

CEO of the Year
Honouring the ambitious and visionary leaders who are building and sustaining world-class businesses.

 

Entrepreneur of the Year
Recognising founders who have achieved significant levels of long-term growth and financial performance through an innovative and resilient leadership style.

 

Non-Exec Director of the Year
This award recognises non-executive directors that have made noteworthy contributions to an organisation’s strategy, demonstrated a passion for high ethical standards and promoted the principles of good corporate governance.

 

Manager of the Year
This award honours the ambitious and visionary managers who are helping to build and grow world-class firms.

Open to all those in a managerial, team leader or head of department role.

 

Team of the Year
This award recognises the most effective, efficient and forward-thinking teams that are helping to build and grow world-class businesses.

From marketing and comms to HR and tech, this category is open to teams from all parts of the business.

 

Board Director of the Year
Awarding the directors that have shown outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in their leadership, as well as efficient management practices and the understanding of challenges, consumers and competitors.

 

Future Leader (aged 35 and under)
Open to individuals aged 35 and under who are making a positive change in their organisation. Judges want to see how the entrant has shown exceptional skill, ambition and impact.

 

Contact us


Tamsin Ballantyne
General Enquiries

E: [email protected]
P: 020 8267 4125

Ross Banford
Sponsorship Enquiries

E: [email protected]
P: 020 8267 8010