Awards & Recognition

BIMA Awards

Celebrating the best of British Ingenuity. Entries are open!

Submit your entry

Awards & Recognition

BIMA Awards

Celebrating the best of British Ingenuity

Apply to be a judge

BIMA Awards 2024 - The Best of British Ingenuity

The BIMA Awards are the UK’s longest standing and most prestigious digital and tech awards. Established in 1985, the BIMA Awards exist to set a gold standard in digital awarding, recognising the work in the British digital sector that is truly pushing the limits of what is possible, and that’s making a difference in business, culture and society.

Entries are open! Download the 2024 Entry Pack here.

Submit your work for the BIMA Awards

What’s new?

The BIMA Awards celebrate impact when the best of British creativity meets technology and innovation.

We believe that all our BIMA members are part of this category of ingenious creators and innovators – that’s why our annual Awards is now positioned as having a unique focus. Our awards categories will now be separated into three areas of British Ingenuity. We need to celebrate them all to succeed on a world stage.

The three areas of British Ingenuity:

  • Technology: 
    This is for the technological, precise, systematic thinkers. Categories will be curated to favor our developer-first members with categories focussing on transformation and build.
  • Creativity:
    Creativity, emotional, results-oriented. Categories will feature our campaign-first members from performance marketing to social.
  • Sectors and Special Categories:
    This is for the categories that have a home in both camps. For sector based and broad categories such as social good and Agency of the year.

 

How to enter:

It’s not about the size of your agency or PR budget. It’s not about the sector, format or channel. BIMA Awards are about original thinking. It’s about impact. It’s about something you did – or something you’re doing – that could influence the next decade.
It’s a level playing field for big agencies and small, new or niche companies. Entering is quick and easy. There are 25 categories and you’ll be judged by the very best in the business. BIMA Members get their first entry for free.

2024 Key dates:

  • Call for judges: Wednesday 3 April
  • Entries open: Monday 15 April
  • Call for judges closes: Wednesday 5 June
  • Earlybird entry deadline: Friday 14 June
  • Entry deadline: Friday 12 July
  • Late entry deadline: Friday 19 July
  • Round one judging (online): 2-13 September
  • Round two judging (in-person): 23-27 September
  • Shortlist announced: Monday 7 October
  • BIMA Awards 2024 Ceremony: TBC
BIMA Sustainability Council Co-Chair

Neil Clark, Planet Officer and Service Design Lead, TPXimpact
"It's great to see the planet as a central part of the BIMA awards this year... I can't wait to see how agencies have been going beyond just low carbon stuff; I want to see how and why the planet has been a stakeholder of their projects!"

BIMA Awards Judges

Ben Scoggins, CEO, Organic
"The BIMA Awards are amazing. They recognise the best thinking, craft and execution in the digital industries - they open our eyes, our hearts and our minds, and show off brilliant commercial impact. As a result, being asked to be a judge is an absolute treat!"

BIMA Awards Judges

John Paul Toher, Head of Digital, Workhouse Agency
"I found judging the 2022 BIMA Awards to be both an interesting and rewarding experience. BIMA put a lot of effort into organising the panels and the entries were enjoyable to review."

Categories

There are 25 categories this year, separated into three areas of British Ingenuity: Technology, Creativity, and Sectors & Special Categories.

Technology
  • Digital Product Development
    We are looking to champion the design and build of any digital product from websites to apps. Tell a complete story from inception to impact.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 40% Craft 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Digital Product Build
    One for the developers in the community. Now’s your time to shine as you impress our judges with your technical prowess and problem solving skills. How have your team adapted or augmented current platforms, embraced new languages and generally kicked ass(ets).
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 40% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet\
  • Use of AI
    As the world continues to use more and more artificial intelligence, how are you using AI or machine learning in your creative process, customer interactions, builds or analytics? This category is judged by our AI Council who want to see projects that have understood and exceeded in providing an experience that implements AI in a responsible and innovative way.
    This category will be judged 40% Innovation,  20% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Use of Data
    “Data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves.” We suspect
    Sir Tim knows a thing or two about the subject, so let’s embrace his POV and celebrate the real rock stars — the data scientists, strategists, and analytics teams who create impact with data in all its forms … creativity to effectiveness. Impress us with your best data-driven approaches and experiences.
    This category will be judged 40% Innovation, 20% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Transformation Project
    Judges want to understand how you’ve gone beyond comms campaigns here and see how strategic thinking can holistically transform a business for the digital age. How have you solved problems with platform integration, e-commerce evolution, and delivered impact for your client’s organisation? How have you created impacted internally eg. employees; and/or externally e.g. customers, communities, society at large?
    This category will be judged 40% Innovation, 30% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Trailblazers
    While most of the other categories are judged across criteria, this award is for the disruptors … so far ahead of their time that the full impact of the work might be years away. So don’t get hung up on results, the judges are looking for totally fresh ideas and those with bravery and determination to launch something different in the market. Are you pushing how data is used? Or challenging the status quo in privacy? Maybe on-chain loyalty is consuming your team in 2024. Inspire us!
    This category will be judged on Innovation only.

