You’ve done something worth recognising. Now someone has to write it down in a way that persuades a panel of judges – often in a few hundred words, against a deadline and on top of the day job.
That’s what our award writing service is for. Our award entry writers, led by awards judge and WIN! author Donna O’Toole, find your winning story, gather the evidence and write the entry for you. You review and approve every word before anything is submitted.
Why good entries don’t win
Judges read a lot of good entries. Around 80% of the entries they see today are very good, so to win you have to reach the top of that top tier.
Entries that deserve to win usually fall short for the same reasons:
- They describe activity instead of proving impact.
- They answer the question the writer wanted, not the criteria the judges score against.
- The writer knows the business inside out but has never sat on a judging panel.
- They’re finished at midnight on the day entries close.
The golden rule is simple: the bigger the impact, the bigger your chances of winning. Our job is to find that impact, prove it and put it where the judges will score it.
What our award entry writers do for you
When you ask us to write your award entries, we:
- get to know your business, your people and the results behind your story
- advise you on the awards and categories that suit your goals, and the angle most likely to score
- gather the evidence with you: figures, customer feedback and third-party proof
- write the award entry from start to finish against the official criteria
- revise it with you until you’re happy, and submit only with your sign-off
- deal with the organisers for you, including deadlines, extensions and feedback requests
- review the result with you and plan what’s next: finals, presentations and your next entry
You need more than a copywriter and a stroke of luck to win awards. Our writers are trained in how judges score, and every entry is checked through a judge’s eyes before it goes in.
How our award writing service works
- Free consultation. Tell us which awards you’re considering, or ask us which you could win. If we think an award isn’t worth your time, we’ll say so.
- Strategy and story. We dig into your results, case studies and customer feedback, and agree the story and evidence for each category.
- Writing. We write the entry in your tone of voice and to your brand guidelines.
- Review and sign-off. You review each draft. Nothing is submitted until you approve it.
- Submission and next steps. We submit, keep in touch with the organisers and prepare you for any judging interview or awards presentation.
Results for our clients
- SciChart won The Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019. Within three months of showing the win on its website, turnover rose by 30%. Read the SciChart story
- Clare Dimond, Real You won six awards in nine months and was shortlisted in every award she entered. Read Clare’s story
- Close Brothers Retail Finance, a new business in a crowded market, won at the National Business Awards two years running: Business Enabler of the Year in 2017 and the Customer Focus Award in 2018. Read the Close Brothers story
- Kaizen Ticketing has won Gold at the Ticketing Business Awards, the SaaS Awards and the International Business Awards since 2024, plus two Golds at the UK Customer Experience Awards. Read the Kaizen story
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US
“I have been working with Donna over the last few years and I have to say, I have found her to be the consummate professional, always keeping her promises, a great marketer and PR guru.”
Neil Skehel, CEO, Awards International
“Donna helped us to understand all the different elements of the Queen’s Award application process. She took the stress away and helped us to see how what we considered business as usual was, in fact, incredibly important to our application.”
Simon Murie, CEO, SwimTrek, The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise Winner 2017
“Donna’s masterclass gave me a fantastic insight into what it takes to win awards. I found the training extremely useful, as this is something that can be carried forward and used on a day-to-day basis.”
Pauline Saunders, Head of Events, The Learning & Performance Institute
“Donna’s unique skill-set and naturally engaging advice have transcended these award wins, ultimately helping us to identify and shape the USPs of the business, thus influencing our strategy, proposition, and marketing.”
Alex Marsh, Close Brothers Retail Finance
“Donna’s guidance and advice was invaluable when preparing our submission for several awards this year. She helped us to lay out the detail in a way that ensured judges could clearly see compelling evidence aligned to judging criteria, challenged our thinking and helped us to ensure that nothing was left to chance. Time spent with Donna is time very well invested!”
Moyra Smith, Strategic Business Manager, Mercuri International
OUR AWARDS SUCCESSES
Some of the awards that have recognised our client’s great work and entries:
Award writing costs
Every awards programme asks for something different, so we quote per entry or as a package. You’ll know the fee before we start, with no hidden extras.
- Single entries: a fixed fee for each award entry.
- Awards programmes: a package for a year of entries, planned around your awards calendar and your awards strategy.
- Exclusivity: we write for only one company, team or individual per award category, so our clients never compete with each other.
Tell us what you’d like to enter and we’ll tell you the fee.
Prefer to write the entry yourself?
Got a confident writer on the team, or a smaller budget? Our award entry consultancy gives you a one-to-one strategy session with Donna, then a judge’s-eye review of your draft with feedback you can act on.
Not sure which awards to enter yet? Start with awards strategy and planning. Already in a final? See awards presentations.
Award writing service FAQs
Can you guarantee we’ll win?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Judging is independent, and you should never be asked to pay to win. What we promise is an entry that answers the criteria with evidence, and an honest view of your chances before you enter.
How long does it take to write an award entry?
Give us at least four weeks before the closing date. Most of that time goes on finding and checking evidence, not writing. If a deadline is closer, ask us anyway; we’ll tell you straight away whether we can do it well.
How much of our time will it take?
Less than doing it yourself. We need time with you to understand the story, access to your evidence and time for you to review drafts. We do the research, planning and writing.
Which awards do you write entries for?
Business, industry, team and individual awards in the UK and internationally, including The King’s Awards for Enterprise. Browse our list of business awards to enter, or ask us which you could win.
Do you write award submissions and nominations too?
Yes. Whether the organiser calls it an entry, a submission, a nomination or an application, the job is the same: persuade the judges with a clear story and strong evidence.
Will you write for our competitors in the same category?
No. We work with one company, team or individual per award category.
Can you help if we reach the final?
Yes. Many awards end with a presentation or a judging interview. We help you prepare and rehearse it. See awards presentations.
Stop waiting. Start winning.
Tell us which awards you’re thinking of entering, or ask us which you could win. Your first consultation is free.