The TAF Awards are open to any UK-based trade association, with preferential pricing on entries and tickets to the awards offered to TAF members.
Non-trade association entities (such as suppliers or commercial organisations) may enter the awards in partnership with a trade association.
You may submit more than one entry in any given category and may also enter the same initiative for more than one category.
Entries for the 2024 TAF Awards must be submitted and paid for via the online portal by 17/11/23. Entries submitted after that date, or those that have not been paid for by then will be disqualified.
If a submission has been paid for but not completed by the cut off date no refunds will be offered.
Submission statements together with supporting evidential documentation must be submitted before the published closing date for the Awards in order to be considered.
Unless otherwise stated, all documentation submitted should be in electronic format via the submission portal.
The names of trade associations that have submitted entries for the Awards may be published in lists of entrants, Finalists or Winners on the TAF website and elsewhere as deemed appropriate by the Trade Association Forum.
Images submitted as part of entries, including photos, document covers, web pages, etc, may be used in connection with the Awards presentation and Judges’ reports and must be declared free from copyright or other restrictions in connection with reproduction.
Any data collected with entries will be stored in a database and may be used in future to send out information that TAF feels may be of interest to members. By taking part in the Awards you are agreeing to this. Full information about TAF’s approach to data and privacy can be found on the TAF website in our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
The Trade Association Forum recognises that some information submitted in support of entries may be of a sensitive or confidential nature.
The Forum will do its best to ensure that, where information is indicated to be confidential, confidentiality will be respected and maintained in both the judging process and in any resulting publicity.
Please note that Award entries, together with supporting documentation may from time to time be made available for viewing by other associations in order to share best practice. If you wish to keep information strictly confidential (e.g. financial information), please submit it separately and mark it ‘Confidential’, so that it can be detached or excluded from such viewings.
Full information about the judging process is available on the Judging page.
There will normally be one winning submission per category, though they may also choose to single out other entries for special commendations.
The Judges reserve the right to withhold awards where entries are deemed to be of insufficient merit. TAF is not liable for any associated costs incurred by any entrant in connection with this.
The decision of the Judges is final. No correspondence will be entered into. The Judges reserve the right to move an entry from one category to another without payment of an additional fee. In the event of this, the entrant will be notified.
The Awards Winners will be announced at the awards event on the date detailed on this website.
A shortlist will be announceed in the weeks running up to the event, but no information regarding the Winners will be given out prior to the event.
The Winners in each category will receive an Award trophy.
Results will be displayed on the Trade Association Forum website.
Winners of the Awards may also be asked to share their experiences at the TAF Best Practice Exchange or other events which TAF may hold.
Entries open on Friday 11th September 2023 and will be managed by our online awards management system provided by our partner Award Force.
Entries are open until 23:59 on 17/11/23, submissions after this date will be disqualified.
Applicants will need to draft their resoponses in a document and then upload the file, along with any supporting documentatiuon, to the TAF online submission portal.
You must pay the entry fee (TAF Members – £125 (ex VAT) per entry, non-members £175 (ex VAT) per entry) for your submission to be approved. Applications without an associated payment will be disqualified.
Each category has indvidiual guidance of what the judges are looking for on the Categories page of this site.
Further guidance and rules of entry are available here.
If you have any questions about entering, please do not hesitate to contact secretariat@taforum.org.
These industry recognised awards are supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) which is a longstanding member of our independent final judging panel. The Best Practice Awards contribute to the success of trade associations and their staff at all levels within the trade association world and help bring them closer to fulfilling their goals, as well as contributing to their learning and development opportunities.
Receiving a Best Practice Award will mean your organisation has the kudos of being an award-winning organisation. On top of that, it is an excellent opportunity to showcase your organisation and its expertise among your contemporaries and encourage others to follow your lead on running a successful organisation which focuses on members’ needs.
By entering, you can benchmark your organisation against other UK trade associations, sharpen the focus of your organisation and its activities, learn from trade association best practice and motivate and reward your colleagues.
Your success will initially be shared with guests from the UK’s premier trade associations at the awards evening on Thursday 23rd February 2023 at the stunning Merchants Taylors Hall, in London, and then promoted through press releases, the TAF website and social media channels to ensure your excellence is recognised.
