2025 Categories
Over 30 categories that highlight exceptional achievements, innovation, and leadership across the credit and financial services sector, offering opportunities to recognise the brightest talents and top-performing teams in the industry.
Getting started
Login or register for free to view the category criteria. From there you can enter as many categories you wish and can edit and return to your entries as many times as you like before the final deadline.
Entry deadline
An admin fee is applied for each entry submission. A early entry fee of £221 + VAT will be applied until 12 January 2024 A standard entry fee of £332 + VAT will be applied until the final deadline of 28 March 2024.
Need help?
Contact our Awards team.
To view the categories suited to you, select your organisation type below:
Service Provider categories - Company Awards
Best Company to Work For
Who should enter?
Any UK business is eligible, including banks, other consumer and commercial lending organisations of all kinds, local or central government entities, utility or telecoms providers, retail businesses, debt purchasers, DCAs, BPOs, law firms, personal insolvency firms, debt management firms and judicial services providers, and service and technology companies supplying any of the above.
The winning entry will…
Show why the company considers itself to be the best, in its peer group, to work for.
Best Marketing Campaign of the Year
Who should enter?
Any organisation from any sector including commissioning organisations, PR agencies and marketing consultancies.
The winning entry will…
Showcase the deployment of a range of media that has promoted a product or service. This could include print, broadcast, online advertising, viral marketing, social media and other apps, email marketing, SMS campaigns and integrated on and offline campaigns.
Best Open Banking Platform
Who should enter?
The winner will be an open banking platform or technology firm which has designed a solution, innovation or platform that either: opens up more services to consumers and businesses; allows easier access for third party providers; or enables increased compliance with regulations and a broadening of service offerings.
The winning entry will…
Recognise and innovation or excellence in open banking and PSD2
Best Outsourcing & Partnership Initiative
Who should enter?
This award is for BPO providers, debt collection/purchase businesses, plus all other types of businesses and organisations working with, or providing services to, creditors. Debt advice bodies and publicly-funded organisations may also apply. An organisation may nominate in conjunction with a creditor. Joint submissions are encouraged from third party partners and creditor organisations, to demonstrate how the firms have been working together to enhance business performance, reach satisfactory conclusions for all parties and enhance the customer journey.
The winning entry will…
Highlight how in the past 12 months an initiative with an external organisation helped to improve the customer experience generally for consumer and/or business customers.
Best Technology Provider
Who should enter?
This category is for any technology or data/analytics firm, providing these services to creditors in any private sector, or collections firms including debt purchasers, DCAs, BPOs, law firms, or personal insolvency firms, debt management firms and judicial services providers. Firms providing these services to the public sector, in the context of credit and debt management, will also be considered. Technology companies may enter either alone, or in partnership with businesses they have supplied.
The winning entry will…
Show an approach to technology that is more advanced or innovative than the industry standard, and which is generating concrete results.
Best Use of Open Banking
Who should enter?
The winner will be an open banking platform, lender or technology firm which has designed a solution, innovation or platform that either: opens up more services to consumers and businesses; allows easier access for third party providers; or enables increased compliance with regulations and a broadening of service offerings.
The winning entry will…
Recognise an innovation or excellence in open banking and PSD2.
Best Use of Technology
Who should enter?
This category is for any business making use of technology to enhance its capability around either credit risk, collections, affordability assessments, onboarding, fraud prevention or data and analytics. Businesses using technology for automation and optimisation purposes, to improve customer service, will also be considered. Technology companies may enter either alone, or in partnership with businesses they have supplied.
The winning entry will…
Show an approach to technology that is more advanced or innovative than the industry standard, and which is generating concrete results.
Collections & Recoveries Service Provider of the Year
Who should enter?
Applications are invited from third party debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, judicial services and enforcement providers.
The winning entry will…
Demonstrate the provision of best-in-class customer service, that goes beyond basic conduct requirements to make customers feel respected, listened to and understood.
Company Award for Climate Risk Action
Who should enter?
Any business, or organisation, working within financial services, utilities and telecoms, or the public sectors, including service providers.
