Award categories
Celebrating organisations and individuals who have demonstrated innovation, excellence and forward-thinking in border operations, logistics and trade facilitation.
Entry requirements:
Open to any business, individual or organisation that can demonstrate innovative approaches, solutions or practices in the area of border operations, logistics or cross-border trade. Your entry should show how your work has improved the way goods move across borders, helping to address current challenges and build more efficient, compliant and resilient trade processes.
Judging requirements:
To be considered for this award, you must demonstrate how your innovation has improved border operations or the movement of goods across borders. Judges will look for evidence of your ability to:
- Introduce innovative approaches, solutions or practices that address challenges within border operations, logistics or cross-border trade
- Improve the efficiency, effectiveness or resilience of border processes, such as reducing delays, costs or administrative burdens
- Support compliance with border, regulatory or data requirements through improved systems, processes or technologies
- Deliver measurable outcomes, supported by performance indicators, case studies or operational results
- Collaborate effectively with partners, border agencies or supply chain stakeholders to develop or implement your innovation
- Demonstrate how the innovation can be sustained or scaled to support longer-term improvements in international trade
This award celebrates achievements that demonstrate practical innovation and deliver measurable improvements in how goods and services move across borders, supporting compliant, efficient and modern international trade.
Recognising organisations, teams or individuals who excel in customs operations, compliance and trade facilitation, including the effective use of free trade agreements.
Entry requirements:
Open to businesses, customs teams, customs professionals or individuals who have played a leading role in customs activities that support compliant, efficient and resilient international trade.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong track record of customs excellence over the last 12 months with measurable contributions to international trade through customs expertise and leadership.
Judging requirements:
To be considered for this award, you must demonstrate how your customs activities have delivered excellence and impact within international trade. Judges will look for evidence of your ability to:
- Demonstrate expertise in customs procedures, compliance and risk management
- Improve customs operations, efficiency and compliance outcomes
- Respond effectively to regulatory changes while maintaining high standards of service
- Deliver measurable outcomes, supported by performance indicators, case studies, operational or qualitative results
- Invest in capability, processes, technology or workforce development (at any scale appropriate to the organisation or individual) to strengthen customs performance
- Collaborate with partners, authorities or stakeholders, formally or informally, to enhance trade facilitation and compliance
This award celebrates those who not only excel in customs practice and compliance, but those who also make a measurable contribution to improving the flow of international trade through effective customs leadership and execution.
Recognising excellence in international trade amongst the food and drink sector, demonstrating compliance and innovation.
Entry requirements:
Open to food and drink businesses and individuals involved in the import and export of food and drink products. Applicants must be able to demonstrate excellence in their trade activities over the last 12 months, including strong performance, innovation and adaptability within a challenging trading climate for the sector in recent years.
Judging requirements:
To be considered for this award, you must demonstrate how your business or trading activity has delivered outstanding performance within the food and drink sector. Judges will look for evidence of:
- Strong performance in international trade, including growth or market development, demonstrating competent outreach to new or existing markets
- Navigating regulatory and compliance obligations relevant to the food and drink sector, including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, customs processes and border controls. Successful applicants will highlight how they have overcome challenges in the supply chain to achieve smooth import or export operations
- Strong customer feedback and satisfaction, detailing positive result in the food & drinks sector
- Measurable business or trade outcomes achieved over the last 12 months, supported by performance indicators, customer feedback or case studies
- Investment in your business, people or processes to support sustainable growth within food and drink trade
- Collaboration with partners, suppliers, or stakeholders to ensure compliance, quality and resilience across the supply chain
This award celebrates food and drink traders and businesses that have successfully developed trade over the last year in uncertain conditions. Successful candidates will be able to highlight their achievements trading overseas and detail how they overcome the hurdles trading with SPS goods.
Recognising manufacturing businesses that demonstrate measurable impact through international trade.
Entry requirements:
Open to manufacturing businesses involved in international trade, including importing, exporting or operating within global supply chains.
