Sustainability is now a growth story, not a cost. The UK’s net zero economy generates around £83 billion in gross value added and is growing roughly three times faster than the wider economy, according to CBI Economics research. The Social & Sustainable Impact Award celebrates organisations proving that doing the right thing makes commercial sense.
This guide explains what the judges look for and how to build a winning entry.
About the award
This award highlights the role of organisations in addressing social, economic, environmental and ethical challenges while achieving commercial success. It recognises those that can prove the commercial case for a sustainable and ethical approach, rather than treating impact as a side project.
Who can enter?
The award is open to private, public and third sector organisations, including social enterprises and certified B Corporations, whose growing community includes the businesses tracked by B Lab UK. Read the full criteria on the Social & Sustainable Impact category page before you enter.
How the award is judged
Entries are scored against four weighted criteria. The weightings tell you where to concentrate your entry, so plan your word count to match them:
|
Criterion |
Weighting |
|
Employee & Customer Engagement |
25% |
|
Leadership & Innovation |
25% |
|
Financial Performance & Growth |
25% |
|
Purpose Beyond Profit |
25% |
How to win, criterion by criterion
Purpose beyond profit (25%)
This is the heart of the award, but treat it as a business case, not a mission statement. Evidence your social, environmental and governance impact with hard numbers, carbon reduced, waste removed, people helped, and show how that impact is genuinely embedded in how you operate and aligned with commercial success.
Financial performance & growth (25%)
Prove that purpose and profit go together. Set out your growth metrics, financial targets and performance against plan, and show how your sustainable or ethical approach has supported, rather than hindered, commercial success.
Employee & customer engagement (25%)
Show how your purpose attracts and retains talent and customers. Evidence engagement and retention data, and how customers respond to your impact story, with case studies and figures.
Leadership & innovation (25%)
Demonstrate the leadership and innovation behind your impact: new products, processes or models that delivered both commercial and social or environmental returns, and how your leadership embedded purpose across the business.
Evidence beats adjectives
Across every criterion, the same principle decides the score: judges reward proof and ignore assertion. Phrases like “market-leading” or “world-class” carry no marks on their own, while a number, a trend and an independent voice carry all of them. For each claim you make, attach a figure, show the journey with a starting point and an end point, and corroborate it with customer quotes, testimonials or third-party data. A good test is to read each sentence and ask: would a judge who knows nothing about us be able to score this? If not, add the evidence.
The finalist presentation
Judging happens in two stages. Your written entry is scored first, and if you are shortlisted you will be invited to London to present to a panel of four judges, with around 20 minutes to present and add colour to your entry and about 25 minutes of questions and answers. Prepare for both: the written entry gets you into the room, and the presentation wins the award. Build the presentation around your highest-weighted criteria rather than repeating the entry, bring people who can answer detailed questions, and rehearse for the toughest questions on your numbers. See our guide on how to write a winning awards entry for the full method.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing good intentions instead of evidencing measurable impact.
- Treating purpose and commercial performance as separate stories rather than one.
- Neglecting a criterion: all four are weighted equally at 25%.
- Making impact claims with no data or independent verification.
- Leaving the entry to the last minute rather than drafting and reviewing properly.
Your quick pre-submission checklist
- Have I mapped my word count to the weightings, with the most on the highest-weighted criteria?
- Is every important claim backed by a number, a trend or an independent voice?
- Have I answered every part of every question in the category criteria?
- Have I shown both my track record and a credible plan for sustained growth?
- Has someone outside the team read it and understood it without explanation?
Ready to enter?
The Social & Sustainable Impact Award rewards organisations that prove impact and commercial success reinforce each other. Build your entry evenly around the four criteria and prepare to present. For eligibility and process, see the entry FAQ.
Entries for the 2026 Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards close at midnight on Friday 3 July. Start your Social & Sustainable Impact entry today.
