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Login or register to view category criteria, what judges seek, and to start your entry. Select a category, edit your entries as needed, and submit when ready. To enter multiple categories, simply return to this page and restart the process by choosing a new one.
Important dates & information
An early entry fee of £188 +VAT will be applied until 06 June 2025. A standard entry fee of £298 +VAT will be applied until 11 July 2025.
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Whether that be support with writing your entries or suggestions on which categories are best fit for you, we’re here for you.
U&T categories
Agent of the Year
Who should enter?
An individual customer service/collections agent working for any of the following: financial services firms, local authorities, central government departments or agencies, debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, debt advice and debt management providers, judicial services & enforcement providers, law firms, energy, water or telecoms companies.
NOTE: A single, named individual should be indicated as the nominee by the organisation providing the entry. They must work as frontline staff in a contact centre.
Best Company to Work For
Who should enter?
Any UK creditor or supplier, operating in either the financial services sector, public sector or utilities & telecoms sector, which has made a step change in its existing procedures, operations and/or technology within their collections/customer services function, with demonstrable benefits for their organisation.
Best Conduct & Culture
Who should enter?
Financial services firms, local authorities, central government departments or agencies, debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, debt advice and debt management providers, judicial services & enforcement providers, law firms, energy, water or telecoms companies.
Best Outsourcing and Partnership Initiative of the Year
Who should enter?
This award is for BPO providers, debt collection/purchase businesses, plus all other types of businesses and organisations working with, or providing services to either debt purchasers or creditors in the financial services, public sectors, and/or utilities & telecoms sector. Public sector here refers to both local and central government.
Debt advice bodies and publicly-funded organisations may also apply. Joint submissions are encouraged from third party partners and creditor organisations, to demonstrate how the firms have been working together to enhance business performance, reach satisfactory conclusions for all parties and enhance the customer journey.
Best Technology Provider
Who should enter?
Technology and data services providers of all kinds, operating in either the financial services sector, public sector or utilities & telecoms sector, who are serving the collections function. Companies have the option of sending a joint entry with the user of their technology.
The company that created and provides the technology, along with the company deploying it, will both be named as joint entrants should the entry make it to the shortlist.
Creditors in the financial services or utilities & telecoms space may nominate a provider.
Best Use of Technology
Who should enter?
Any creditor in the financial services or utilities & telecoms space, or any debt purchaser, DCA, law firm, or credit reference agency, using technology to improve customer service in the collections and recoveries field. Alternatively, any combination of a technology user and supplier can submit a joint entry.
Technology can be viewed for this category in its broadest description – which can also include software applications and business methods. Examples will be needed as to how the technology has benefited the business operations or its service customers.
Excellence in Customer Service
Who should enter?
Financial services firms, local authorities, central government departments and government agencies, debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, debt advice and debt management providers, judicial services & enforcement providers, law firms, energy, water, or telecoms companies.
Best Vulnerable Customer Support Initiative
Who should enter?
Creditors in the financial services, utilities & telecoms or public sectors, debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, debt advice and debt management providers, judicial services & enforcement providers, law firms.
Joint entries will be accepted from any of these companies and one of its service providers.
Best Vulnerable Customer Support Team
Who should enter?
Any team tasked with supporting vulnerable customers, that works for any of the following organisations: creditors in the financial services, utilties & telecoms, or public sectors, or debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, debt advice and debt management providers, judicial services & enforcement providers, law firms.
The winning entry will demonstrate an advanced and effective approach to identifying and appropriately handling customer vulnerability.
Energy Team of the Year
Who should enter?
Teams performing a credit and debt management function within a creditor in the energy sector, who are working with consumer and/or commercial customers. This category is open to in-house teams within creditors only, however third-party partners may nominate on behalf of a creditor.
Entrants should show how a team of any size involved in credit and/ or collections within an energy creditor, has, during 2024/2025, improved performance, and contributed to the overall success of the business.
Company Award for Climate Risk Action
Who should enter?
Any creditor in the financial services, utilities & telecoms or public sector, or any debt purchaser, DCA, BPO, law firm, credit reference agency, or any other service provider working for creditors in the public sector or financial services, where the service relates to collections.
Excellence in Training
Who should enter?
Trade bodies, academic institutions, debt advice providers, consultancies, accountancy and professional services firms, law firms, banks and other financial services firms, utilities & telecoms companies, debt collection agencies, debt purchasers, BPOs & third party administrators, judicial services & enforcement providers.
The entry must document training services on either collections, debt advice, pre-arrears treatment, enforcement or litigation, which have been provided for creditors (financial services or utilities & telecoms), or firms operating in this space.
Responsible Debt Seller of the Year
Who should enter?
Any creditor or lender in the financial services, utilities or telecoms space, or if applicable, the public sector, that has sold portfolios or a single portfolio of performing or non-performing debt, comprising of consumer and/or commercial debt, in 2024/2025.
Special Award for CSR & Charitable Initiatives
Who should enter?
Any company, either creditor or otherwise, considering itself a part of the collections industry, which is active in the financial services, utilities & telecoms or public sectors. Public sector here refers to local and central government.
Telecoms & Home Media Team of the Year
Who should enter?
Credit or collections teams working with consumer and commercial customers for a creditor in the telecoms sector (including home internet, TV and multimedia entertainment, mobile and any other telecommunications/media activities).
This category is open to in-house teams within creditors, however third party partners may nominate on their behalf.
Transformation Programme of the Year
Who should enter?
Any UK creditor or supplier, operating in either the financial services, utilities & telecoms or public sector, which has made a step change in its existing procedures, operations and/or technology within their collections/customer services function, with demonstrable benefits for their organisation.
Water Team of the Year
Who should enter?
Teams performing a credit, debt management and/or collections function in the water sector, who are working with consumer and/or commercial customers. This category is open to in-house teams, however third-party partners may nominate a team within a water supplier.
Entrants should show how a team of any size involved in credit within a water supplier, has, during 2024/2025, improved performance, and contributed to the overall success of the business.
Rising Star Award
Who should enter?
An individual working for any of the following: creditors in the utilities and telecoms sector, financial services sector or public sector, DCAs, debt purchasers, BPOs and third-party servicers, with less than five years’ industry service.
Vulnerability Champion
Who should enter?
As opposed to a frontline agent, this category is for managers, senior managers, directors, divisional heads, c-suite executives, or any other business leaders, working for any of the following: creditors in the utilities and telecoms sector, financial services sector or public sector, DCAs, debt purchasers, BPOs and third-party servicers.
This individual must have led either an initiative, set of initiatives, programmes, policy or process changes, a team or set of teams, with a specific focus on supporting vulnerable customers.
More information
Confidentiality
All materials will remain confidential to the judges. Winning case studies may be used in post-event materials to promote best practice but permission will be sought from entrants before publishing.
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