TOP TIPS FOR WINNING AN AWARD

It can be hard to know where to start when writing an award submission let alone what will make it stand out from all the rest.  On the awards website, we have tried to make it as straightforward and easy to follow as possible. You will find:

• A template for each category entry (optional use)
• A detailed list of additional requirements (e.g. photographs, floor plans etc)
• Both general and specific criteria (what the judges are looking for in your entry)
• Guidance on number of words for each criteria

What makes a winning entry?

• Clearly written submissions in plain English
• If you choose not to use the template, make sure your submission addresses and answers each of the general and specified criteria using the required number of words.
• Provide evidence in your submission
• Provide examples to consolidate information
• Try to include first hand testimonies
• Illustrate the scale of the project
• Be explicit – remember the judges do not know anything about your project so try not to assume knowledge
• When including financial information within your awards entry then try to be as specific as possible, if you’re not sure of something then don’t include it.
• Think about who will be judging the awards – the Affordable Home Ownership Housing Awards are shortlisted by an expert panel and RSL / RP / HA resident judges.

Supplementary Information

• Strong evidence that supports the submission – facts and statistics
• Photography enables judges to visualise the project or the scheme
• Final judging always comes down to evidencing your work

What lets entrants down?

• Entries which are too vague
• Supplementary information which doesn’t clearly link to the project
• Entries that do not make it easy for the judges to find the information they need to score your entry  

 

This award is for the best affordable home ownership development within a neighbourhood regeneration. Judges will be looking for entries that can demonstrate how your project:

• Delivered transformation change in an area 
• Demonstrates innovation in design, quality and delivery 
• Provides opportunities for community development, including employment and training, community cohesion and community involvement
• Has created mixed communities, delivering a range of tenures and affordability, and has catered for a range of household sizes including family housing 
• Has made efficient use of public and private funding and investment 
• Demonstrates sustainability in terms of environmental, economical and social outcomes. 

Please click here to download the Entry Pro-Forma for this award.

This award recognises the challenges faced when developing a scheme: 

• That is for affordable for home ownership. The scheme can consist of mixed tenure units but the number of homes on the whole development can be no more than 30 in total
• That does not compromise on design and build quality to achieve levels of affordability
• That has considered the recognised standards and best practise for the following cross cutting themes; value for money; customer care and accessing and valuing diversity.

Judges will be looking for developments which have successfully met some or all of the criteria below:

• Describe how the development met the needs of the local market and responded to demand
  
• Describe how any financial modelling difficulties were overcome and opportunities maximised to create the best levels of affordability
• Describe how the design features used made the most of the site potential or the specification used increased saleability
• Describe how any specific challenges or local considerations were taken into account when developing this small scheme
• How well did the organisation perform against the schemes objectives, including sales success and feedback from residents.

Please click here to download the Entry Pro-Forma for this award.

This award recognises the challenges faced when developing a scheme that is for affordable for home ownership. The scheme can consist of mixed tenure units but the number of homes on the whole development must be 30 or more.  It can be a standalone ownership scheme or a mixed tenure development.

The site must also have additional facilities to benefit the community and neighbourhood. The scheme should have used the best design and quality to create a desirable environment where people want to live. 

Judges will be looking for entries that have met some or all of the following criteria:

• Demonstrate innovation to support people into home ownership
• Show how you achieved highest levels of design and build quality
• Provide evidence of performance against original scheme objectives including sales success
• Provides examples of additional facilities developed as part of the scheme ie. community centre, local input and response to facilities
• Demonstrate the measures taken to ensure continued support for the community facilities long term
• Provide evidence of change in tenure mix of local area
• Show the landscaping including linkages to area, flow through and intimate neighbourhoods
• Demonstrate partnership qualities with stakeholders

Please click here to download the Entry Pro-Forma for this award.

 

This award is for the best affordable home ownership development that can demonstrate the contribution to building environmentally sustainable homes. In particular:

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental sustainability through evidencing the use of policies, design guides and other relevant internal publications (eg. procedures on site workmanship) which ensure that developments have taken account of sustainability measures. Can demonstrate targets for energy consumption
• Demonstrates meeting Code 4 or above and how the scheme has met this level.  Demonstrates continuous monitoring of impact of the code 
• Provide evidence of post occupation improvements in water efficiency, energy efficiency and carbon savings.
• Demonstrate savings on water and fuel bills (as compared to modelled performance) Or can show how this will be done – continuous monitoring
• Resident engagement in the design process and evidence of positively influencing post occupation behaviour.(eg. training sessions for tenants which has led to savings on their fuel bills) Provide resident feedback
• Evidence of consideration of whole life costings in the design and maintenance of the scheme.  Demonstrate what targets were set and were achieved

Please click here to download the Entry Pro-Forma for this award.

• Demonstrate a market-led approach; a true understanding of customer needs and wants and how these were met
• Outline what the original marketing objectives were and how these were achieved 
• Provide evidence of an integrated marketing campaign using a full range of marketing tools including PR, Direct Marketing, face-to-face, on and offline advertising
• Provide examples of marketing communications material in the marketing campaign and outline why these were particularly effective
• Demonstrate evidence of maximising return on investment through effective planning and post-campaign analysis. 

Please click here to download the Entry Pro-Forma for this award.

This award is for the low-cost home ownership department or organisation that can:

The Affordable Home Ownership Provider Of The Year will be awarded to the provider who has exceeded in the task of moving the home ownership industry forward and who has introduced outstanding schemes into the market, while considering the needs of the community and the environment.

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