2020 Entries
Entries accepted
Monday 12th August 2019
Deadline for entries
Tuesday 5th November 2019 at 12pm
Shortlist announced
Monday 16th December 2019
Ceremony
Friday 28th February 2020
How to enter
We like to keep the submission process as simple and easy as possible. Entries may be up to 1,000 words per category and should be sent to sophia@eem.org.uk before the entry deadline. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your entry within 3 days of sending then please call 01246 395608 and speak to Sophia. Please call sooner if the entry deadline is approaching.
Please read the terms and conditions at the bottom of this page for further guidance.
We ask that you include at least one image of each entry/project. Supporting documents such as any additional related images, PR, graphs and tables and testimonials are welcome.
All award submissions will be considered and there is no limit to the number of awards a company can enter. Companies may not enter the category they are sponsoring. All entries are free to submit. Please read the terms and conditions and category guidance carefully before submitting.
Category Guidance
The 2020 categories are as follows:
In-house Maintenance Team of the Year
The judges are looking to reward an in-house maintenance team that deserves recognition for its achievements. This could be a team that has consistently sustained high performance, a team that has successfully delivered a new maintenance improvement plan or a new or re-organised team that has delivered outstanding results since its creation. Judges will be looking to see facts, figures and details of processes to prove the success of the team along with measurable results that show outcomes such as an increased efficiency, a reduction in costs, enhanced quality of work and/or remarkable customer feedback.
Community Impact
This award will be presented to an organisation which places having a positive impact on communities at the forefront of its operations and has delivered notable benefits for local people and the surrounding environment.
Judges will be looking for social housing providers or contractors who bring their values to life with an embedded approach throughout their organisation.
Entries should provide examples of meaningful and long-lasting community impact, backed up with tangible facts and figures, clearly outlining what level of value has been added through their work.
Innovative Product
This category is open to manufacturers who have developed and launched an innovative product in the housing and construction industry within the last two years. This can be a new product launch or an innovative reworking of an existing product. Judges will be looking for a product that stands out in its field for originality, innovation and technical capabilities and that has a proven positive reaction from social housing providers. Submissions should include measures of success such as sales figures, savings made and strong customer endorsements.
Apprentice of the Year
This award will be presented to an apprentice who has shown exceptional dedication to both their job and training, who has seized opportunities to develop and has worked hard to achieve their qualifications. Judges are looking for an individual who has made a significant contribution to their employer, the team they work in, and the people they are working for. Entries must demonstrate how an apprentice has worked as part of a team; what they have done to further themselves and develop new skills; and how their aspirations for the future have helped motivate them to achieve more. Entries should include examples of the challenges an individual has faced, what barriers to learning they may have experienced, and how they overcame them.
Distributor of the Year
This award will be presented to a distributor who can show they have gone above and beyond the straightforward delivery of products. Highlights can include but are not limited to: collaborations, partnerships, technology, investments, service specifications, new products and innovation. Examples of extra initiatives such as offering training events to clients or being involved in community projects will support this entry well. Judges will be looking for an organisation which has developed positive and long-lasting partnerships with clients and manufacturers to improve the service they provide. Methods implemented to achieve objectives along with how these were measured and evaluated should be evidenced.
Contractor of the Year
In looking for the Contractor of the Year, the judges will be looking for contractors who have exceeded required levels of health and safety, found ways to reduce construction costs and brought projects in before time, whilst demonstrating business performance improvement. Entries must show examples of successful project delivery, overall business objectives which aim to achieve positive outcomes for clients such as social value, and demonstrate how they successfully overcome challenges. Judges will be looking to see how the entrant has worked in close partnership with clients to find better ways of working. Entrants should also demonstrate that they have shown dedication to the training and development of employees.
Development Strategy of the Year
The purpose of this category is to reward an organisation that has embarked upon an ambitious development programme for social housing that has or will contribute to successful communities by providing high-quality affordable homes as well as growth in the local economy. Judges will be looking for strategies that are underpinned by strong risk management and a clever approach to procurement with maximised use of available sites and resources. Strategies that include unique and innovative design and planning, successful partnerships with all stakeholders and excellent tenant liaison with impeccable customer feedback would make excellent entries for this category.