The winning entry will…
Serve as a role model for climate risk action, showcasing a comprehensive strategy and notable accomplishments in mitigating climate risk and promoting sustainability.
Credit Data & Analytics Provider of the Year
Who should enter?
Applications are invited from or on behalf of any an independent organisation that holds information about consumers or businesses (or both), to help banks, financial institutions and other creditors decide whether to give them credit.
The winning entry will…
Be able to showcase a range of achievements that place the firm ahead of its competitors in its sector.
Debt Advice Provider of the Year
Who should enter?
Organisations that provides free or fee-charging debt advice, or personal debt solutions such as IVAs, debt management plans, bankruptcies, protected trust deeds, debt relief orders and the debt arrangement scheme in Scotland.
The winning entry will…
Demonstrate a commitment through the entire organisation to provide qualitative, comprehensive and transparent debt advice.
Debt Purchaser of the Year
Who should enter?
Any company purchasing, investing or co-investing in portfolios of consumer or commercial debt, in the financial services sector.
The winning entry will…
An organisation which demonstrates an outstanding level of commitment to support their customers and/ or staff during the cost of living crisis.
Diversity & Inclusion Trailblazer
Who should enter?
Any company operating in the credit space – lenders, suppliers and other non-creditors servicing the industry.
The winning entry will…
Showcase a commitment to diversity when hiring new staff that is reflected in the tone and company ethos that is set from the top, along with a clear focus on training and developing the careers of a workforce diversified across the following: Gender, Ethnicity, Disability, LGBTQ, Religion and faith, Social and economic background.
Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility
Who should enter?
Any business, or organisation working within, financial services, utilities and telecoms, or the public sectors including service providers, or charities.
The winning entry will…
An organisation which demonstrates an outstanding level of commitment and delivery of CSR activity.
Public Sector Service Provider of the Year
Who should enter?
Revenues, collections and recoveries teams from any of the following:
Local government, Central government, Housing associations, Government owned not for profit companies such as The Student Loans Company, A joint venture between private company and any private sector teams working exclusively with public sector accounts, A private sector company whose team specialises in public sector work.
The winning entry will…
Demonstrate how the team has achieved exemplary performance, both in achievement of KPIs, cash collections, conduct standards and genuine teamwork.
Recruitment Partner of the Year
Who should enter?
This category is open to any recruitment, training, consultancy or outsourcing firm responsible for any aspect of recruitment and/or HR servicing for their client business.
The winning entry will…
Demonstrate the provision of best in class client service, to ensure the HR requirements of their client are fulfilled.
Vulnerable Customer Strategy of the Year
Who should enter?
Any organisation with consumer customers, where customer vulnerability is a significant consideration in conduct policy.
The winning entry will…
An organisation which demonstrates an advanced and effective approach to identifying and appropriately handling customer vulnerability.
Service Provider categories - Individual Awards
Rising Star of the Year
Who should enter?
Those who work in any part of the credit industry with less than five years’ industry service.
The winning entry will…
Need to demonstrate exceptional performance and career development.
Service Provider categories - Team Awards
Excellence in Fraud Prevention
Who should enter?
Applications may come from teams in any sector of the consumer or commercial fraud prevention including all the industry sectors covered by the fraud data sharing arrangements such as CIFAS.
The winning entry will…
Have developed credit fraud risk models employing sound theoretical, technical and practical methods utilising existing and new techniques with proven effectiveness.
Legal Team of the Year
Who should enter?
Legal teams from law firms, in-house legal departments, and legal service providers are eligible to enter
The winning entry will…
Demonstrate how the team has achieved exemplary performance, both in achievement of KPIs, as well as in conduct standards and through ethical approach.
Outstanding Conduct in Collections
Who should enter?
Firms that are championing best practice amongst consumer credit lenders, or service providers, in terms of how they deal with customers in arrears.
The winning entry will…
Demonstrate fair outcomes for their customers through the organisation of staff, systems and processes to deliver this in compliance with the majority of the requirements under the Consumer Credit Sourcebook (CONC).
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