Capital Project Management Award
Does your company deliver capital projects on time and within budget? It’s a tough call for any business. But in capital intensive industries like utilities managing major infrastructure installation, repair and refurbishment projects effectively is a top priority.
This award aims to identify best practice through the effective management of a utility capital project that was completed during 2009/10. Entries must make clear the original costs, timescales and other key performance indicators of the project, and provide evidence of the actual achievements against these KPIs at project completion.

Community Initiative of the Year
UK utilities are active in community programmes, making a valuable contribution to improving the quality of life for many people. Such projects could include involvement in education or environment programmes, support for a charity that goes beyond just fund-raising, health education or working with vulnerable groups. This award aims to recognise the significant effort and care that goes into this often unpublicised work, which benefits the recipients far more than the image of the company.
Entries will be judged on the basis of the initiative’s effectiveness, its contribution to the community and how it fits in with the company’s corporate social responsibility goals.

Environment Award
This award is for the company or a specific project that demonstrates a clear and conscious commitment to good environmental management which goes further than legal or regulatory compliance.
The entry should show clear benefits have been achieved from implementation of the policy or project, such as cutting carbon emissions or improving the local environment. Entries would benefit from evidence of: a commitment to continuous environmental improvement; integration of environment initiatives within the overall business plan; and balanced judgements between improvements in the local environment and increased energy consumption.

Supply Chain Excellence Award
Utilities are supported by numerous partners and suppliers, making the management of the supply chain increasingly important. Working closely with contractors and suppliers, as well as taking full advantage of the latest techniques and technologies, can result in dramatic improvements in efficiency, customer service and overall performance.
The entry should demonstrate that the utility is working with its suppliers, addressing the issue of supply chain optimisation and making real progress in adopting the best practices pioneered in other sectors such as the retail and automotive industries.

Training Award
Skills shortages are set to become one of the utility industries’ greatest challenges. Competition from other industries will make recruiting, training and retaining the best people ever harder, yet this will be crucial to the long term prospects of all utility companies.
The Training Award is not limited to apprentice-level or engineering training schemes, and is also open to entries describing innovative and effective graduate or management training programmes or continuing professional development.
Entries should demonstrate a sound, thoughtful approach to training that meets the organisation’s skills requirements and provides long term career development for employees.

IT Initiative of the Year
The effective use of information technology (IT) by utilities is essential to providing the high service levels customers have come to expect while containing costs.
Entries for the IT Initiative Award should demonstrate the use of modern – not necessarily cutting edge – IT systems to help the business achieve its aims. A successful IT project cannot be run in isolation from the rest of the organisation but must be focused on improving performance.
Entries should describe IT projects completed in 2009/10 that delivered real benefits to the company, including evidence of its performance against expectations.

Marketing Initiative of the Year
Utilities operate in commodity or regulated markets, so marketing activity has to be properly thought-through if it is to be successful and cost effective in building and differentiating the brand.
Entries should demonstrate the success of a marketing initiative completed or continuing in 2009/10. The award will be judged on strategy, targeting, creativity and results. 

Team of the Year
Any utility is only as good as its people and this award is for the team that went the extra mile in 2009/10 to deliver a key objective for the company or one of its stakeholders.
Entries may come from across the utility landscape, but should demonstrate performance beyond expectations. They are likely to involve an innovative, creative but practical strategy in one of the more challenging areas of the utility landscape; use of the organisation’s tangible or intellectual assets to solve a problem; effective use of external resources and skills where appropriate and the management of risk to ensure on-time and on-target delivery. They will certainly demonstrate outstanding commitment and teamwork.

Customer Care Award
Utilities talk a lot about the importance of customer service, and it is increasingly important in securing market share and achieving competitive advantage – not just for domestic suppliers, but also for specialists within the utility value chain, from connections to sewerage suppliers. 
Entrants for this award need to demonstrate an understanding of their customers’ needs and delivery of industry-leading customer service. Judges will be looking for evidence of more than “business as usual” or compliance with industry codes of practice.

Utility Company of the Year
The Utility Company of the Year will be selected by the panel of judges, so entries for this category are not required.