Category Description
This award is open to financial education and inclusion initiatives that expand learning about finance, and increase the ability of targeted groups, especially young people and the vulnerable and excluded, to access financial information, products and services that will improve their lives.
(If there are outstanding candidates, judges may consider making two awards – one for educational, the other for inclusion.)
This may include improving understanding of how finance can prevent or deliver sustainable outcomes, and/or how to manage finances, thus improving outcomes for individuals.
The judges will specifically be looking for evidence of quantified results from the initiatives, along with innovation and creativity; effective awareness raising among the target audience resulting in high levels of engagement; and future plans to scale it up where appropriate.
Judges do not expect perfection in all aspects of the activities of the organisation that has developed this initiative: they know that embedding sustainability across all activities is a challenging process! But the initiative cannot be an isolated example of sustainability within the activities of the organisation: the judges expect a company to also show evidence that it takes appropriate account of social and environmental issues in wider aspects of its business.
Time Frame: Entries should focus primarily on activity from the past three years, and those which are ongoing or continue to influence present practice. Historical context and earlier work may be included where relevant to demonstrate baselines, legacy impact, or progression.
We request a total word count of 1500 words +/-10% (excl. supporting docs). Any confidential data will be treated as such and only shared with the judging panel.
Criteria
Judges will be looking for evidence of the following points (weighting percentages in brackets):
Aims and development (25%)
What the initiative is, how and why it was developed, challenges overcome, support and training provided, and the potential benefits that accrue from it.
Effectiveness (45%)
Evidence of its effectiveness, including the verifiable positive impact on targeted individuals or communities.
Awareness raising and engagement (20%)
Effectiveness of awareness raising to promote and support the initiative; how successful has it been at reaching target audiences and engaging with them.
Scalability (10%)
The wider potential for scalability and replicability.
PLEASE NOTE: The criteria listed above are used by judges to evaluate entries. However, you will complete a separate application form with specific questions.
When writing your entry, follow the application form questions while ensuring you address all the criteria listed above. This allows judges to assess all entries consistently.
Accessing the questions: Register or log in to AwardStage (opens 2 February), select your category, and download the PDF of questions. Application questions vary by category and will be available four weeks before entries open. To receive them in advance, please email us.
Are we eligible to enter?
Our awards programme is open to all organisations of any kind… companies large and small, charities, not-for-profits, social enterprises, NGOs, membership and accreditation organisations and government departments including local and county councils. We are all about rewarding sustainability practice – in all its forms. So if your organisation is making a difference, directly or indirectly to people and planet, you’re eligible.
We don’t just recognise businesses that are operating responsibly, or supporting / partnering with worthwhile causes. We also actively encourage entries from organisations that have been specifically set up or adapted to offer a product or service that tackles a social or environmental problem.
Our category descriptions and criteria have been written to guide entrants on what content should be detailed in their entries. However, we do not expect square pegs to fit in round holes… Some of your business activities or dedicated programmes might not fit entirely with any one specific category. In these cases, the descriptions and criteria are open to an element of interpretation and rest assured that our judges will still take into account entries that are strongly aligned with the overall context of the category.
If you have any concerns about the suitability of your entry, or would like to discuss your activities in more detail, we are here to help. Give Karen a call on 07813 718541 or email us.