Judges read and pre-score all entry forms, considering the structure, presentation and clarity of each section and the supporting materials submitted. Judges score each section on the entry form and these scores will be combined to give an overall score for each entry. All judges’ pre-scores will be combined, and the highest-scoring entries will determine the shortlist.
Winners are determined at a judging session where judges will discuss the shortlist and agree on a winner for each category.
Judging Criteria:
Judging session – 25 June 2025
Shortlist announcement – 27 June 2025
Judges will read and pre-score all entry forms, considering any supporting materials submitted. Judges will be asked to give a score for each question within the entry form, as listed in the bullet points below. These will be combined to give an overall score for each entry. All judges’ pre-scores will then be combined, and the highest-scoring entries will determine the shortlists.
Judges will meet to discuss the highest-scoring entries and then agree on the winner for each category.
The awards will be judged by some of the biggest names in search. Click here to see this year’s judging panel.
Entries should not exceed 1000 words in total and should relate to work undertaken between February 2024 – June 2025.
APPLICATION OF TECH/BEST USE OF DATA CRITERIA/APP OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Judges will be looking for clear objectives, creative and effective implementation, and tangible and demonstrable results in these categories.
Overview of Application/Campaign/App
Please provide the judges with a synopsis of the entry.
- Objective(s) & budget (1-10 points)
Tell us what you were looking to achieve from the app/campaign/application and any targets that were set. We recommend showing targets as quantifiable metrics e.g., ‘Increase conversions from 150 to 300 a month’ rather than ‘Increase conversions by 10%’.
Please include a breakdown of implementation costs, staffing costs, agency fees etc. All elements of the entry form are confidential, and judges will not share this information. If you are unable to provide a detailed budget breakdown, please include the financial band your budget is within along with the percentage budget allocated for staffing costs, agency fees and media spend etc.
- Target audience & strategy (1-10 points)
Please provide us with details about the audience you were targeting and your overall strategy to reach them as well as the strategy to meet the overall objectives.
- Implementation & creativity (1-10 points)
Please give us a detailed explanation of your implementation for the app/campaign/application. Include screenshots to help us visualize campaigns. Provide information on the creativity of the campaign.
- Details of any challenges faced and how these were overcome (1-10 points)
What challenges were unique to you and how have you overcome them? What was the end
result of overcoming these challenges?
- Results & evaluation (1-10 points)
Please relate these to the objectives and targets stated above. Provide actual numbers rather than percentages wherever possible.
- Why should your entry win? (1-10 points)
What do you think sets your app/campaign/application apart from the other campaigns being judged? Judges will in particular be looking for the thing that makes this entry different to the others, what is unique?
Judges are looking for a company that shows exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in their sector, demonstrates best practice and shows an innovative and creative approach to the work they deliver.
INNOVATION AWARD
Judges will be looking for a clear description of an outstanding innovation or tech product, with an indication of budget. Judges are looking for an innovation that has led to extraordinary results within a sector and has been a pioneer for change leading to transformative outcomes.
Each entry must include information under the following headings:
- Overview of Innovation
Provide a synopsis of what the tool does and how it adds value to the end user.
- Total budget
Detail costs associated with running the innovation and how much you intend to or do sell the innovation for.
- Existing problems & target audience (1-10 points)
Include details outlining the problems that this innovation solves and how if at all these problems were previously dealt with. Detail who the target customers or users of this product are.
- USP & Features (1-10 points)
Outline what is the innovation’s unique proposition. Highlight the major features that are unique to the product/software or innovation which help solve a customer problem or benefit the customer positively.
- Key Metrics (1-10 points)
Detail what key metrics have you used to measure whether this innovation is successful? I.e., does it save money, make things faster, and generate more revenue?
- Why should your Innovation win? (1-10 points)
What single thing about your innovation, software or product is not done by anyone else? What makes it stand out to be award-worthy?
Any entries that do not include information under all of these headings will be marked down. If appropriate, you may include up to three pieces of supporting materials.
We also ask you to send a ‘UK Business Tech Awards’ login to allow judges to be able to test and evaluate your product if they feel necessary.
Please note judging is based on the application form and the judges’ industry knowledge of the tools. They are a highly experienced judging panel with in-depth industry knowledge so the tool logins requested are for any judges who feel that they want to delve deeper into any claims/functionality detailed in the entry.
Please note if you’re unable to provide a login, please contact awards@dontpanicprojects.com.
TECH DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Judges will be looking for a clear description of a tech deal. Judges want to know how this deal has made a real impact or shown significant benefit to a business.
Each entry must include information under the following headings:
- Overview of Deal
Please provide the judges with a synopsis of the tech deal.
- Deal Value
If you are unable to provide a total deal value, please include the financial band your deal value is in. All elements of the entry form are confidential, and judges will not share this information.
- Deal Structure / Participants (1-10 points)
Please provide a detailed description of the deal structure along with other participants involved in the deal and what their involvement was specifically.
