CATEGORIES & CRITERIA
Group/Company Categories
Circular Company of the Year
Every year, more than 62 million tons of electronic waste is produced by the technology industry alone: the equivalent to binning 800 laptops every second. And this figure is rising.
All of the materials and components used in the production of IT equipment can be reused and recycled, and laptops/desktops/devices can also be refurbished and given a new lease of life. According to market watcher NMSC, the circular economy was worth $556bn in 2023 and is set to hit $1.3tn in 2030.
This award will go to the channel company that is making the biggest strides in the circular economy, whether this is recycling or refurbishing old equipment, saving tonnes of materials from going to landfill, or running projects to eliminate electronic waste altogether.
Open to: Any company in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Outline your circular strategy - Please note it must have been launched or updated within the September 2024 – August 2025 timeframe.
- Why do you think you deserve to win the award? How have your employees/partners/customers helped?
- Back up claims with stats/figures
- Include testimonials
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Green Shoots Award
This award is aimed at companies that are starting out on their sustainability journey, or have launched a new sustainability-based initiative that is really shaking things up. The initiative must have been launched in the timeframe of September 2024 – August 2025 to qualify.
So many channel companies are only just starting out on their sustainability/ESG journey, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t making great strides, or are doing some amazing things to make a difference. This award is aimed at those companies that are at the beginning of their sustainability journey, but who have already made great progress, or implemented an impressive initiative/campaign that has generated solid results.
Open to: Any company in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Tell us about your sustainability/ESG journey - how did it start, what did you do, where are you now, what are your goals?
- Can you share any stats - ie emissions levels then and now?
- How have your people got behind your sustainability journey so far?
- Include a testimonial from a partner/customer/staff member on what your strategy has meant to them
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence to back up any claims.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Net Zero Project of the Year
The UK is committed to reaching net zero by 2050, and an interim 78 per cent reduction in emissions by 2035, which impacts every single company in the IT channel ecosystem.
This award is for companies that can show the judges real progress in terms of their own carbon reduction/net zero strategy over the past year - whether this is demonstrating the best use of renewable energy involving buildings, vehicle fleets, warehouses, or detailing how they have reduced overall employee/company carbon footprint through various initiatives to help hit Scope 1, 2 and 3 targets.
Open to: Any company in the IT channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- What is the project? Give a brief outline. Please note it must have been launched or updated within the September 2024 – August 2025 timeframe.
- Why do you feel you deserve to win the award? How have your employees/partners/customers supported the project?
- Back up claims with stats/figures
- Include testimonials from partners/customers
Supporting documents should be used purely to add context to your entry.The judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence to back up any claims. Be as candid as you can about your carbon footprint (or estimated carbon footprint) and how this is being addressed.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Social Impact Award
ESG is made up of more than just the ‘E’ for Environment – it is fundamentally about people and how companies are using their positions to really make a difference in both their local communities and further afield.
So many channel companies are launching wonderful initiatives and encourage their teams to take at least one day a year volunteering for an organisation or charity that is close to their hearts. Some have launched their own in house charity, or are partnering with charities both in the UK and overseas to not only spread the sustainability message, but make an actual difference. This could range from litter picks to beach cleaning or helping communities with vital services such as foodbanks, Christmas appeals, fundraising and much more.
This award is aimed at those companies that are really making a difference either at home or further afield, but the initiative MUST have been either launched or taken place within the time frame of September 2024 – August 2025 to qualify. You can enter multiple initiatives if you wish, but it must fit within the word count.
Open to: Any company in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Tell us what your company is doing and why you deserve to win this award.
- How did it start, what did you do, where are you now, what are your goals?
- How are all your people getting involved?
- Can you share any stats - ie funds raised, results achieved etc
- Include a testimonial from community or charity representative about you’re your efforts have meant to them
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Collaboration of the Year
The IT channel is playing an important role in helping UK organisations decarbonise and achieve their own Scope 1,2 and 3 targets - whether it is end-user customers that are partnering with their chosen IT reseller/MSP to formulate a winning sustainability strategy, OR vendors/distributors that are working with their partners to reduce carbon in the supply chain via programmes or initiatives, and ultimately pass those benefits onto customers.
This award will be given to the successful partnership of any of the aforementioned companies that can show how they have worked together to deliver a ground-breaking or impactful joint project/programme/initiative in the last year that has made a real difference.
Open to: Any company in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- What is the joint project you have worked on?
- Why do you think your partnership should win this award?
