Project Excellence
Presented to organisations and/or project teams which have achieved exceptional results through an outstanding project implementation and, in so doing, demonstrated high levels of professionalism in IT.
We are looking for submissions of end-user projects that highlight the importance of new technology initiatives and demonstrate the benefits of well-managed IT implementations for changing and improving business and public life. Projects should have been completed since August 1st 2023 and have a significant UK-based element. IT suppliers may enter these categories for a nominated customer project but should be aware that the award is given to the organisation within which the project has been implemented.
Hardware vendors and software authors may submit an internal project to develop new products (i.e. where they are themselves the 'end-user') but it is emphasised that the assessment will be made solely on the characteristics of the built project and not on the product developed.
More than one project may be submitted by an applicant as separate entries, and a given project may be submitted into more than one category.
The awards in this category will be judged against four key criteria:
Innovation
Has the project introduced new or leading-edge technologies, supported a new way of working or pioneered an original change in business processes? Has the project stimulated new thinking, or laid the foundations for further innovation?
Return on investment
Has the project measurably and substantially improved the organisation’s ability to achieve its core goals? Has it bestowed a significant competitive advantage, or dramatically enhanced the services offered to customers, staff or partners? Have there been spin-off benefits of the project?
Quality of management
Was the project completed on time and within budget? Did the project deliverables match or exceed the initial objectives? Were obstacles overcome with a combination of ingenuity and adherence to the principal aims of the project? What lessons were learned to improve the management of future projects?
Impact
What measures have been used to assess or quantify the success of the project? How has the project demonstrated technology’s role as a vital enabler in improving organisational excellence, competitiveness or quality of service? How will the project’s deliverables be developed, or how will they support future growth or change in the organisation?
Each submitted project should be able to clearly demonstrate, where relevant, affirmative responses to each of the criteria with the underlying characteristics of distinctive excellence, creativity and benefit to the organisation and/or its clients. Professional and ethical practices are expected to be applied throughout the project, which should also be evidenced in the responses.
Entrants should provide:
An explanation for how the submitted project meets each of the four criteria, plus a maximum 250-word summary of why they believe they should win this award.
Each entry, therefore, requires:
- Project overview (80 words), which can be used for PR purposes
- Four sections detailing achievements (up to 500 words each) against each of the four criteria above
- A summary statement (up to 250 words)
Entrants are urged to ensure that their submissions follow the above format so that the judges can give the entry their fullest consideration.
Additional evidence:
Under commercial confidence, entrants should seek to provide quantitative evidence (including limited ancillary materials) wherever appropriate to support the submission.
Please note that any additional documents provided should be brief and additive to the entry, and video material should be a maximum of 3 minutes in duration.
All sections of the form must be completed.
Project excellence categories include:
Awarded to a public or private sector entrant for the most outstanding project utilising an automation technology such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), or Machine Learning (ML). This could be a chatbot, a marketing automation tool, an image analysis assistant, or any other related project. The winning entry will demonstrate the business value of the project, and why automation technologies were necessary over other options to deliver the required outcomes.
Awarded to a 'not for profit' sector organisation for the most outstanding project in the charitable sector. For clarity, the award is open to charities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and not-for-profit organisations outside of the public sector, subject to the accepted criteria on surplus distribution. The award is not limited to any specific type of project if it uses IT to benefit the organisation or its clients. The judges may consider, where relevant, the size of the organisation when making their determination. The determination will be made based on the project outcomes and not for the technology per se.
Awarded to an organisation who can demonstrate the most outstanding project related to the ability to deliver significant value from data in terms of organisational performance. The winning entry will demonstrate the business value of the project, and why data technologies were necessary over other options to deliver the required outcomes.
Awarded to a defence, security, or law enforcement organisation for the most outstanding IT project. The award is open to any organisation engaged in security, defence, or law enforcement such as police forces, military establishments, law enforcement agencies and associated technology providers. The award is not limited to any specific type of project if it uses IT to benefit the organisation or its clients. The judges may consider, where relevant, the size of the organisation when making their determination. The determination will be made based on the project outcomes and not for the technology per se.
Awarded to a public or private sector entrant for the most outstanding digital transformation project that transforms the workplace, business models, customer experience or operational models. The determination will be made based on the project outcomes and not for the technology per se.
Awarded to a financial services organisation for the most outstanding business project. The award is open to any organisation engaged in financial services to individuals or organisations. The award is not limited to any specific type of project if it uses IT to benefit the organisation or its clients. The judges may consider, where relevant, the size of the organisation when making their determination. The determination will be made based on the project outcomes and not for the technology per se.
Awarded to a healthcare sector organisation for the most outstanding business project. The award is open to any organisation engaged in healthcare such as NHS Trusts, commissioning groups, hospitals, or medical technology providers. The award is not limited to any specific type of project, if it uses IT to benefit the organisation or its clients. The judges may consider, where relevant, the size of the organisation when making their determination. The determination will be made based on the project outcomes and not for the technology per se.
Awarded to a public sector organisation for the most outstanding business project. The award is open to government departments, local government and their associated agencies. The award is not limited to any specific type of project, if it uses IT to benefit the organisation or its clients. The judges may consider, where relevant, the size of the organisation when making their determination. The determination will be made based on the project outcomes and not for the technology per se.
Awarded to an organisation that has undertaken a significant technology refresh project. The project should have transformed an existing service, process or application through a re-imagining of the technical implementation. The determination will be made based on the degree of innovation, ROI, quality of management and impact of the refresh project and not for the technology per se.
