We appreciate that every organisation has a different Financial Year-End. In addition, we need to take into account the awards submission deadline of 2 October 2026. Therefore the nominee's achievements considered for evaluation should be based on a 12 month period, anytime from 1 August 2025 to the present day. For example, the nomination can cover the period August 2025 to July 2026, October 2025 to September 2026 etc.

Stage 1 - Following the October deadline, all the nominations will be reviewed to create a shortlist of finalists. To become an awards finalist, you will need to meet specific criteria including but not limited to: relevance to the category, impact & results, innovation & creativity, supporting evidence as well as presenting your entry in a well-structured and easy-to-understand format, adhering to word count limits.

Stage 2 - In November these finalists will be initially scored by an independent panel of judges, there will be 3 judges assigned per category. The judges will not consult with each other during this period. This initial review is done independently by each judge in their own time. In addition, any potential conflicts of interests between the judges and finalists will be reviewed at this time, and if necessary judges will be re-assigned to another category.

Stage 3 - To review and ensure these scores are both valid & fair the final stage will be an online professional discussion process (approx. 30mins), taking place on 23-24 November, with the same assigned judges all together. This will be the first time the assigned judges will consult with one another about the finalists. Finalists will be allocated a time slot in November, but for now please block both these dates out in advance. This final stage of the judging process is compulsory.

The Team of Judges

• Lincoln West will appoint a team of independent judges who will make an assessment of all the nominations and score each entry according to the guidelines & criteria.
• The Judges decision is final and binding, and no correspondence will be entered into.
• By submitting a nomination you agree to supply any additional supporting evidence or other information requested.
• The Judges may also reallocate an entry to a different category.
• There is a Head Judge on hand to support the Judges should they require further clarity and/or an additional independent perspective.

All judges & finalists will be invited to a Networking Lunch in the VIP Lounge at the National Sales Conference. This will provide a more relaxed opportunity to connect with peers, away from the pressures & limited time typically experienced during an in person judging experience.

At the evening Awards ceremony, we've broken tradition to combine, the Welcome Drinks & Dinner to allow more time for attendees to connect & relax, before officially taking their seats for the awards presentations. There will be a selection of themed Street Food stations to provide more choice & time to connect with other guests.

We understand 'budget' is a consideration, but we also believe it is important to celebrate success and win together as a team. So to help minimise resisitance from your CFO, the nomination process is FREE TO ENTER and the Awards Ceremony attendance is priced at cost - only £2,000 for a table of 10.  So if you're interested in sponsoring to help support this amazing sales community event, please get in touch.

The awards will be coordinated (not judged) by Lincoln West & National Sales Awards Organising Team

• All nominations are FREE to submit.
• Deadline for submitting your nomination form is Friday 2 October at 23.59hrs
  
• By submitting your nomination you are committing to attend the judging process (23-24 November 2026) and the Awards Ceremony (21 January 2027) if you become a finalist. Please do not submit a nomination if you/your nominee cannot make these dates.
• Please submit your completed nomination via the online form, which you will receive confirmation of receipt. Hard copy nominations will not be accepted.
• Lincoln West will not be liable for delayed, lost or damaged/corrupt entries, documents or files.
• After the nomination’s deadline, we will review your submission and select the shortlist of finalists.
• Finalists shortlist will be announced on Monday 12 October. If you have not heard from us by Friday 16 October your nominee has not been short-listed.
• All finalists will be invited to an online professional discussion, to present and bring their entry to life in front of three category judges* within a 30 min time allocation. This will take place on 23-24 November 2026, depending on your category.
• Please be sure that your nominee can attend the online professional discussion on 23-24 November 2026 and Awards ceremony on 21 January 2027.
• By submitting your entry you are confirming that the information it contains is correct. If the information submitted is found to be inaccurate you/your nominee will be disqualified.
• Finalists are obliged to commit to attending the awards ceremony on the 21 January 2027 in Birmingham. If a finalist is unable to attend the awards ceremony, a representative from their company must attend in their place.
• All winners will be announced on stage and invited to collect their trophy at the awards ceremony.

*All judges are independent to the National Sales Awards team to ensure ethical and impartiality standards are upheld. In addition, our Head judge will oversee the whole judging process to maintain quality fairness and complete independence away from the award organisers (Lincon West).