Awards Application Guide

The awards application process is designed to be inclusive, transparent, and easy to follow. The information provided below will assist you in understanding the criteria for the application, the judging process, and the rules.

Application rules

We want to emphasize that the awards process has specific rules in place, and it's important to follow them. Failure to comply with these rules may result in the disqualification of your application. We encourage all applicants to carefully review the rules to ensure they are eligible to apply and that their submission is complete and meets the necessary requirements.

All applications should be submitted in English. We understand that not everyone may be proficient in English, so we recommend seeking assistance from a colleague or friend who can assist with translation, or using online translation tools to help with the process.
Applicants must provide evidence in each chosen category criterion.
Evidence will only be accepted within the timeframe indicated on the awards entry page. This will cover the previous 12 months only.
Each criterion has a maximum word count limit that must be adhered to. Any words beyond this limit will not be considered.
To ensure that all testimonials are fair and of equal length, there is a maximum limit of 200 words per testimonial. Any words beyond this limit will not be taken into consideration.
To ensure fairness in the judging process, the criteria used for evaluation will be based solely on the quality of the evidence submitted. Any additional documents beyond the requested evidence will not be taken into consideration.
Hyperlinks to evidence are not permitted. Please include all evidence directly within the application.
Applications received after the advertised deadline will not be considered.
To maintain fairness and impartiality during the awards assessment period, applicants and organizations are not permitted to contact the awards judges.
For the awards application to be considered, the applicant declaration included on the entry form must be agreed and dated.

The information you submit will be used by the BCI to judge your submission. It will be passed to our volunteer BCI member judges for this purpose.

Data retention

The BCI judges will only have access to your data during the application judging process and timeline. The BCI will retain any information and evidence you submit for up to 36 months so that any future applications you make can be verified against previous evidence. All information provided is stored on secure (password- and firewall-protected) servers and devices.

For more information about how your data will be processed, click here.

How to apply

Once entries open each year, there will be a link to the entry page on the BCI Awards page on our website.

Select the appropriate category for your submission.
This will open the application form for that category.
Complete the form by providing full contact information and submitting evidence against each criterion. You will also need to select the region you are entering.
Agree to and date the applicant declaration and submit the form.
Your submission will be received and vetted by the BCI Central Office to confirm it meets the criteria.
You will be notified within 8 weeks of the application deadline if your submission meets the criteria and has been accepted.
If accepted, your entry will be sent to our Judging Panel for evaluation.
The Judging panel will review and score all accepted applications.

For information about the judging process, please visit our website at BCI Awards Judging Guidance.

Successful applications

Once the judging process is complete, you will be notified if your entry has been shortlisted for the regional awards. The regional award winners will be announced at the virtual regional award ceremony which take place in August and September. Regional award winners are automatically shortlisted for the Global awards.

Regional award winners will be required to submit a short video acceptance speech in advance of the Global awards ceremony. They will also need to nominate a representative to collect the award on the evening if they are unable to attend in person.

The scoring criteria

To evaluate applicants' evidence-based submissions, the judges will use three performance descriptors as outlined below:

High-quality evidence: Score between 4-5

Applicant’s evidence is timebound, addresses the criterion and is thoroughly explained.

Moderate quality evidence: Score between 2-3

Applicant’s evidence is timebound, partly addresses the criterion and is somewhat explained.

Low-quality evidence: Score between 0-1

Applicant’s evidence is not dated, does not address the criterion, or is poorly explained.

Moderation meetings

Moderation meetings provide an opportunity for judges and the Head Judge to convene virtually and discuss any ambiguous issues related to judging, as mentioned previously. The Head Judge will lead the meetings, examining the evidence and scores and taking into account the judges' comments and scoring justifications. The objective is to ensure a transparent and equitable application process and select the most deserving award recipients. If a consensus cannot be reached, the Head Judge will make the final decision. These meetings are essential for promoting consistency, impartiality, and inclusivity in the judging process.

Moderation meetings will only be held in the following situations:

When there is a ten or more mark difference between the scores given by the judges.
When the top applicant scores are tied.

During moderation meetings, judges and the head judge will discuss any scoring discrepancies or ambiguities. The head judge will review the evidence, scores, and comments from the judges to ensure a transparent and fair application process and select the most deserving award winners. If the judges cannot come to a final agreement, the head judge will make the final decision.

For more information on how to apply, please contact [email protected]