2023 Categories & Criteria
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Written entries must be no more than 1,000 words (including any supporting material), and try to think about the judges when composing them. They must be UK RELEVANT. Use plenty of spacing, bullet points and paragraphs to construct your entry to make them easier on the eye. PDF and other multimedia entries are encouraged, and you can add personality to your entry too to make it stand out. If you are submitting a video, please keep it to FIVE minutes or less. Videos longer than five minutes are likely not to be watched in full.
The bullet points in the criteria are just guidelines and don’t have to be answered individually in order – use them as a basis to create your entry and as a GUIDE ONLY . But please read them carefully as they will help you craft an entry that meets all the judges’ criteria. Don’t just feel you have to submit blocks of text, feel free to submit a PDF or even video entry if you are feeling adventurous – make your entry stand out.
But remember, word counts and time limits still apply to multimedia entries – judges will mark down if over word count or approved time.
Reseller Categories
Best Company to Work For – Sub £100m turnover - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider - with a turnover of £100m or below. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR, environmental credentials, and general company culture. The period the award covers is between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023, so please bear this in mind when talking about particular incentives offered to employees. Images can also be used if you like.
Best Company to Work For – £101m+ turnover - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider - with a turnover of £101m or above. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR, environmental credentials, and general company culture. The period the award covers is between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023, so please bear this in mind when talking about particular incentives offered to employees. Images can also be used if you like.
Best Customer Event - Reseller (NEW)
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider – that has engaged in proactive marketing activities during the year. Since the onset of Covid, this category now covers all types of events, including physical events that have become online events, actual face-to-face events, or brand-new hybrid events launched over the past year. The period the award covers is between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023– so please detail an event that you created for your customers/partners that successfully ran during that period only to qualify for entry. Images can be used.
Best Marketing Campaign (not event) - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider – that has engaged in proactive marketing activities during the year. The period the award covers is between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023– so please detail an end user marketing campaign that successfully ran during that period only to qualify for entry. It can be a social media campaign or a more traditional campaign. Images can be used.
Best New Business Win - Reseller
This award is open to any UK-based firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider. The business win – which can be in any vertical sector in any space, must have taken place between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023 to qualify for entry.
Best Sales Team - Reseller
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider – that has a standalone sales team. The period the award covers is between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023– so please detail successes of sales teams during that period only to qualify for entry.
Most Innovative Recruitment Scheme/Initiative – Reseller (NEW)
This award is open to any firm that falls under the Reseller category – whether an integrator, MSP, system builder, VAR or service provider The scheme/initiative must have been running from, or further developed since January 2022.
The ‘Over and Above’ Award - Reseller
This is an award aimed at highlighting the amazing work by an individual, the company as a whole, or a division/team over the past year. It is a chance to give those individuals or teams some credit for going ‘over and above’ their duties to ensure a customer was served, or a project was completed, or they managed to keep everybody’s spirits up by being an exceptional manager or supportive colleague or even a community-minded individual/team. Anyone can receive this award, from the company as a whole, to an exceptional sales/marketing/support team; a particular manager or staff member within any team, the CEO or even a company cleaner that went the extra mile. Anyone you feel has definitely gone ‘over and above’ their normal duties to make peoples’ lives easier during difficult times. Below are some tips for constructing the entry but please make it as personal as you like.
Distributor Categories
Best Channel Finance Support Team/Initiative (NEW)
In difficult times and in good times, the finance team have to make split second decisions that can mean the difference between a customer winning or losing a contract, or even surviving as a business. New finance initiatives can make a real difference. In short, finance is the lifeblood of the channel, and distribution is at the heart of that.
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when writing entries.
Best Company to Work For - Distributor
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, employee satisfaction/motivation, mental health, DE&I, CSR, environmental credentials, and general company culture.
This award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when talking about particular incentives offered to employees. Images can also be used if required.
Best Marketing Campaign (not event) - Distributor
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when writing entries and referring to particular campaigns. It can cover a social media/viral campaign or a more ‘traditionally’ executed campaign.
Best Partner Event (NEW)
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. Since the onset of Covid, this category now covers all types of events, including physical events that have become online events, actual face-to-face events, or brand-new hybrid events launched over the past year. The period the award covers is between Jan 2022 and Jan 2023– so please detail an event that you created for your customers/partners that successfully ran during that period only to qualify for entry. Images can be used.
