G-Awards 2019 - Categories

Trade Counter of the Year

To be considered eligible, all entrants must have at least one physical trade counter which supplies products and materials to the window, door and conservatory trades. Businesses that operate exclusively online will not be considered eligible.

The judges will be looking for an individual trade counter that has most successfully developed and improved its business since January 2018. What new initiatives were implemented? Why was this work carried out? How did the trade counter improve the customer experience? What new trading channels or branch upgrades were introduced?

Nominations should include comprehensive details of how these new initiatives were able to boost sales and/or brand awareness. How were these results measured and what feedback has the trade counter had from customers and/or suppliers as a result?

Sustainability Initiative of the Year

This Award is open to all companies regardless of size or discipline and the entry can be applied to a manufacturing process, and while it is not project specific, a project may of course be used to demonstrate an entrant's commitment to environmental sustainability.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria

* Adoption of measures to minimise, reuse and recycle waste

* Protection and enhancement of the surrounding environment and its biodiversity and the avoidance of pollution

* Evidence of the successful operation of an environmental management system

* Use of recycled building products and renewable energy

* Use of measures to minimise energy use during construction and occupancy

* Measures to demonstrate the mitigation of climate change

Entries should be for the period 1st March 2018 to 31st July 2019. The Judges will be particularly interested in completed entries which are accompanied by evidence of measured energy performance over at least a year of operation.

Commercial Project of the Year

The demands now being put on the glass, glazing and hardware companies in the commercial sector are unprecedented. As architects and construction companies seek to allow more and more light into a building, so the design, comfort and security standards are being continually tested.

Component Supplier of the Year

This Award recognises companies who may only serve a niche market, or companies who would not be able to fit into the other categories. It is open to any component supplier of any size or market sector.

Customer Care Initiative of the Year

Retaining existing customers often comes down to more than just product. Customer service is essential in building and maintaining healthy, profitable relationships. This Award recognises companies who go the extra mile to offer exemplary customer service and is open to all types and size of business who can demonstrate how they systematically offer the best service they can.

Fabricator of the Year

This is open to window fabricators of any material, including composites, aluminium, PVC-u or timber. Any size of business can enter. While the amount of windows you produce is important, it is not vital and it is how you run your business, how it has grown, the quality of workmanship, your achievements to date and how you expect to continue in the future that interests the judges. A site visit by one of the judges will take place for those selected as finalists.

Glass Company of the Year

This category is open to manufacturers, processors, designers and importers of glass, of any company size. The judges are interested in how you run your business, how it has grown, how you meet and exceed standards, your achievements to date and your plans for the future. A site visit by one of the judges will take place for those selected as finalists.

Installer of the Year

This is open to installers of any size including conservatory installers, installers of any product or material, all disciplines and importers of glass. The judges will be looking for information about the success of your business, how it has grown, your achievements over the last twelve months and your plans for the future. A site visit by one of the judges will take place for those selected as finalists.

New Product of the Year

The New Product of the Year Award seeks to identify outstanding a new and/or innovative product that will make major inroads to improving overall building performance, as well as making significant contributions to the company balance sheet.

The Judges will consider any product that improves building performance and will be looking for evidence of:

- Research, testing, development- Innovation in design, technology and/or application
- Improvement over existing products in terms of performance
- Use of recycled materials and recyclability of the product
- Performance in operation as well as factory or laboratory test results
- Clear product technical information for specifiers, designers, installers and operators

Press Clearance : Finalists and winners will be covered in trade press and online by the G Awards Media Partners. The information on the entries for these is taken from the entry forms. If there is any specific information in your entry that is sensitive and should not be published, then please indicate this clearly within your entry.

Qualifying Criteria: The significant portion of the entries must be relevant to the 18 month period from January 2018 - July 2019, however, we do accept that many programmes and products have longer life spans than 18 months. We welcome entries that have an international element but the significant portion must have taken place in the UK. Entries must be new - which have been merely revamped slightly or programmes which have run virtually unchanged for a number of years are not eligible.