Partnership of the Year
For this award, judges will be looking to see shining examples of strong partnerships which have resulted in one or more successful programmes of work. Entries must demonstrate how they have collaborated with others, taken a unified approach, aligned values and shared risk and best practice. Entries should show how working together in partnership, enabled innovation and led to improved ways of working, the sharing of skills to solve problems and met challenges with aplomb. Facts, figures and supporting information should back up entries to show how effective the approach to partnership was, and the difference it made.
Project of the Year – Under £3m
Project of the Year – Over £3m
The Project of the Year category has been split into two parts this year; projects totalling over £3m and those that are under £3m. For both categories, judges are looking for entries that show how effectively an organisation, or a team of partners, has delivered an outstanding project efficiently, within budget and to an excellent standard. From innovative design, to a positive health and safety record and the outcome quality, entrants must be able to demonstrate the success of their project through statistics, figures and anecdotal evidence of particular initiatives, community schemes or innovations.
The Judging Panel
Entries will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the housing and construction industry. They will select the winners from organisations, people and or projects nominated through this simple awards application process.
The 2020 judges are:
Amanda Batham
Business & Marketing Consultant – AJB Consultancy Services
Website
Rachel Hayward
Managing Director of Ask the Chameleon (Bid Writer | Coach | Trainer)
Website
Andrew Carpenter
Chief Executive of Structural Timber Association and of Constructing Excellence
Website
Chloe Harrison
Assessor/Tutor at Xtol Development Services
Website
The Evaluation Process
Entries will be reviewed and judged by the panel using a matrix scoring system. The judges will be looking for evidence of development, implementation, and application of the issues detailed in each award category. They will be scoring entries based on relevance, outcome and evidence. EEM staff have no influence in the judging process. Shortlisted entrants will be announced on Monday 16th December 2019.
Entry Tips and Terms and Conditions
• Entries should be submitted by email to sophia@eem.org.uk before 12pm on Tuesday 5th November 2019. EEM Ltd reserve the right to extend the deadline.
• Late entries will be rejected unless circumstances are absolutely exceptional, in which case EEM Ltd will make the final decision about whether to accept the late entry.
• If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your entry within 3 days of sending then please call 01246 395608 and speak to Sophia. Please call sooner if the entry deadline is approaching.
• Entries should be no more than 1,000 words (excluding appendices such as testimonials). If an entry exceeds the word count limit, judges may penalise you by deducting scoring points and they will only take into consideration the first 1,000 words.
• Supporting documents can be submitted to help the judges evaluate your entry. Supporting documents could include information such as testimonials, media coverage, graphs and tables or photos, as well as any details on partner organisations which contributed.
• Each entry can include up to five supporting photos and up to three videos (specifically relevant to the category and entry submission), supplied as web-accessible links.
• At the time and date of submission, entrants agree that the information supplied is truthful and accurate.
• All shortlisted organisations will be posted on both the EEM and Building Communities Awards websites in early December.
• There is no limit to the number of entries one organisation can make.
• Please ensure you have secured the appropriate rights and clearances for all materials and images submitted. The Building Communities Awards or EEM Ltd will not be liable for any copyright, trademark, patent infringement held against entries.
• Entrants must have the written permission of any third party involved in the entry, or with whom they have worked on the project, prior to its submission in these awards.
• There is no entry fee, although at least one representative must be present at the awards ceremony on Friday 28th February 2020 for all shortlisted organisations to collect their award, should they win.
• All winners will receive one glass/acrylic award. If you would like a duplicate award manufacturing, please advise at the time of entry. Duplicates will be chargeable to the entrant.
• A category may not be entered by the organisation providing sponsorship for that particular category.
• The decision of the judges is final. Feedback may be available on request. Judges may not be approached directly by entrants for additional feedback.
• Complete entries will be treated as confidential by EEM Ltd and the judging panel. A brief overview of winning entries will be printed in the evening brochure and images relating to winning entries will be shown on the screens to guests at the BC Awards dinner as the winners collect their award.
By entering these awards you are agreeing to the above. Please email sophia@eem.org.uk if you have any further questions.