- What have been the key benefits from the project in the timeframe? Please note this is September 2024 – August 2025.
- Share stats/figures to back up claims and show the judges the impact of the project
- Include testimonials
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Innovation of the Year (Support)
One of the most quoted barriers to sustainability success is that companies just don’t know where to start, particularly when budgets are tight and they have other priorities such as keeping the lights on and maintaining a happy workforce and customers. Many are simply unaware that a good sustainability strategy will bring tangible business benefits to every company.
These companies need the help of experts that can offer them the support and guidance to get a business beneficial sustainability strategy off the ground.
This award will be given to the company that offers an innovative service to companies within the channel ecosystem, that helps them to measurably reduce emissions, or cut down on e-waste. This service must have a proven record of helping customers track and measure emissions to hit net zero goals. Data is vital.
The service can be a recycling service, asset disposal service, carbon measuring service, legislation consultation service, or general service offering practical support and guidance on how companies can reduce their carbon footprint. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
Open to: Any company in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- What is the service and why does it qualify for this award? Please note the service must have been launched or updated within the September 2024 – August 2025 timeframe.
- How are you delivering this service to channel partners and/or end user customers?
- Share stats and figures on how the service is helping channel firms get started on their sustainability journey and cut emissions
- Include testimonials from partners and customers
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence in the form of stats, to back up any claims.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Innovation of the Year (Technical)
Humanity is using earth’s resources 1.7 times faster than the planet’s biocapacity can regenerate. Earth Overshoot day (when we used up all the resources that the planet can regenerate) occurred on July 24 this year. A sobering statistic.
With over 30,000 new products and gadgets launched globally every year and many of them failing to achieve any commercial success, they contain valuable metals and minerals that have traditionally ended up in landfill.
This award will be given to the company whose product can be classed as sustainable in every way from production to supply, whether this is down to recycled materials within the product itself, reduced packaging, or sourcing materials from renewable sources.
Entrants must describe the green credentials of the product and provide stats/figures to prove the claim. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry: Open to: Any company in the IT channel ecosystem
Open to: Any company in the IT channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- What is the product you are talking about and why are you entering it into this category? Please note the product must have been launched or updated within the September 2024 – August 2025 timeframe.
- (If applicable) How are you working with channel partners to get this product/service to customers?
- Share stats and figures on resources the product/service is helping to save – whether this is channel partners, or end user customers
- Include testimonials (from partners and customers)
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence in the form of stats, to back up any claims.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Champion - Channel Services Provider
This award will go to a genuine channel service provider visionary (company NOT individual) that is leading the way when it comes to sustainability and ESG. Is your firm at the vanguard when it comes to helping reduce the carbon footprint and ecological footprint of your customers, and within your own organisation? How are you working with the channel to come up with better solutions? Is your company also a wider ESG leader in areas such as social impact and governance? If yes, then this is the category for you.
Open to: Any company providing services TO or FOR the IT channel
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Why are you entering? What progress have you made in the past year? (timeframe is September 2024 – August 2025)
- Why do you think you should win this award?
- How are you helping your customers through your sustainability strategy? · Demonstrate what difference you are making through stats/figures
- Include testimonials from partners/customers
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence to back up any claims, particularly around carbon reduction.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Champion - Distributor
This award will go to a genuine distribution visionary (company NOT individual) that is leading the way when it comes to sustainability and ESG. Is your company at the vanguard when it comes to helping reduce the carbon footprint and ecological footprint of your customers, and within your own organisation? Is your company working with both vendors and your reseller customers to come up with better solutions? Is your company also a wider ESG leader in areas such as social impact and governance? If yes, then this is the category for you.
Open to: IT Distributors
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Why are you entering? What progress have you made in the past year? (timeframe is September 2024 – August 2025)
- Why do you think you should win this award?
- How are you supporting your customers and partners through your sustainability strategy?
- Demonstrate what difference you are making through stats/figures · Include testimonials from partners
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence to back up any claims, particularly around carbon reduction.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Champion - Reseller/Solution Provider
This award will go to a genuine reseller visionary (company NOT individual) that is leading the way when it comes to sustainability and ESG. Is your company at the vanguard when it comes to helping reduce the carbon footprint and ecological footprint of your end user customers, and within your own organisation? Is your company working with both vendor and distribution partners to come up with better solutions? Is your company also a wider ESG leader in areas such as social impact and governance? If yes, then this is the category for you.
