Airforce Technology Excellence Awards & Rankings – Guidelines
Table of contents
Introduction
The Airforce Technology Excellence Awards & Rankings celebrate the greatest achievements and innovations in the industry. The programme provides a platform to recognise the people and companies that are driving change.
Our programme is designed to highlight excellence within the sector by looking at a range of corporate activities including deals, business projects and company initiatives, both internal and in the community.
PLEASE NOTE – If you missed our first submission deadline you can still submit evidence till September 2.
Key Dates
- January – Research begins
- June 30 – First Submission deadline
- August – Rankings announced
- September 2 – Second Submission deadline
- October – Excellence Award shortlists announced
- December – Excellence Award winners announced
How It Works
Companies and institutions are evaluated based on their performance in 12 key Areas of Excellence, with evidence from our own research and our ranking submission process.
- Business expansion
- Diversity
- Environmental
- Financing
- Innovation
- Investments
- M&A
- Marketing
- Product launches
- R&D
- Safety
- Social
If there is enough evidence a company is then ranked. We have THREE categories of ranking:
- Areas of Excellence – Outstanding work in one or more of the above areas
- Geography – Outstanding companies/institutions in a country or region
- Sector – Outstanding companies/institutions in each sector and sub-sector and the outstanding companies of each type (e.g. law firm, bank, SME etc.)
Companies recognised by us are ranked in one of THREE bands:
- Elite
- Highly commended
- Commended
The rankings are also the foundation for our end of year Excellence Awards, with the best company in each category being recognised as the overall award winners.
How To Take Part
Our rankings are based on evidence gathered from a combination of (i) our own research, including news and data from the Verdict network and Global Data, and (ii) submissions.
Submissions
All companies and institutions are invited to submit evidence to the rankings research via the submission of case studies through our short online for
Case studies are any projects, deals or news related to the company in the 18 months back from our submission deadline (Jan. 2021-June 2022). For more information please read our Guidelines online.
For each case study you should explain the aims, challenges, methods and outcome of the project/initiative.
Case studies will be taken into consideration for all relevant ranking categories.
Submitting your case studies is the best way to ensure that we are aware of the innovative and outstanding work you are doing so you get the credit you deserve.
Making The Most Of Your Ranking
Making into our rankings is an achievement but the real benefit is being able to tell the market, new and prospective clients about your achievement. For more information visit the individual brand page hyperlinks above and download the MEDIA PACKS.
Listings
A listing provides more information to our audience about your achievements and includes the following content:
- Editorial profile – A profile by us explaining the reasoning behind your rankings
- Company profile – Text where you can provide context and detail on your initiatives
- Contact and social media details
- Photos
- Digital rosette logos – Personalised marketing images highlighting your rankings
Depending on the package we also offer a range of promotional benefits including social media posts.
Company listings will be published online on the company’s storefront and as a dedicated ‘In-Focus’ article on the company. In addition the company will appear as a ‘Featured Company’ on all relevant ranking pages and ranking related articles.
Your listing will also be included in our end of year Excellence Awards report.
Sponsorship
By becoming a sponsor you get all the benefits of a listing with additional exposure including:
- CEO Video
- Sponsor Advert within Excellence Awards report
- Article
- VMS targeting on all above content
- Project on Storefront
- Round table on virtual events platform
Judging Methodology
All relevant case studies count towards a company’s scorecard. The scorecard is the primary factor in determining the rankings and awards.
To be ranked a company’s score must be higher or equal to a certain threshold. The Areas of Excellence categories only include the scores from those case studies directly related to them whereas Geography and Sector categories combine the scores from all case studies.
We use a scoring system in order that the case studies under consideration are judged on merit and not on the reputation of the companies involved.
Award Winners
The shortlists and winners in our end of our year awards are determined by an editorial panel who look at the scores, case studies and broader market context when making their decision.
Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ)
Are there any costs involved in the research?
No, there are no costs at any stage, the research, rankings and awards are free and independent.
What sort of projects can I submit as case studies?
Case studies should fit in one of our 12 Areas of Excellence. For examples please view the Appendix below. If you have any questions or want to check if something is valid please email: sam.duke@globaldata.com
I want to submit a project/case study but don’t know what category to submit for
You don’t need to submit for a particular category, we will take relevant projects/case studies into consideration for all relevant categories.
Do I have to use the format of the online form?
No, you can upload your case studies as a Word or PDF document using the upload feature in the online form or email it to: sam.duke@globaldata.com
How will our case studies be used?
Case study information may be published alongside your ranking. If you don’t want certain information published please make this clear in the description.
I have a long-term project that I want to submit as a case study, will it be valid for this year’s research?
If a substantial amount of work has been done on the project during the research period (January 2021-June 2022) it will be valid.
What is the difference between the Rankings and Awards?
The Rankings are released in June each year and have a longer view of the market. They reflect the companies and institutions we recognise as doing good work in the market in their relevant areas. The Awards, which are published in December, look solely at the research period with the winners recognised as the best-of-the-best for an outstanding project or projects from that period alone.
Can I get an extension to the June 30 deadline?
Please email extension requests to sam.duke@globaldata.com
Contact Us
For more information on the awards and our methodology, please contact:
For Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact:
ExcellenceAwards@Verdict.co.uk
Appendix – Areas of Excellence Examples
Business expansion
Any projects that have expanded the company’s footprint in the sector, including launching in new territories; launching new product lines; acquisition of commercial real estate; acquisition of new machinery; improved logistics; or significant staff increases
Diversity
Any internal company project to improve diversity in the workforce, this can include changes to hiring policies; graduate and apprenticeship schemes; work groups and societies; and subconscious bias training.
Environmental
Any projects that have led or will lead to a significant reduction in the company’s carbon footprint. This can include changes to materials and manufacturing, supply chain reviews; reduction in energy use or switches to renewables; recycling initiatives; and carbon offsetting.
Financing
Any raising of finance by a company within the sector, this can include corporate lending, funding rounds and equity and debt capital markets issues including share offers and bond issues. We will be specifically looking at high value deals; novel structures; and companies using (for them) new forms of financing such as high-yield bonds.
Innovation
Any projects that demonstrate an innovative approach to the market. The category crosses over with many of our other categories and can include new products, novel product features, new business practices, new marketing and sales strategies and more.
Investments
Any significant investment into a company; project or asset in the sector by a company, private equity firm or venture capital.
M&A
Any public or private acquisition within the relevant sector. We will be specifically looking for deals that are of high value; are likely to have a significant impact in the market; involve a company moving into a new area of business; or deals that are structured in a new or novel way.
Marketing
Any significant marketing campaign launched during the research period that has led to an increase in revenue or company profile. We will be specifically looking at campaigns introducing new concepts, imagery or taglines and those that demonstrate imagination in their portrayal of the brand.
Product launches
Launches of new product lines into the marketplace. We will be specifically looking at novelty, including companies launching products into new areas or innovation in the product’s design, manufacture or marketing.
Research and development (R&D)
Research and development of new products and/or new processes. This can include discovering or creating a unique material, transferring a research or technology development to practice, improving the performance of an existing product or creating a new simulation or design tools.
Safety
Best practice in health and safety including compliance to standards and any initiatives taken to improve workplace safety through the introduction of new guidelines, policies or equipment.
Social
Any projects that have had a tangible positive impact on the communities where the company operates. This can include anything from charity initiatives; sponsorship; community outreach; local business support and education initiatives