The KBBA are an ideal opportunity to highlight diverse organisations, industries and sectors who work hard away from the usual spotlight. We want categories which are in tune with the ambitions of Kingston Borough partners and businesses.
Outstanding Business Social Impact Award
The nominees for this award category will show how they have been committed to delivering an outstanding business contributions to the community and will be able to demonstrate the local impact made. This community investment can cover commitment of time, effort and/or money to deliver positive outcomes.
Criteria
• Demonstrate how the objectives, plans and/or strategies were effectively implemented.
• Demonstrate the benefits for the local community/positive impact of your work.
• Demonstrate tangible results and evaluation.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for business organisations who show exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in their contributions to the community.
Developing Young People’s Skills Award
This award category will showcase organisations that have shown they have a firm commitment to developing the skill sets of young people (under 24 years), to dramatically improve their educational prospects and enhance their employability and life progression.
Criteria
• Demonstrate your commitment through a clear plan, detailing objectives, strategy and delivery.
• Demonstrate how the project has made a real impact for the young person/ people involved.
• Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome.
• Demonstrate inspirational qualities that are appreciated by customers, staff or employers.
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for organisations that show exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in the development of skills for young people.
Excellence in Customer Experience Award
The nominees within this award category will demonstrate how the customer sits at the heart of their business and the strategies adopted to provide customers with an excellent and sustainable experience.
Criteria
• Demonstrate that an excellent customer service experience has been clearly incorporated into your core business strategy.
• Demonstrate tangible results and evaluation.
• Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for businesses that show exceptional and sustained commitment to customer experience.
Excellence in Food and Beverage Award
Excellence in Food and Beverage Award will reward food, hospitality and beverage providers who are passionate about delivering quality food and drink, and great service. This category includes hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafes and outside caterers.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for businesses who show a commitment to the service and delivery of food and beverages, and an adaptation to consumer / trading trends.
Criteria
- Demonstrate that customer service has been clearly incorporated into your core business strategy
- Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors
- Demonstrate commitment to staff training / personal skills development
- Demonstrate your commitment to local quality products and supply chains
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
Creative Use of Technology Award
The winners of the Creative Use of Technology Award will have shown how they have utilised technology to provide an improvement or efficiency in their business, their clients or broader community.
Judging overview
Judges will be looking for a clear description of a creative use of technology, with indication of budget. This may include ‘off the shelf’ products if they have been implemented in a way that is beyond its original intention or creatively utilised to solve a problem or need by the business.
Criteria
- Clearly identify the need or opportunity, defining the brief objectives, an indication of budget and target audience.
- Provide details about the innovation, technology or product including its implementation and delivery.
- Demonstrate how the success of the innovation was evaluated and measured.
- Demonstrate the impact of the creative use of technology, challenges that were faced and what has been learnt from this.
Best Independent Local Retailer Award
This award category will celebrate not only the commitment and creativity of entrepreneurial independent retailers but also the role they play in their local communities.
Criteria
• Demonstrate how your business has engaged with and supported their local community.
• Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome.
• Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for businesses that show a commitment to their local community economy, providing clear evidence of how their work has made a difference.
Excellence in Professional Services Award
This award category will highlight the very best work across professional services, such as legal, consulting, advertising, finance, HR and banking. The category is designed to showcase processes or products that have brought benefit to the business and its clients.
Criteria
• Demonstrate that best practice has been clearly incorporated into your core business strategy.
• Demonstrate tangible results and evaluation.
• Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for individuals/businesses that demonstrate exceptional conduct beyond the standard professional services they provide. This award is open to businesses, of any size, that provide a professional service.
Best Start-Up of the Year Award
This award category will showcase start up businesses, operating since January 2022, in any business sector. It is aimed at independent businesses that have identified a market opportunity while building a solid foundation upon which their business can thrive.
Criteria
• Demonstrate your ability to overcome barriers to success/obstacles to growth.
• Outline your goals for your future sustainability and growth for the next two years.
• Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for individuals/businesses that have exceeded their targets for growth, can demonstrate effective leadership and excellence in developing their business, and are continually innovating to succeed.
