Category Description
This award is aimed at businesses of less than 50 employees, purely established to offer a sustainable service that leaves a positive impact on the environment. It can be a new service, or an existing one delivered sustainably.
Businesses must be able to demonstrate green business practices across its entire operation – this will include policies concerning waste prevention, recycling, energy and water conservation or involving stakeholders in greening the business.
The judging panel will be looking for details on how the business was developed or adapted, its goals and ethos and how the need for the business or sustainable service was identified; with verifiable examples of the business ethos in practice. The business will also need to demonstrate what challenges were overcome and how they were managed.
There is no specific time scale for this award, however, the business must still be in existence and significant development must has been achieved within the 2014-16.
Criteria
Judges will be looking for evidence of the following points within the supplied application form (weighting percentages in brackets):
- Details of the service innovation, how it was developed, its goals and ethos and how a need was identified for the product; (30%)
- Evidence and effectiveness of the product and the verifiable reductions to the environment compared to delivery in an unsustainable method of delivery, whether it is a unique / patented service or whether it encourages and leads other businesses to change the way they think about sustainable practices; (40%)
- Awareness raising to promote and support the environmental benefits of the service incl. market reaction, industry awards won, press coverage gained; (15%)
- Details of how the business has been built since it’s inception, including any investment the service attracted and whether the service has led to financial success and further services; (15%)