 

Creativity
  • Digital Design / UI
    Think Art Direction for digital experiences. Judges are looking for brave, bold and beautiful designs on any screen. This is the category for Digital Art Directors and Designers to have their moment of fame. Any entry focussing on UX Design should be placed in the User Experience category.
    This category will be judged across 30% Innovation, 40% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • User Experience
    Judges are looking for exemplary UX submissions, so be sure to include all the research and strategic thinking behind the work. Let’s see some of that famed British design thinking brought to the fore.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 40% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Audio and Video Content 
    Celebrating visual and audible content from video series to podcasts — as a standalone initiative or within a campaign — content is everywhere. Perhaps your team is now developing content sustainably? Or working with content from influencers or fandoms. Judges are looking for original and brave work that’s pushed beyond the typical, especially keen to see how it has engaged with its audience and created impact.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 40% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Written Content
    Brilliant copywriting can unlock customer awareness, compel actions and nurture loyalty. Written content in all of it’s forms – from blogs to white papers, product decks to email newsletters — are a vital part of the marketing mix. This category celebrates the best in crafted messaging from any sector.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 40% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Immersive Experience
    Going further than events for this year, we want to celebrate experiences powered by data, emerging technology and creativity. Projects that utilise immersive tech for AR, VR, XR, gaming platforms or think about how to create an experience within in-person gatherings. Judges want to be blown away.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 40% Craft, 20% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Use of Digital Media
    Highlighting innovative use of digital media strategy, whether it’s out of home, search or streaming or mobile. How are you and your clients using new and traditional forms of media in an unusual way for awareness or response? Judges want to read about a thorough strategy behind the media choices and demonstration that it hit its objectives.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 20% Craft, 40% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Campaign Effectiveness
    This category is for the best marketing campaign using digital and technology. Could be ATL advertising or an influencer campaign. It can be designed to sell, change behaviour or raise awareness. Just be clear what the objectives are and tell your story as this category is all about demonstrating that it worked!
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 20% Craft, 40% Impact and 10% Planet
Sectors and Special Categories
  • Business (B2B)
    This category is for any campaign or project that targets business customers. It doesn’t matter if you are providing tech stack solutions or building immersive experiences at a trade fair, it’s all about making B2B brands shine with brave use of tech and digital.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet.
  • Consumer
    Digital transformations have altered how consumers interact with brands, forever.
    Loyalty, CRM, DTC — innovation in the use of emerging channels, new data sets, or an understanding of new consumer behaviour are all stories our judges are ready to review. While this category is open to any consumer work, please review all sector categories for the best match.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Services and Utilities
    From DeFi to clean energy, streaming platforms to home security … be it acquisition to retention … customer experiences have been transformed with innovative use of data and technology. Any financial services campaign or project sits within this category, as does SAAS or any innovation approach to making lives easier.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Transport and Leisure Travel 
    A new combination for 2023, this category brings together any form of transportation for any use. From airlines to automotive, public transport to private residencies. Judges are looking for the next iteration of data and tech-driven change in the sector. How have you helped adaption of customer behaviour change? Tell us your stories.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Popular Culture
    Another newly conjoined category, if your client is in Gaming, Entertainment, Fashion, Sports, Music, or other contemporary culture then this category is for you. Judges will be looking for projects that exemplify Britain’s reputation in popular culture and have set new standards for creativity.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Health and Wellness
    This category is for any work from the health and wellness space, even from brands whose initiatives focus on wellbeing, from pharma and fitness, to products and apps. Judges are looking for campaigns and/or projects that have made real advances in the healthcare space either physically, mentally or by increasing awareness of specific health issues. Work that promotes wellness from a brand in another sector could also go in the relevant sector category (for example a zero-alcohol version of a famous drinks brand could go in Consumer).
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Charity and Social Enterprise
    Judges are looking for the best demonstration of how you helped your clients to build awareness, improve fundraising, encourage behaviour change or promote the purpose of any organisation in this sector.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Education
    In any form and for any audience group, if your project or campaign was built to promote Education sector clients or education-led initiatives then please enter here. Perhaps it’s a purposeful approach to improving education attainment in underserved communities, or an ambitious digital-first approach that’s emerged post-pandemic… we’re excited to see how you’ve enabled the work and the results achieved.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Social Good
    BIMA believes that together we can make a large, positive difference through our tech and innovation. Here’s our chance to be the proof point that digital practitioners can drive measurable change to how we live our lives, our wellbeing, our self-determination.
    This category will be judged 30% Innovation, 30% Craft, 30% Impact and 10% Planet
  • Environment
    This category champions the innovators among our membership who are trying to create a net positive effect on our planet, with real tangible data as evidence of that impact. Whether it’s a travel company highlighting hotels’ sustainable track records, or community outreach initiatives to deepen engagement and behaviour change … we are looking for bold ideas that are based on real metrics.
    This category will be judged 20% Innovation, 10% Craft, 20% Impact and 50% Planet.
  • Agency of the Year
    As a community driven by purpose, this category celebrates our member organisations who typify our mission to drive innovation through knowledge sharing, showcasing best practice and developing talent. They will have been judged to best represent our three focus pillars of Skills Gap, Culture, and Growth. We want to hear about great teams, with a great culture, doing great work! Judges won’t just be motivated by billings and wins. They’re interested in the positive impact leadership is creating for people and clients alike. So, tell us about your teams – use those storytelling talents for a little self promotion.
  • Client of the Year
    As an extension of BIMA, we love to celebrate the amazing progress our members’ clients make each year. Here’s your chance to nominate those brands that treat you as valued partners, that appreciate your people and they themselves feel aligned to our pillars. What makes them Client of the Year though? Only you can make their case for them. Performance and profit is important of course, but our judges are looking for stories of purposeful leaders, of innovative products and services, and a willingness to push boundaries for their people and our planet.

