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 11 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. Assign somebody to the job

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

5. Plan Ahead

• Plan which corporate customer(s) to feature in stage two case studies 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.