- Why do you think this deal should be awarded Deal of the Year? (1-10 points)
Please detail what you feel makes your deal stand out amongst others and why you feel your entry is award-winning. What makes this deal unique?
Any entries that do not include information under all of these headings will be marked down. If appropriate you may include up to three pieces of supporting materials.
TRANSFORMATION THROUGH TECH/TECHNOLOGY FOR GOOD AWARD
Judges will be looking for a clear description of an outstanding campaign/project or tech innovation that has significantly impacted society and made a lasting positive change. Show evidence of best practice and an innovative and creative approach that has helped change lives for the better.
Each entry must include information under the following headings:
- Overview
Please provide the judges with a synopsis of what the technology does and how it adds value to the end user.
- Objective(s) & budget (1-10 points)
Tell us what you were looking to achieve and any targets that were set. We recommend showing targets as quantifiable metrics e.g., ‘Increase conversions from 150 to 300 a month’ rather than ‘Increase conversions by 10%’.
Please include a breakdown of implementation costs, staffing costs, fees etc. All elements of the entry form are confidential, and judges will not share this information. If you are unable to provide a detailed budget breakdown, please include the financial band your budget is within along with the percentage budget allocated for staffing costs, fees and media spend etc.
- Implementation & creativity (1-10 points)
Please give us a detailed explanation of your implementation. Include screenshots to help us visualise the technology. Provide information on the creativity of the technology what did you do differently from others?
- Details of any challenges faced and how these were overcome (1-10 points)
What challenges were unique to you and how have you overcome them? What was the end result of overcoming these challenges?
- Results & evaluation (1-10 points)
Please relate these to the objectives and targets stated above. Provide actual numbers rather than percentages wherever possible.
- Why do you think you should win? (1-10 points)
Please detail what you feel makes your tech for good stand out amongst others and why you feel your entry is award-winning. What makes this technology unique?
Any entries that do not include information under all of these headings will be marked down. If appropriate you may include up to three pieces of supporting materials.
TECH ACCELERATOR AWARD CRITERIA
Judges will be looking for a clear description of an outstanding campaign/project or tech innovation that has significantly impacted society and made a lasting positive change. Show evidence of best practice and an innovative and creative approach that has helped change lives for the better.
Each entry must include information under the following headings:
- Focus of Programme (e.g., innovation in retail) (1-10 points)
Please provide judges with the background and purpose of the programme. What were the objectives and aims?
- Details of Key Support Offered (e.g., office space, online/offline mentoring) (1-10 points)
Please provide an overview of any support/funding that you have received and how this has supported the programme.
- Costs to Participate (1-10 points)
Please provide the full costs to participate in the programme along with a breakdown of what the end user will receive in return.
- Examples of successful participants (1-10 points)
Please provide the judges with successful case studies that demonstrate how the programme has benefited the end user detailing results wherever relevant.
- Why do you think you should win? (1-10 points)
Please detail what you feel makes your programme stand out amongst others and why you feel your entry is award-winning. What makes this programme unique?
Any entries that do not include information under all of these headings will be marked down. If appropriate you may include up to three pieces of supporting materials.
COMPANY/AGENCY/RISING STAR/ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
Judges will be looking for agencies, teams and individuals that can demonstrate an ongoing and sustained commitment to delivering best practices while showing a creative and innovative approach within the tech sector.
Each entry must include information under the following headings:
- Overview of the Company/Agency/Rising Star/Entrepreneur
Please include numbers, staff turnover, roles etc for agency and team nominations or current and previous job roles etc for individual nominations.
- Company/Agency/Rising Star/Entrepreneur objectives (1-10 points)
Tell us what you were looking to achieve and any targets that have been set within the agency or team to help achieve your goals. We recommend showing targets as quantifiable metrics e.g., ‘Increase conversions from 150 to 300 a month’ rather than ‘Increase conversions by 10%’.
- Recent work example(s) (1-10 points)
Please include details of recent client or campaign work. How does your recent work display creativity and make your company/agency/individual stand out amongst others?
- Details of any recent achievements (1-10 points)
What makes your entry stand out? Please include details of any achievements you feel make your company, agency or individual award-worthy. What are you proud of?
- Details of any challenges faced and how these were overcome (1-10 points)
What challenges were unique to you and how have you overcome them? What was the end result of overcoming these challenges?
- Why should your Company/Agency/Rising Star/Entrepreneur win? (1-10 points)
Please detail what you feel makes you stand out amongst others and why you feel your entry is award-winning. What makes you unique? What gives you the competitive edge?
Any entries that do not include information under all of these headings will be marked down. If appropriate you may include up to three pieces of supporting materials.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All material will remain confidential to the judges. All judging discussions are confidential and will not be shared or discussed with anyone outside of the judging panel ahead of the ceremony or thereafter. Judges will not share confidential material, judging papers or entries with anyone. Judges will securely delete all judging materials immediately after the judging period or give materials to The Awards Team who will manage this. Judges can only access entries that they have been provided to score.
Winning case studies may be used in post-event materials to promote best practices and permission will be sought from entrants before publishing these.