Judging: Judging for the awards will take place in August 2019. An establshed panel of industry experts will independently judge the awards. The judges' decision is final and they also reserve the right to reallocate an entry into a different category. In each category the judges will select a small number of entries as finalists. All finalists are required to attend the G 19 Awards Ceremony on 29 November 2019 at the London Hilton on Park Lane, where the winners will be announced.

PLEASE NOTE : THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES ARE THE ONLY CATEGORIES THAT INVOLVE VERIFICATION VISITS FROM JUDGES

Installer of the Year

Glass Company of the Year

Fabricator of the Year

ALL OTHER CATEGORIES DO NOT INVOLVE SITE VISITS

Supporting material: You will have the option to upload supporting material for your online entry as ONE attachment. Multiple items will need to be loaded as zip file. We recommend that you restrict these supporting documents to those that are most relevant and help illustrate the points you have made in your entry.

Entry deadline extended to 31 July 2019

Promotional Campaign of the Year

This Award recognises the importance of marketing and promotion and is open to any business type or size that has embraced marketing in their campaigns this year for trade or retail. It can relate to any product or products, and any type of promotional campaign.

Training & Development Initiative of the Year

Staff training and development is the bedrock of a successful business. Ensuring individuals are suitably qualified to perform, and given the opportunity to improve and progress is a must in today’s competitive business environment. This award is designed to reward those that have been seen to excel in this area, whether as an individual completing and gaining a qualification, or as a manager implementing schemes that have seen trainees or apprentices flourish. It is open to companies that embrace the training and development ethic in house, or institutions that specialise in this subject and can demonstrate tangible success through results.

The submission for this Award should include evidence of:

- The nature of the initiative and how it leads to better performance
- Any special challenges or constraints experienced in the development of the initiative and how they were overcome
- Examples of training materials used
- The successful application of the initiative and its impact (actual or intended)
- How the initiative met or exceeded the original objectives

Press Clearance : Finalists and winners will be covered in trade press and online by the G Awards Media Partners. The information on the entries for these is taken from the entry forms. If there is any specific information in your entry that is sensitive and should not be published, then please indicate this clearly within your entry.

Qualifying Criteria: The significant portion of the entries must be relevant to the 18 month period from January 2018 - July 2019. however, we do accept that many programmes and products have longer life spans than 18 months. We welcome entries that have an international element but the significant portion must have taken place in the UK. Entries must be new - which have been merely revamped slightly or programmes which have run virtually unchanged for a number of years are not eligible.

Judging: Judging for the awards will take place in August 2019. An establshed panel of industry experts will independently judge the awards. The judges' decision is final and they also reserve the right to reallocate an entry into a different category. In each category the judges will select a small number of entries as finalists. All finalists are required to attend the G19 Awards Ceremony on 29 November 2019 at the London Hilton on Park Lane, where the winners will be announced.

PLEASE NOTE : THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES ARE THE ONLY CATEGORIES THAT INVOLVE VERIFICATION VISITS FROM JUDGES

Installer of the Year

Glass Company of the Year

Fabricator of the Year

ALL OTHER CATEGORIES DO NOT INVOLVE SITE VISITS

Supporting material: You will have the option to upload supporting material for your online entry as ONE attachment. Multiple items will need to be loaded as zip file. We recommend that you restrict these supporting documents to those that are most relevant and help illustrate the points you have made in your entry.

Entry deadline extended to 31 July 2019.

Unsung Hero

Do you have a member of staff who works tirelessly for your organisation, who always goes the extra mile, but who doesn’t make a big song and dance about it? Is there someone in your company, whether they work on the shop floor, the boardroom, or anywhere in-between, who you think should get much wider recognition for what they do for the business? The winner will receive a trophy on stage plus Champagne Lunch for Two at Gordon Ramsay's Savoy Grill.