Tips on Creating a Winning Award Entry (Submit by Friday)

Awards are an important way to give validation to the work a company does, both to potential customers, existing clients, and partners, and to others within the organization. But it is sometimes difficult to know just what to include with a submission. With the deadline for this year’s Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards coming up on Friday, Nov. 14, here are some tips from our judges on how to craft a winning entry.

Our judges say:

• “The one thing that almost all submissions have seemed to overlook is the economic data on the product/project. In my opinion a product or project is not successful if it is not economical. Other business will not buy the product or do similar projects if they cannot afford the investment.”
• “A good submission tells a complete story using the NOSE approach: What is the user/customer NEED? How does this create an OPPORTUNITY for a product or service? What is the SOLUTION to meet the need? Finally, what is the EVIDENCE that the need was met, the goal was achieved, or the problem was solved? The more objective and detailed the better.”
• “Based on the EL criteria, what I look for is the submitter to frame the ‘big picture impact’ on the world, then discuss the details of the specific product and specifically why it’s a game changer…and then quantify (in any way possible) the environmental/social/economic impact.”
• “I think the main thing to me is that the proposals have a technical ‘soundness’ (not necessarily sophistication – but logical), are not just an extension of an existing business product or service (add something unique), and have some sense of impact overall … broader than just in the application area if possible. Make me believe this is really helping … not just moving the problem to another sector/person/country.”

Check out the information on the Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards and use these tips to begin crafting your winning submission. Contact Jennifer Hermes at 970-377-9505 ext. 702 for more information.