The Ultimate Guide to Successful King’s Awards Applications.
It is critical to be able to tell your story in a way that speaks to the judges and craft an entry that showcases your unique achievements.
Attract & Engage have detailed out the key steps to tell your story.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise is one of the most prestigious awards for businesses in the UK; celebrating outstanding achievements and rewarding winning businesses with the recognition they deserve.
The 2025 awards are now open and with an entry deadline of 12th September 2024 and comes with a host of benefits, such as:
- Flying the logo as a flag above your office for five years and use the emblem on all marketing materials
- A site visit from a Royal representative to present the award
- Invites for a leader and frontline staff member to a Royal reception at Buckingham Palace
- Presented with a Grant of Appointment and a commemorative crystal bowl
- And the biggest of all…Bragging rights over your competition.
Are you eligible to apply?
There are four categories for The King’s Awards for Enterprise. At Attract & Engage, we can evaluate your business against strict eligibility requirements to determine which category(s) you should apply for.
- Innovation – Innovation is defined as an invention, design or production of goods, performance of services, marketing and distribution or after-sales support of goods or service. It must have been available on the market for at least two years.
- International trade – Three financial years of outstanding overall financial performance and growth in exports or six financial years of strong continual growth. You must have made a minimum of £10,000 in overseas sales in the first year of your entry and show year-on-year growth.
- Promoting opportunity through social mobility – The programme needs to specifically reach and support people from disadvantaged backgrounds, in order to inspire and guide the best talent into their organisation and beyond. To be eligible, the programme must have been running for more than two years but it can’t be the core purpose of your business.
- Sustainable development – Achieved outstanding sustainable development for at least three years. You must demonstrate the benefits or positive outcomes of your actions as well as aligning with at least one of the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Ultimate Guide to Successful King’s Awards Applications.
Crafting an award-winning entry
We’ve collated top tips and insights to craft a compelling entry that showcases your unique achievements and successes.
- Answer questions precisely – Fluffing out your application with nice words won’t be good enough. You must answer the questions directly, maintaining high standards in terms of clarity and facts.
- Provide substantial evidence – Evidence is key. Prove you are leading your industry. You cannot simply make this claim without compelling evidence to support it. Additional market research, benchmarking and/or surveys are great ways to ensure all assertations are backed up.
- Implementing a Golden Thread – Instil a Golden Thread that weaves throughout your whole application, creating a story and highlighting your core values.
- Full disclosure – Provide web links, videos and extra collateral where relevant that further support your application for the reviewer to do extra research if they’d like.
- Illustrate personality – Showcase the passion, mission and values of the business to set your application out from the others. However, avoid hyperboles and unsubstantiated marketing speak.
- Engage multiple stakeholders – The leaders need to make important decisions about how to present your case and contribute to their sections. Your Finance Director will need to help with numerous sections of the entry that relate to finances. Your accountants will be key to spot any errors.
To hear of more tips from previous winners’, watch this webinar from Essex County Council – King’s Awards for Enterprise 2025 – Tips and Insights from Experts in Essex
How Attract & Engage can help craft your application
If you wish to maximise your chances of winning, while minimising the disruption to your workload and workplace, then get in touch.
We dig deep into your business’s brand to create an entry that is in tune with your tone, voice and values. With an understanding of the award entry process, we can help bring all the elements together to ensure you have everything needed to meet the entry requirements.
How to Apply
Almost all UK businesses (including non-profit) can apply. All applications must be made online, and you can apply for more than one category.
Applications for the 2024 King’s Awards for Enterprise opened on 6th May 2024 and close at 1pm 12th September 2024.
Eligibility criteria and more information on how to apply is here.
Lifting the bonnet on King’s Awards winners stories
Tune in to the Attract & Engage, Made in Essex Podcast, featuring previous King’s Award for Enterprise winners. Listen in on real conversations, leave with fresh perspectives and though-provoking stories.
- Brigette Bard, CEO of Biosure, winner of Innovation award in 2021 – https://open.spotify.com/episode/3eKYC4Jed78baIUi9L6KE1
- Kim Morrish, CEO of Ground Control, winner of Innovation award in 2016 and 2020 – https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Fac3mh7LPPUvf1DcbiGop
- Graham Higgins, MD of ACS Aviation, winner of Innovation award in 2018 – https://open.spotify.com/episode/6BbUFehxYmnEGMUHvX0Iy4
- Martin Series, Director of Global Services at Foxway UK, winner of Innovation award in 2021 – https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uKTfnFB1mjGzhmBvxKKJh
If you need help crafting marketing & communications content suited to YOUR audience, email info@attractandengage.co.uk or talk to us on our socials.
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