Our Future Manufacturing Awards team have shared some tips below on how to write your award winning entry.
Need help?
If you have any questions, please contact our Awards team on 0207 654 1540 or email: awards@eef.org.uk

1. What’s your story?
Sometimes it’s tough to know if you’ve got a good story to tell. We think most manufacturers do! Register on our portal, then decide which categories suit you best.

2. Enter more than one category
You may find your story is applicable in more than one awards category. For instance, if you have introduced a new innovative product to the market, which resulted in growth you could enter both our Innovation award and Business Growth award. Did someone from your teams vision and passion for the project make it all possible? Then why not nominate them for our Leadership award as well?

3. Don’t get overwhelmed!
You can start your entry online and come back to complete them at your leisure. If you get halfway through and need to push on with something else, you can always return to it another time. Make notes, flesh them out with colleagues and then tell us your story in your words.
Still stuck? Contact the awards team and they can review your entry and provide feedback. The awards team does not sit on a judging panel so can help with independent, unbiased feedback.

4. Answer all questions
Check through your entry once it’s complete to make sure you haven’t left anything out. Addressing the questions and criteria in full is what the judges will be looking for. Provide as many examples as possible and make use of the supporting evidence option.

5. Don’t forget your apprentices
If you are entering into one of the business categories, why not enter your apprentices too? You can enter up to six apprentices per category, per company and per site for each award. Read our top tips for apprentices for more advice.

6. This isn’t a writing test
The judges want to hear your story, in your own words. You don't need to write beautiful prose - just be clear about what you've done, why you did it and how it has benefited your business. Write from the heart and let your passion show through.

7. Keep it simple
You can write as much or as little as you like, (keeping in mind that each question has a word limit.) If you can capably answer each question in a few sentences, go for it!

8. Re-use and re-cycle
Entered before? Then you’ve already started. Use your previous awards entry as a template to enter again this year. Add new figures and results, and tell us how your company has progressed since we last heard from you.
You can also copy your entry into another category and then tailor it to the specific question in the new category so you are not starting from scratch.

9. Refer to insertions such as graphs, photos and tables
You’re allowed up to five insertions per entry. But if you don’t explain their relevance in your entry form, the judges might not know how to interpret them.

10. Be proud of your people
Don’t be afraid to praise staff members in your entry, or to describe just how tough your achievement was to reach. Injecting some life into your entry can separate it from the rest and help it stand out in the judges' minds.
 

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