Welcome to our guide on how to prepare and submit an outstanding entry for the 2024 SIMNA Awards! These tips are designed to help you shine amidst a competitive field of submissions and increase your chances of winning. Let’s dive right in!

Tip 1 – Thorough Preparation is Key

Your journey to a great submission begins with thorough preparation. Before starting the application process, take the time to closely review all the provided guidance and questions on the application forms. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of what is expected of you. Furthermore, if you are not already well-acquainted with the Principles of Social Value, we highly recommend that you visit https://www.socialvalueint.org/principles to familiarise yourself with them.

Tip 2 – Harness the Power of Team Collaboration

Don’t hesitate to harness the collective wisdom of your colleagues. Engage your team members, seeking their insights, impressions, and assistance in gathering crucial evidence, metrics, real-world examples, testimonials and any other relevant materials that can substantially strengthen your application. Remember that if your project wins, the entire team benefits.

Tip 3 – Avoid Assuming Prior Knowledge

One common pitfall in crafting award entries is assuming that the judges are intimately familiar with your organisation’s work and project-specific terminology. To ensure utmost clarity and accessibility, explain any specific terms and acronyms within your submission. Your aim should be to create an entry that stands independently, requiring no external research by the judges.

Tip 4 – Keep Answers Focused and Direct

Ensure that each response directly addresses the question at hand. Resist the temptation to drift off-topic or promote unrelated aspects of your organisation. Judges greatly appreciate clear and concise responses that help make their evaluation process easier.

Tip 5 – Enhance Readability

Think of your application as an enthralling article or a persuasive marketing document. Whenever possible, steer clear of jargon and dry, technical language. Your goal is to engage and even entertain the judges. Consider enlisting the expertise of your organisation’s most skilled writers to craft a submission that is not only clear and concise but also undeniably compelling.

Tip 6 – Read Your Application Aloud

Before you finalise your submission and hit the “submit” button, take a moment to read your application aloud, in your natural tone. This step often reveals hidden errors, areas in need of refinement, and, perhaps most crucially, opportunities to enhance overall readability. Skipping this essential step can be a missed opportunity to take your application to the next level.

So there you have it; a roadmap to creating a standout entry for the 2024 SIMNA Awards. Remember to prepare, harness the collaborative power of your team, clarify without assumptions, stay focused, ensure readability and read your application aloud.

We eagerly await your submission and wish you the best of luck!