Is a joint award entry right for you?

Romey Norton | 4 min read | Awards Writers 

Have you ever considered a joint award entry submission? If you have a business relationship that’s genuinely produced outstanding results, and you have a partner who’d be willing to go through the process with you, then a joint entry is well worth considering. The extra coordination is real, but so is the payoff. 

The key is having a story worth telling, the evidence to back it up, and the writing to bring it to life. Whether you’re an agency or consultancy working with a client, a production company partnering with a broadcaster, or a charity collaborating with corporate sponsors, there is now a wide range of award programmes actively encouraging joint entries. 

Is a joint award entry worth considering?  

In our experience, absolutely. One of the biggest advantages of a joint submission is that it broadens your opportunities. We recently worked with a client entering multiple awards whose project partner was based in a different region. This opened the door to additional regional award programmes that were not available to the agency alone. 

A joint entry also demonstrates the strength of your collaboration. Many awards celebrate partnerships, innovation and shared achievements, so showing how two organisations came together to deliver outstanding results can make for a compelling story. This story can also be used in your wider marketing materials; think case studies and social media posts.  

And there’s the celebration itself. Winning or being shortlisted are achievements both teams can enjoy together;  a fantastic opportunity to recognise everyone’s hard work, strengthen professional relationships and give team morale a well-deserved boost. 

And one aspect sometimes overlooked is the chance to reflect. Putting together a joint entry encourages everyone involved to look back on the project in detail, celebrating what went well while honestly assessing the challenges along the way. Those conversations often uncover valuable insights, helping both organisations learn from the experience and build even stronger partnerships and projects in the future. 

Which award categories suit a joint entry? 

Not every award category is designed for a joint submission, but plenty can accommodate them. Ones to keep your eyes out for include:  

• Partnership or collaboration of the year 

• Client service excellence 

• Innovation awards 

• Project of the year 

• Supplier/buyer relationship 

• Digital transformation 

• Sustainability initiatives 

Always read the category criteria carefully. Some schemes specify that joint entries must be submitted under one lead organisation; others welcome dual submissions. If you’re not sure, email the awards organisers; they’re usually very happy to clarify. 

Key award programmes with joint submissions 

• Business Charity Awards 2025 (Entry Guidelines): These awards feature specific categories for collaborative efforts, including Best Environmental Impact Partnership, Long-Term Partnership, Short-Term Partnership, and the Consortium Award, all designed for joint entries. The deadline is usually early February.  

• Comms Business Awards 2026: This programme invites joint submissions for categories recognising hardware solutions, explicitly requiring entries to include evidence from both the reseller/MSP and the end-user. The entry deadline is usually early February with a black-tie ceremony in July.  

• THE Awards 2025 (Times Higher Education): The Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative category focuses on innovative initiatives and explicitly encourages documenting the impact on all partners involved. The deadline for entries is early June, and the ceremony is usually in November.  

• Collaboration Network Award: This award specifically recognises organisations working together, whether internally or between different entities, to improve customer or colleague experiences. 

• Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Awards: The CIHT Awards include a dedicated Collaboration Award category, recognising projects delivered through strong partnership working across organisations and stakeholders. This is particularly suited to infrastructure, transport, engineering, and public sector partnerships. The entry deadline is in February, with the ceremony in June.  

• The HSJ Partnership Awards: These prestigious healthcare sector awards can only be entered by NHS suppliers. Every entry must feature both the supplier and the NHS client. The deadline is usually September, with a ceremony early in the following year. 

• IoIC Awards: The Institute of Internal Communication Awards actively welcome agency and client collaboration submissions. Joint submissions can demonstrate how agencies and internal teams worked together to deliver successful communication outcomes. The final entry deadline is in April, and the ceremony is in December.  

• UK Content Awards: The UK Content Awards are ideal for agencies, brands, and marketing teams delivering collaborative content campaigns. The entry deadline is in March, with the ceremony taking place in June.  

•  PM Society PMi Awards: The PMi Awards are widely recognised within healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing. The final deadline is in May, with the ceremony taking place in September at The Brewery, London.  

• Broadcast Digital Awards: The Broadcast Digital Awards recognise innovation in digital broadcasting, streaming, and audience engagement. The entry deadline is late March, and the ceremony is in July at The Brewery, London. 

• BRILLIANT Awards: The BRILLIANT Awards recognise partnerships across education, technology, and industry sectors. The final entry deadline is in September, and the ceremony is in November at the Exhibition Centre at Liverpool Experience Campus.  

When should you bring in a professional awards writer? 

If you want to maximise your chances of awards success, bringing in a professional awards writer gets you an objective view and means you benefit from their sector-wide experience. 

Whether your goal is to reach new audiences, strengthen an existing partnership or simply tell the story of a successful collaboration, a joint award entry is an investment that can deliver long after the awards ceremony has ended.  

Award writing can feel like a lot, especially when you’re already busy working on the next big project. That’s where we come in. Our friendly team of award writing specialists takes the hard work off your plate, turning what you’ve achieved into an entry that genuinely does it justice. We’d love to help. Book a free discovery call today and let’s elevate your words and your wins.