Young Professional of the Year Award
The Young Professional of the Year will celebrate and recognise aspiring young people, less than 35 years of age, who have made a significant contribution or acted as role model to their profession and business.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for young professionals who have made a difference to the organisation they work in and the wider industry. The recipient must have demonstrated professional accomplishments and evidence of outstanding talent, dedication and leadership. Self-nomination is not permitted and must have been employed for at least one year by the business.
Criteria
- Demonstrate noteworthy professional and personal achievements.
- Provide details of strong leadership, teamwork and integrity skills.
- Demonstrate clear contributions made by the individual and the impact on the business or industry.
- Demonstrate evidence of customer or team satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
Outstanding Green Business Champion Award
This award category will celebrate businesses or individuals who recognise environmental and
sustainability initiatives and reward those who place sustainability at the very heart of their business.
Criteria
• Demonstrate that sustainability has been clearly incorporated into your core business strategy.
• Demonstrate an innovative approach to delivering creative results that achieve / surpass the client brief.
• Demonstrate the tangible benefits for the local community/businesses.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for organisations that show exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in sustainable initiatives.
Developing Employees Award
The Developing Employees Award winners will have shown how the employer has gone above and beyond the development for their employees, helping them to broaden their skills and support their career path and life-long learning.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for business organisations who show exceptional commitment, learning opportunities and recognition to their colleagues and provide the support to improve the culture of the business.
Criteria
- Demonstrate your commitment through a clear plan, detailing objectives, strategy and delivery
- Demonstrate clear evidence how this has supported the employee
- Demonstrate clear evidence how initiatives have benefited the team/ business accomplishments
- Provide details of the challenges faced, the milestones crossed and how they were overcome
Best Charity / Social Enterprise Award
This award category will celebrate registered charities and social enterprises that have demonstrated pioneering ideas and the entrepreneurial drive to make social changes that will have a positive impact on society.
Criteria
• Provide clear evidence of your objectives, target audience and ethical values.
• Demonstrate your ability to overcome barriers to success / obstacles to growth.
• Demonstrate clear evidence of community benefit and impact made in the borough.
• Demonstrate evidence of satisfaction (such as case studies or testimonials).
What the judges are looking for
Judges are looking for charities/social enterprises making a significant positive difference to the borough through their activities, with an ability to generate and attract funding to meet defined societal goals.
Best Business Providers Award
The Best Business Providers Award is designed to recognise the best, independent business providers in the Borough. This category will celebrate diverse, hard-working talent who contribute in different ways to the local economy.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for business providers to demonstrate how their collaborations, objectives and implementations provided effective and tangible results for their clients.
Criteria
- Outline a project/s where you can demonstrate commercial success or growth for your customers.
- Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome.
- Demonstrate your creativity and resourcefulness to meet changing customer needs.
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
Best Marketing Campaign Award
The Best Marketing Campaign Award is for businesses who have taken a creative, innovative and agile approach in delivering a successful marketing campaign. This can include, as examples, sponsorship, event, print, pop-ups, direct mail, digital, and social media. It is open to individuals, agencies or organisations, of any size, and can prove their campaigns have had a measurable effect.
Judging overview
Judges will be looking for a clear description of an outstanding marketing campaign/project that has made a significant impact, shown creativity and made a lasting impact.
Criteria
- Clearly identify the need or opportunity, defining the brief objectives, an indication of budget and target audience.
- Clearly show what differentiates you from your competitors.
- Demonstrate how innovation and creativity provided results that achieved / surpassed the client brief.
- Demonstrate how the campaign was evaluated and measured.
- Demonstrate evidence of customer satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, customer retention / loyalty).
Responsible Workplace Award
The Responsible Workplace Award will go to the organisation that provides the most compelling evidence that their strategy and training for health and wellbeing in the workplace that not only worked, but created a clear and measurable return on investments.
Judging overview
Judges are looking for businesses to show a commitment to health, wellbeing and responsibility in the workplace with clear objectives and effective implementation and tangible results linked to engagement and productivity levels.
Criteria
- Provide the objectives of your health, wellbeing and responsibility strategy in the workplace.
- Demonstrate how new initiatives and implementation of training were developed.
- Provide details of the challenges faced and how they were overcome.
- Demonstrate a clear evaluation of how the new initiatives have strengthened the business.
- Demonstrate evidence of workplace satisfaction (such as case studies, testimonials, staff retention / loyalty).
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