1. Carefully read the questions and ensure your answers are clear, concise, and targeted to the criteria. Remember, the judges will be looking through hundreds of entries, so:

• Be concise, clear and focused – with clean, easy-to-digest copy.

• Make it easy for them to make sense of your entry.

• Avoid jargon, inflated claims, unexplained acronyms, and unedited copying and pasting.

• Set the scene – provide insight into your business/product, with context where appropriate.

2. Leave enough time

• Enter early – a last-minute rush is likely to impact on the quality of your submission.

• The process invariably takes longer than expected, particularly if you need signoffs.

• Allocate yourself more time than you think you will need.

• The deadline to get your submission in is 10 April, 17:00 GMT

3. Assign somebody to the job

• Designate someone in your company as the awards coordinator – responsible for collating information, contacting referred customers, consulting colleagues, checking facts, chasing up, writing the initial draft and keeping an eye on timeline and deadline.

4. Plan Ahead

• Plan which corporate customer(s) to feature in stage two case studies or testimonials if selected as a finalist.

Using these guidance notes will not guarantee success, but it will give your entry the best possible chance of making compelling reading for the judging panel.