Applicants must demonstrate how their trade activities have delivered measurable impact, resilience or improvement within the manufacturing sector over the last 12 months.
Judging requirements:
To be considered for this award, you must demonstrate how your manufacturing activities have delivered impact through international trade. Judges will look for evidence of your ability to:
- Engage effectively in international trade, including market development or cross‑border operations
- Understand and comply with relevant trade regulations and export/import requirements
- Improve efficiency, resilience or competitiveness in your manufacturing operations through trade
- Deliver measurable trade outcomes, supported by performance indicators, case studies or results achieved
- Invest in people, technology, processes or systems that strengthen trade capability
- Adapt to changing trade conditions or market challenges while maintaining strong performance.
- Outline the organisation’s long-term strategy and future commitments to ethical and sustainable trade practices – including how sustainability is embedded into decision-making and future growth plans
This award celebrates manufacturers that use international trade to drive growth, resilience and operational excellence in a way that reflects the Chartered Institute’s mission to support confident, compliant and commercially successful trade.
Open to businesses trading internationally that meet the UK government’s official definition of a micro-business or SME (please see the criteria below).
Micro businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Turnover of £1 million or less, or £500,000 or less on the balance sheet
- 10 employees or fewer
SME businesses must meet the following criteria:
- An annual turnover of less than or equal to £44 million, or less than £38 million on the balance sheet
- Fewer than 250 employees
Judging requirements:
The judging panel is looking for detailed information about:
- How your business has engaged in international trade, including notable moments and cross-border growth plans over the last 12 months.
- Your past investments in your business or your future plans to attract revenue. Where possible, please share performance indicators and feedback that reflect your service to international customers.
- Your plans to create jobs and opportunities within international trade.
- How your company or small team has addressed the challenges of running a business alongside the challenges of trading internationally and the resources it involves.
Celebrating businesses and individuals that exemplify excellence in sustainable trade practices.
Entry requirements:
Open to any business or individual using trade as a force for good, driving positive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes, and supporting sustainable development locally or globally.
Judging requirements:
To be considered for this award, you must demonstrate how your trade activities embed sustainability across your business operations and supply chains while advancing ESG principles. Judges will look for evidence of strategies that:
- Reduce environmental impacts across your operations and/or supply chains
- Improve social conditions for employees, partners and communities
- Promote diversity, equity and inclusion within your trading practices
- Integrate sustainability into your long-term international trade strategies
You should highlight measurable results achieved through sustainable trade initiatives, providing supporting examples and evidence. This may include key metrics, lessons learned or innovations that have enhanced environmental or social outcomes.
Additionally, outline your future commitments to ethical and sustainable trade practices, including collaboration with partners or stakeholders to ensure your activities contribute positively to communities locally, nationally or internationally.
This award celebrates organisations and individuals who not only excel in international trade but do so with a clear, measurable and ongoing commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
Recognising UK international trade talent and their contributions to trade.
Entry requirements:
Open to UK-based individuals or businesses looking to recognise their international trade talent based in the UK, that can demonstrate a significant individual achievement over the last 12 months.
Judging requirements:
To be considered for this award, you should provide a detailed overview of your trade journey, demonstrating your achievements, impact and potential. Judges will look for:
- A pivotal moment where you excelled and decided to pursue your career with passion and determination.
- Your professional journey so far, highlighting key experiences that showcase your growth in the trade sector. Include roles held professionally and within charitable or community initiatives, emphasising leadership and impact.
- Significant opportunities you identified and acted upon that shaped your career trajectory. Provide specific examples of achievements, focusing on moments when you delivered exceptional results or drove measurable success.
- Milestones that illustrate your potential and early accomplishments, and how these have set the foundation for your ongoing success and contributions to the trade industry.
This award celebrates individuals who demonstrate talent, initiative and measurable impact in international trade, while showing the potential to shape the future of the sector.
