UK Responsible Business Awards open for entry

Now in their 18th year, these Awards are open to all businesses of any size, any scale and any sector across the UK. They are a powerful means for business to profile the positive impact of their responsible business activity.

Business in the Community’s Deputy Managing Director, Gillian McKee explains: “These Awards are designed for business, by business. They are rigorously assessed by business and other industry experts and they identify and celebrate businesses – from SMEs through to multi-nationals, and from all sectors – that are transforming their communities and in turn their businesses to create a fairer society and a more sustainable future.

“In Northern Ireland we have a great track record of organisations who have achieved this national accolade – 12 in total. For example, Phoenix Natural Gas has been a winner for nine years in a row – no mean feat!”

An interactive pre-submission workshop has been arranged for 11 December at Cornmarket Insurance in Belfast to enable businesses to meet and learn from their peers and hear directly from those who’ve already achieved this award.

The Awards are FREE to enter and open to all businesses – large and small. They are a powerful way to promote internal buy-in for your activities as well as profiling work externally. A great incentive is that those companies who enter will receive FREE, bespoke industry feedback to further develop their responsible business activities.

Kevin Hurst, Marketing and Communications Director, Veolia Environment Services adds: “The scale of BITC's Awards is huge - you get the CEOs of major organisations involved, and even one year after winning the award we're still feeling the glow. People will still talk to us about it.”

To book your workshop place, e-mail [email protected].

For more information on the award categories and to download application packs, go to www.bitc.org.uk/awardscategories

Award Categories

• The Freshfields Work Inclusion Award - Recognising businesses that are supporting people from disadvantaged groups into employment and/or improving their employability skills.
• The Jaguar Land Rover Inspiring Young Talent Award - Recognising businesses that support young people to transition from education into successful working lives.
• The School Partnerships Award - Recognising businesses that are building partnerships with schools in the UK, ensuring young people have the skills to build successful working lives.
• The Asda Enterprise Growth Award - Recognising companies that engage, support and do business with small and medium enterprises to drive local economic growth.
• The Rural Action Award - Recognising businesses that support rural communities to maintain a vibrant, sustainable and prosperous rural economy for the benefit of future generations.
• The Experian Building Stronger Communities Award, in recognition of Sir John Peace - Recognising business initiatives investing time, money, skills and resources to deliver long term social and economic benefits to their communities.
• The Bupa Employee Wellbeing Award - Recognising businesses that are creating the conditions for employees to flourish by investing in their wellbeing and engagement.
• The Championing an Ageing Workforce Award - Recognising businesses that are adapting for the future in responding to our ageing population and intergenerational workplaces.
• The Sustainable Products and Services Award - Recognising businesses that are developing their core products or services in order to cut dependency on diminishing natural resources.
• The Engaging Customers on Sustainability Award - Recognising businesses that use their marketing activity to inspire and enable customers to live or operate in a more sustainable way.
• The Unilever Global Development Award, supported by Business Fights Poverty - Recognising businesses that can demonstrate positive impact against one or more of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• The International Disaster Relief Award, supported by the UK Department for International Development - Recognising business’ unique contribution to supporting international disaster relief.
• The Santander Responsible Small Business Award - Recognising smaller businesses demonstrating an holistic, responsible approach to business in the realms of Community, Environment, Marketplace and Workplace.
• Business in the Community's Responsible Business of the Year Award - Recognising a pioneering business that is most effectively integrating the sustainability issues most critical to their business.