1. Who can apply for
the Awards?
The Awards recognise best practice in the UK mail industry. The Awards
are open to application by any UK postal operator, public or private.
Some of the Awards (including Customer Service, Innovation,
Technology, Domestic Marketing and International Marketing Campaign)
are also open to industry suppliers, such as equipment manufacturers
or postal technology providers.The
Upstream Access and Mail Centre of the Year Awards are not open to public application or
nomination.
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2. Why should I
apply for the Awards?
The UK Mail Awards are the ultimate recognition for your new product,
initiative or postal reform. The Awards are given out at a prestigious
gala dinner attended by the upper levels of the UK postal
industry so it is a great way to get the recognition of your
colleagues and/or customers. The event is
well publicised in the trade press and press releases announcing the
shortlist and the winners are issued to the relevant media and posted
onto our website.
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3. How do I apply
for an award?
Applications are accepted via an online form on the UK Mail Awards
site. If you experience any problems with the online form or need
assistance with the application, please do not hesitate to contact the
UK Mail Awards staff.
Click here for contact details
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4. How much does it
cost to enter?
Applying or nominating another company is completely FREE OF CHARGE.
If you are shortlisted for one of the awards you will be invited to
attend the awards presentation gala dinner for which there is a
nominal charge in addition to whatever travel expenses
you may incur.
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5. Which award should I apply
for?
Read the descriptions of the awards
carefully and apply for the one that you feel best reflects the
product or initiative you wish to put forward. Postal operators (public
or private) may apply for any of the awards, except Upstream Access
and Mail Centre of the Year. Suppliers to the postal
industry may apply for the customer service, innovation, technology,
domestic marketing and international campaign awards.
If you are a supplier and want recognition in one of the other
categories, consider nominating one of your industry clients for the
award, or submitting a joint application.
If you still are unsure which category is right for you, contact the
Mail Awards staff and we can help you to choose.
Click here for
contact details
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6. Can I apply for the
Upstream Access award?
No. The
analysis for this award will be
undertaken separately.
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7. Can I apply for the Mail
Centre of the Year award?
No. The
analysis for this award will initially be
undertaken using the Royal Mail first class delivery statistics audited by
Postwatch. Mail centres which handle mail from the top ten most
improved postcode areas will then be invited to apply for the award.
Applications submitted will then be judged on their individual merits
and against specific set criteria.
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8. Can I apply for
more than one award?
Yes!
There is no limit to the number of applications you can make. In the
past, some applicants have submitted the same initiative for more than
one award. If you feel that your initiative qualifies for more than
one award category, then feel free to submit it for more then one
award. Please modify each award application so that it is clear
to the judges why that initiative should be considered for that award.
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9. Can I nominate my
client or another third party for an award?
Yes. If
you would like to nominate another company (i.e one that you do not
work for) for an award, submit an application through the normal
means. Under applicant name, please put your name and your
company. Under question 1, please make it clear that you are
nominating another company. Also, please include a contact person
and telephone number at the company being nominated so that we may
contact them directly should they be shortlisted. Please also ensure
that the party you are nominating agrees to be nominated.
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10.
Some of the questions on the application are not relevant to me. Do I
need to answer every question?
No. It is perfectly acceptable to leave some questions blank if
you feel that they are not relevant to your application. The
application form is a standard template and the judges understand that
not every question is relevant in every category.
Below is a summary of what is being asked for in each category:
Application/Project Name
This will be the name used to refer to your application and should
briefly reflect the nature of your application or project.
Background
A brief history of the product, service or project, the reasons for
its conception, and why you feel it should win this category.
Product/Service Improvement
An outline of the project and the benefits it will bring to the
community or marketplace.
Technical Developments
If relevant, you should supply details of any technical advancements
that are unique to your product, service, project or company.
Revenue Growth
Judges would like to see evidence of any increases in revenue which
have come about as a result of the use of the product or
implementation of the service.
Cost Reduction
Judges would like to see evidence of specific cost reductions that
have been brought about as a result of the use of the product or
implementation of the service.
Customer Service
How the product or service has improved service to your customers, or
helped your customers improve relations with their clients.
Customer Take-up
How successfully / quickly customers have adopted the initiative.
Transferability
Could the product, service or project successfully be transferred to
be used in another country, by another company or in another industry?
Communication
How the initiative / features of the service have been communicated to
relevant stakeholders - for example, staff, customers or the
marketplace.
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11. Can I submit
product samples, brochures or other documents to support my
application?
Please do not submit any supporting
documentation or product samples with your initial application because
it is not possible for us to distribute these to the judges. Your
written application should contain enough information for the judges
to make a decision. If you like, your application may contain links to
a website which the judges can view for more information.
If you are
shortlisted, it may be possible for you to submit supporting material
which can be given to the judges when they meet for the final judging
process. In this instance, you will need to contact the Mail Awards
staff to enquire whether it would be appropriate to submit your
material.
Click here for
contact details
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12. What sort of
testimonials should I be providing?
On the application, you should ideally
include one or several quotes from customers or other third parties
supporting your product or initiative. If your application is
shortlisted, we may ask you for permission to contact them directly.
If you do not have any testimonials, then leave this part of the
application blank.
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13. Can I modify my
application once I have submitted it?
Yes. When you submit your application,
you will have to choose a user ID and a password. With these, you may
later return to the website and modify your application by following
the links to apply, and then “modify an existing application”. You
will then be asked for your e-mail address and password to access your
application. You will not be able to access your application once the
applications have been closed off.
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14. How are the
winners decided?
Each award has a panel of industry
experts who act as judges. The judges come from various parts of the
UK, and thus, do not meet in person until the night before the awards
dinner. The shortlisted candidates are chosen by a vote of the judges
after viewing the applications on-line. The judges then meet just
before the awards dinner to select a winner from among the shortlist.
Once the shortlist has been selected, the judges may ask you for more
information to help them make a decision. If this is the case, you
will be contacted by a member of the Mail Awards staff.
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15. What are the
judges looking for?
The organisers of the awards have no
influence over the judges and do not involve themselves in the
selection of the winners. However, as a word of advice to potential
applicants, the judges are always looking for concrete evidence of the
success of initiatives. If your initiative resulted in increased
revenues, say so in your application. If your initiative improved
service quality, provide figures to back up this claim. Also, keep
your answers to the questions on the application as concise as you
can.
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16. When will the shortlist be announced?
Shortlists will be announced each year in mid-late
September.
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17. What happens if
I am shortlisted for an award?
If your application makes the shortlist,
you will then be invited to attend the UK Mail Awards gala dinner
which usually is on the middle night of the Mail Show conference and
exhibition in London. The dinner is attended by around 200 top
executives from the UK postal industries and a celebrity guest is
invited to announce the winners. (You must register in order to attend
the dinner.)
If you are the winner you will be called forward to collect your award
during the ceremony.
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18. What happens if
I am shortlisted but unable to attend the dinner to potentially
collect the award if I win?
It is always best if you are able to attend the dinner and be
presented with your award in person.
However, if you are shortlisted and you cannot be present, you may
nominate one of the other guests to accept the award on your behalf or
you may ask the organisers to accept the award on your behalf.
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