Awards writing
resource
Who is eligible
TO ENTER THE AWARDS
The Novi Awards, fomerly known as the Forward Ladies Leadership
Summit and Awards honours the impact of female leadership,
innovation and entrepreneurism in business. We continue to use our
platform to showcase the achievements of women breaking barriers
across the public and private sectors, giving them the recognition and
visibility, they need to inspire the next generation of leaders. These
women are changing lives and transforming the UK’s businesses,
communities, and industries.
The awards are open to women at all stages of their careers.
Applicants can enter themselves or be nominated by someone else.
To be fully qualified for an award, entrants must:
- Meet the criteria for their selected category
- Be over 18 at the date of entry
- Fully participate in the Awards Programme
- Attend the Leadership Summit and Award Ceremony on 21st
November in London
AWARD CATEGORIES
Corporate Categories
- Novi Emerging Leader of the Year
- Novi Rising Star of the Year – Apprentice
- Novi Science & Research Leader of the Year
Novi Technology & Digital Innovation Leader of the Year - Novi Engineering Excellence Award
- Novi Mathematics & Data Leadership Award
- Novi Transformational Leader of the Year
Joint Categories
- Novi Education / Academic Leader of the Year
- Novi Inspiring Mentor of the Year
- Novi Public Sector Leader of the Year
- Novi Social Impact of the Year
- Novi Sustainability Champion of the Year
- Novi International Leadership Excellence
- Novi Creative Industries Leader of the Year
- Novi Health & Wellbeing Leader of the Year
- Novi Women on Boards
- Novi Outstanding Returner of the Year
Entrepreneur Categories
- Novi Disruptor / Innovator of the Year
- Novi Female Entrepreneur of the Year
Novi Start Up of the Year - Novi Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Novi Family Business Woman of the Year
- Novi Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
- Novi International Entrepreneur of the Year
Tips for submitting
a winning entry
One way to have your entry shortlisted for The Novi Awards is to
ensure you provide well-completed and evidence-based answers
against each criterion relevant to your chosen category.
Take your time to complete your entry form and go over your form
after completion to ensure that the details provided are accurate. It
might be helpful to get someone else to check it over for you.
Entrants must take note to ensure that their answers are within the
recommended word limit provided.
Provide enough details and evidence to back up your success stories.
Supporting Documents
for your application
You can provide a link to public company house records, press releases, news articles, testimonials, references, and anything else you feel would support your application. Entrants for the Entrepreneurship category need to provide a copy of proof of financial performance and Annual Turnover of their business to support their application.
Judging
Criteria
Leadership, Strategic Direction and Personal Resilience
You must provide a brief overview of your career path to date, your current role, outlining key responsibilities, how long you have been in the company and role and what your greatest business achievement has ever been.
Commercial Awareness
You must explain why you have entered this category, provide evidence of success and provide reasons why you should be considered as a finalist for this category.
Community Impact
You should provide examples of how you personally (not your company) are supporting other women and the wider community as a role model. (E.g., specific mentoring or outreach programmes with local schools, community groups, and charities)
WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER THE AWARDS
80% of people who make buying decisions say they are more likely to choose an award-winning company over a non-award-winning one.
Professionals who win awards are 45% more likely to get promoted within a year compared to their peers (source: CareerBuilder study).
Companies with award-winning teams experience up to 63% more inbound interest from partners, clients, and potential hires.
Corporate awards are linked to a 37% increase in employee satisfaction and a 22% boost in retention, according to a Gallup study.
Whether you are a business owner or a key player in a corporation, awards set you apart and show that your work is validated by third-party experts.
Award-winning companies often report a 24% faster revenue growth compared to their non-award-winning competitors (McKinsey report).
KEY DATES
- 28th April - Nominations and Entries Open
- 1st September - Last Day to Nominate
- 5th September - Last Day to Enter
- 1st October - Finalists Announced
- 16th October – Ally & Advocates List Announced
- 21st November – Awards Ceremony & Leadership Summit
