There are two methods of applying for the UK Excellence Award:

• Classic submission document approach - you submit a 75 page document describing how your organisation addresses the 32 criterion parts of the Excellence Model. This is assessed by a team of specially trained assessors, followed by a site visit to validate the evidence given
• Flexible approach - you submit 2 sets of pro-formas (15 pages each) detailing your results and mapping where the evidence can be found during a fairly intensive on-site assessment by specially trained assessors.

Both Approaches adhere to a similar timetable and both involve a site visit. From experience, we know both approaches have their specific value and one is not better or worse. This only depends on the culture and experience of any potential applicant.

To ensure Applicants have every opportunity to present their organisation to its full advantage, an experienced Award Facilitator will be appointed by BQF to assist in the planning of the production of the submission material. There is no extra cost for this facilitation but it is obviously bound by certain rules and restrictions to ensure fairness of the process.

The first stage is a qualification phase to enable us to make a decision based on your track record in the field of Excellence. This can vary from a simple confirmation that your Excellence journey continues as a repeat applicant, to the creation of a Qualification File for first time applicants. In this document (max. 15 pages), you can present a synthesis of the results achieved in the four Results criteria of the Excellence Model and descibe the context (key business factors) in which those were achieved. This file can be supported by a copy of your latest set of report and accounts. The Award Facilitator will help you produce this evidence.

Click here to download the 2009 UK Excellence Award brochure, detailing costs.

For any queries, call the Awards Manager, Sally Green on 0207 654 5010

For a 2009 timetable please here