How to enter the BIMA Awards

BIMA Members get one free entry.

Entry requirements
  • Must be DIGITAL and/or TECH (or have a significant digital and/or tech component).
  • Submissions must be the work of a British agency and/or be for the British market.
  • To keep BIMA Award winning work current, your project must have been launched, completed, redeveloped, or shown substantial measurable progress since 1 January 2023.
  • Projects in beta are considered eligible
    Your work must have in some way moved the game on and demonstrated how the organisation, product, service, or idea is at the vanguard of digital.
Entry process

All BIMA Awards entries must be submitted online via the awards platform at bima.awardsplatform.com

  • You can enter projects into multiple categories. Please note you will be charged per entry per category for your submissions.
  • Entries consist of a 200-word overview of your work, followed by a 1000-word more in-depth explanation of how your project meets the category criteria. More information on the category criteria can be found on the awards platform. You can also upload images and links to support your project.
  • In addition, you can provide images, audio or video links and any other information that will help the judges to experience your work.
  • You can enter your submission into multiple categories by selecting ‘Copy’ from the ‘My entries’
    tab on the platform.
Entry support

If you have any questions about entering the BIMA Awards, please contact the team at awards@bima.co.uk.

How much does it cost

BIMA Members get one free entry.

Early bird entry fee
  • BIMA Member: £215 + VAT
  • Standard: £320 + VAT

Submit your entry before Friday 14 June to save £60+vat per entry.

General entry fee
  • BIMA Member: £275 + VAT
  • Standard: £380 + VAT

Submit your entry before Friday 12 July.

Late entry fee
  • BIMA Member: £325 + VAT
  • Standard: £430 + VAT

£50+vat will be charged as an extra admin fee for entries made after the entry deadline. No entries will be accepted after Friday 19 July.

Judges

Be one of the industry experts reviewing this year’s BIMA Awards.

We are looking for judges! Apply by Wednesday 5th June.

APPLY HERE
Who can be a judge?

We’re looking for a variety of people from across the industry to make up our judging panel. All we ask is that you have 5 years experience in industry to qualify.

How are the BIMA Awards judged?

The judging process will take place in September 2024, and will focus on recognising the innovation, craft and impact and planet of submitted work. You will be asked to participate in one of two rounds of judging.

First round of judging

The first round of judging will be held online on 2-13 September. Here judges will be asked to assess all submissions within a category(-ies) for eligibility against the four criteria above using a point scoring system. Low scoring entries will be knocked out at this round.

Second round of judging

The second round of judging will be held in-person on  23-27 September, and the judges will discuss the remaining entries, pick a shortlist in each category and privately submit scores that will decide who will win bronze, silver or gold; all to be revealed at the ceremony in November.

Join BIMA

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Learn more here