Best Warehouse Team (NEW)
The team in the warehouse is often the engine that keeps a distribution business running, working tirelessly to ensure orders are fulfilled at the back end. Quite often they are the unsung heroes of distribution.
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when writing entries.
Most Innovative Recruitment Scheme/Initiative (NEW)
This award is open to any company that falls under the distribution category, whether a volume player or value-added specialist working in particular vertical markets. The award is not limited to a certain size of company, so if you have thousands of customers or a few hundred, your entry will be given the same treatment. The scheme must have been running from, or further developed since January 2022.
The ‘Over and Above’ Award - Distributor
This is an award aimed at highlighting the amazing work by an individual, the company as a whole, or a division/team over the past year. It is a chance to give those individuals or teams some credit for going ‘over and above’ their duties to ensure a customer was served, or a project was completed, or they managed to keep everybody’s spirits up by being an exceptional manager or supportive colleague or even a community-minded individual/team. Anyone can receive this award, from the company as a whole, to an exceptional team within the company; a particular manager or staff member within any team, the CEO or even a company cleaner that went the extra mile. Anyone you feel has definitely gone ‘over and above’ their normal duties to make peoples’ lives easier, and deserves special recognition.
Vendor Categories
Best Company to Work For - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The company must pride itself on being a great place to work both in terms of results/growth, staff/employee satisfaction/motivation, CSR, environmental responsibility and general company culture. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when talking about particular activities, trips or incentives offered to staff. Images can also be used if required.
Best Marketing Campaign - Vendor
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when writing entries and referring to particular campaigns.
Best Partner Event - Vendor (NEW)
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and/or software and all related services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. Since the onset of Covid, this category now covers all types of events, including physical events that have become online events, actual face-to-face events, or brand-new hybrid events launched over the past year. It MUST be a CHANNEL focussed event and not one aimed at end users. It must be relevant to UK partners. These awards cover the period Jan 2022 to Jan 2023 so the event must fall in that timeframe.
Best Partner Programme (Vendor)
Who can enter? Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify and obviously a channel programme that has been in place for more than a year. This can be a single or two-tier channel programme. The period covered for the awards is Jan 2022 to Jan 2023 so bear in mind when talking about additions/changes to programmes and the entry MUST be UK centric.
Most Innovative Recruitment Scheme/Initiative – Vendor (NEW)
Any firm that is defined as a vendor and operates a UK channel strategy. These can be vendors of hardware, networking and software and related services in all vertical markets, but the business must have a significant channel presence in the UK to qualify. The period covered by the awards runs from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023, so please bear in mind when writing entries and referring to particular campaigns.
Technology Innovation Award - Vendor
This award is aimed at describing how your product/solution has actually helped make YOUR CHANNEL PARTNERS money by helping their customers through innovation, not a promotion of the product itself. Any entries that talk solely about the product or read like a cut-and-paste promotion piece will not be considered for the shortlist.
The ‘Over and Above’ Award - Vendor
This is an award aimed at highlighting the amazing work by an individual, the company as a whole, or a division/team over the past year. It can be because of challenges caused by the ongoing pandemic, or just to recognise the brilliant work these people have achieved during the last 12 months. It is a chance to give those individuals or teams some credit for going ‘over and above’ their duties to ensure a customer was served, or a project was completed, or they managed to keep everybody’s spirits up by being an exceptional manager or supportive colleague or even a community-minded individual/team. Anyone can receive this award, from an exceptional sales/marketing/support team, a particular manager or staff member within any team, the CEO or a company cleaner that always goes the extra mile to keep the office running smoothly. Anyone you feel has definitely gone ‘over and above’ their normal duties to make peoples’ lives easier during difficult times and has done something to deserve special recognition.
General Categories
Best Channel Marketing/PR Agency
This category is open to all firms that class themselves as independent channel marketing agencies. This can be specific marketing teams, or specialist channel marketing/PR firms. Any projects/successes discussed in the entry must have taken place between Jan 2022 to Jan 2023. Images and screenshots can be included in this entry to illustrate points.
Best Sales/Marketing Recruitment Specialist
Any firm that is defined as a recruitment specialist and works specifically with the UK channel. This can be a channel-focused division of a larger recruitment company, or a dedicated channel recruitment firm. Any projects/successes discussed in the entry must have taken place between Jan 2022 to Jan 2023.