Judging Criteria

Judging Guidelines for the Innovation Awards 2025

These are the scoring guidelines for the Innovation Awards judges. We ask that you score each question out of 5.

The questions are slightly different for each of the four and a half sets of awards:

The Innovators- Manufacturing, Engineering, Sustainability, Construction, Defence, Technology, Life Sciences, Education and Creative Industry Innovators of the Year
New Innovation of the Year- this is for companies who have less than 12 months of sales or benefits from their innovation and so is judged differently to the Innovators
Individual Innovators- Female, Male and Young Innovator of the Year
Innovation Champions– Manufacturing, Technology and Growth Innovation Champions of the Year
Innovation Thought Leader of the Year– individual and business/ organisation

The amount of innovation shown over the past 12 months. How far forward has the finalist come from where they were?
How has it impacted their business? To what degree has it increased sales, customer retention, reduced costs, improved efficiencies, enhanced sustainability, productivity etc.?
How has their innovation impacted their customers, community and/or their industry?
Has the finalist created a culture of innovation in their business? Are they still looking to the future with plans for further innovation?
Have they set an example of innovation excellence for other businesses to follow?

The amount of innovation shown over the past 12 months. How far forward has the finalist come from where they were?
What is the potential impact of their innovation in terms of their own business, e.g. turnover, new customer acquisition, growth etc.
What is the potential impact of their innovation on their customers, community and/or their industry?
Has the finalist created a culture of innovation in their business? Are they still looking to the future with plans for building on their innovation, creating new products or services etc?
Are they setting an example of innovation excellence for other businesses to follow?

The amount of innovation shown over the past 12 months. How far have their ideas or support taken their business or a clients’ forward?
How has it impacted their own business or their clients’ in terms of increased sales, customer retention, reduced costs, improved efficiencies, enhanced sustainability, productivity etc.?
Has the innovator set an example of innovation excellence either working in their business or with others?
What are they doing to inspire other people and other innovators? Are they supporting innovators within their business, community, or industry?
What are the next steps? How do they plan to continue their innovation journey whether in their own business or in others?

Innovation champions should discuss up to 3 clients they have supported in meeting the below criteria.

The amount of innovation displayed by their clients.
How much did they support their clients with their innovations (new products, new processes, or new services)? Were they pivotal, or did they play a smaller role?
Did they help their clients to exploit their innovation and get the full benefit?
Have they sparked further innovation or helped foster a culture of innovation in their clients?
What are they doing to inspire innovation in others? Are they supporting innovation within their own business, their clients and in the wider business community?

Innovation Thought Leaders are those who have created the space, resources or inspiration for innovation. This could be through:

Developing a product, technology (e.g. app, platform etc.) or service which helps users to innovate within their business
Providing the needed finance to bring about changes and innovation whether this is through grants, loans, equity, cost cutting etc.
Leading a membership or group that inspires innovation and change
Providing information, guidelines etc. about innovation and inspiring others

The below points can be discussed in general or involve up to 3 case studies. The scoring guidelines are:

How much has their offering, advice etc. supported their clients or members?
What difference has this support made to their clients’ or members’ business? For example, if their offering was a grant or a loan, how has this investment made a difference?
What are they doing to inspire innovation in their clients, members and/ or wider community?
How much have they innovated in their own company or organisation?
What impact has this had on their business, on their clients, members etc?