Key Dates 2026
How will the awards be judged?
The British Business Awards are judged through a rigorous, independent two-stage process designed to recognise excellence across each award category.
Once entries have closed, each award category is assessed by an independent judging panel comprising senior business leaders and subject matter experts.
Judges independently assess every eligible written submission against the published judging criteria before selecting a shortlist of finalists.
Shortlisted organisations will be notified directly and announced on the British Business Awards website.
Finalists are invited to participate in an online interview with the same judging panel that assessed their written submission.
The 20-minute interview (including Q&A) enables judges to explore the submission in greater depth, clarify information where required, and gain a fuller understanding of the organisation's achievements.
Judges assess each interview against the published judging criteria. The interview score is then combined with the written submission score to determine the final result.
The written submission accounts for 50% of the final score, and the interview 50%. Combining both stages provides a balanced assessment of each finalist’s achievements while ensuring that neither the written submission nor the interview alone determines the outcome.
Each judging panel determines the winner of its respective category.
All entries are assessed solely against the published judging criteria. Judges are required to declare any actual or perceived conflicts of interest and will not participate in the assessment or discussion of any entry where a conflict exists.
The decisions of the judging panels are final.
Winners will be announced at the British Business Awards Gala Dinner in Beijing on 13 November 2026.