Open to: Resellers, VARs, Solution Providers
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Why are you entering? What progress have you made in the past year? (timeframe is September 2024 – August 2025)
- Why do you think you should win this award?
- How are you helping your customers through your sustainability strategy?
- Demonstrate what difference you are making through stats/figures · Include testimonials from partners
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence to back up any claims, particularly around carbon reduction.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Champion - Vendor
This award will go to a genuine vendor visionary (company NOT individual) that is leading the way when it comes to sustainability and ESG. Is your company at the vanguard when it comes to helping reduce both the carbon footprint of your channel partners and their customers, and within your own organisation? Is your company also a wider ESG leader in areas such as social impact and governance? If yes, then this is the category for you.
Open to: IT Vendors
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Why are you entering? What progress have you made in the past year? (timeframe is September 2024 – August 2025)
- Why do you think you should win this award?
- How are you helping your partners through your sustainability strategy?
- Demonstrate what difference you are making through stats/figures
- Include testimonials from partners
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit. They will be looking for strong evidence to back up any claims, particularly around carbon reduction.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Sustainability Team of the Year
The people behind a successful sustainability strategy are the ones that should be celebrated when it comes to success. Quite often it is a team effort, with everybody pulling together towards a common goal, rather than down to just one individual.
However, not every company is fortunate to have their own dedicated sustainability team, but many firms have a group of people that take on extra responsibilities on top of their day job to drive change and generate results. They are still a sustainability team in their own right.
This award is aimed at either dedicated sustainability teams within channel companies, or a committed group of people who have worked together for the common good to really make an impact on their company’s Net Zero strategy.
Open to: Any company in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why your company should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Tell the judges about the team – if you don’t have a dedicated sustainability team, tell the judges how people have got together to go over and above their day job to make a difference
- What have been some of their key achievements over the past year (timeframe September 2024 – August 2025)
- What have been their biggest challenges and how have they overcome them?
- Share stats/figures to back up claims and show the judges the impact of the project
- Include testimonials
You can back up your entry by attaching videos, testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Individual Categories
Rising Star Award (Sustainability/Social Impact)
Because sustainability is something every channel firm of every size will have to take seriously from 2026 onwards, due to changes to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), many companies are creating new roles to focus on this area, and many are recruiting graduates or apprentices to help drive their strategy, are giving the job to more junior members of staff to help their career development, or are asking several members of a team to share the responsibility.
More and more companies are also recognising the importance of giving back and are embracing the concept of CSR.
This category is aimed at recognising all these up-and-coming stars that are either passionate about sustainability or CSR (or both) and shining a light on the amazing work they are doing to raise awareness within their own companies and ensure these important topics are always at the top of the agenda.
The candidates can be apprentices or graduates, or existing team members who have jumped at the chance for more responsibility and a chance to make a difference, and are coming up with some amazing initiatives and ideas to either raise money, support the local community or to help achieve carbon reduction goals.To qualify their activities must have taken place between September 2024 and August 2025.
Open to: Anyone who works in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words nominating your Rising Star and explaining why you think they should win. You can back up your entry by attaching videos, testimonials from colleagues/peers and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry. Judges may penalise entries where they feel supporting documents have been used to circumvent the word limit.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Unsung Hero (Sustainability/Social Impact)
The sustainability/social impact transformation is being driven as much by passionate individuals as it is by companies. Is there a sustainability/social impact unsung hero within your business, or within one of your partners? It may be your CEO, or someone working in sales, marketing, HR, accounts or a technical role. If you know someone who fits the bill, please tell us – in 700 words – why they should win this category and about the amazing work they are doing to make a difference. Their work must have taken place between September 2024 and August 2025 to qualify for the awards.
Open to: Anyone who works in the channel ecosystem
Please write up to 700 words outlining why this person should win this award. Below are some bullet point tips to help create your entry:
- Who is the person being nominated? Why are they being nominated? Tell us about them
- Outline some of the amazing things they have done to drive sustainability or CSR within your company
- Include testimonials from colleagues/peers and make it as personal as possible
You can also back up your entry by attaching videos, customer/partner testimonials and any other supporting documents. These should be purely to add context to your entry.
Word limit: 700 words
Video limit: 3 mins or less
Editorial Team Choice
Sustainability Evangelism Award
The recipient of this award will be selected by the editorial team for their role in bringing the topic of sustainability to the fore and the steps they are taking to make a real difference within their own company, the industry as a whole and at a personal level.