Women’s Network of the Year (company)
This award celebrates a network that champions women and gender diversity. It highlights the supportive work of internal women's networks and their ability to drive change, provide a safe space and lobby for policies that make a tangible difference to women in the workplace.
This category is open to all women’s networks in organisations that operate within the utilities industry.
Allyship Award
The support of allies is a critical component of delivering lasting cultural change in utilities.
This category seeks to recognise a man who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, supporting female colleagues, addressing gender imbalance and materially contributing to the success of women in the industry.
EDI Initiative of the Year
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital for the utilities industry's future as companies evolve and deliver sustainable, reliable services. This award recognises a company initiative or industry-wide campaign that has improved equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Open to all utilities organisations and joint ventures, entries must demonstrate success in initiatives between 1st March 2024 and 31st March 2025. Submissions should identify one lead organisation and may include details of other contributors.
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Community Outreach Award
Giving back to the community, supporting the next generation and actively promoting the sector is critical as utilities seek to reshape the way they work with customers, communities, schools, colleagues and universities. This category awards an individual, team or company which has gone above and beyond to engage with local communities and encourage girls into STEM, promote the utilities industry and/or support women in the local area.
The entry should have one lead organisation but may also provide details of other relevant companies involved.
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Mentor of the Year
As utilities seek to improve gender diversity, the support of strong role models is critical. This category recognises an outstanding mentor to women and is open to anyone working in the utilities industry who regularly and successfully mentored at least one individual between 1st March 2024 and 31st March 2025.
Hi Vis Award
While all areas of the utilities industry face a challenge around diversity, this is particularly true in field operations. Here, the role of female leaders in changing traditional ways of working and paving the way for a more equal workforce is critical.
This category recognises a woman delivering outstanding work in field operations, and providing an inspirational role model for the next generation. It is open to women who worked in field operations in the utilities industry between 1st March 2024 and 31st March 2025.
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Onsite Excellence
Creating safe and inclusive working environments onsite is critical to encouraging women into, and to remain in, the utilities sector.
This award celebrates a company who is going above and beyond to ensure inclusive facilities, initiatives and practices for women at operational and construction sites. This category is open for any company owning, operating or managing workers on a technical site in the utilities industry.
Business Champion
This category celebrates the critical contributions of roles that keep companies running, emphasising their role in ensuring the smooth operation and efficiency of utility services. The award aims to recognise and honour an exceptional woman whose work exemplifies dedication, excellence, and impact in the utilities sector's back-office functions.
This award is open to an individual working in the back-office functions including, but not limited to; finance, administrative support, customer service, HR, IT, compliance etc for a utility or in a company/ division of a company that operates in the utilities industry.
Apprentice of the Year
Apprenticeships offer an entry point to learn and develop on the job, establishing a diverse talent pool, which is critical to the future of the utilities industry. This award celebrates an outstanding apprentice who is making waves in their early career in utilities and exceeding all expectations.
This category is open to entries for an individual who is, or was, in any apprenticeship training scheme and employed by utility company, or a division of a company which operates in the utility industry, at some point between 1st March 2024 31st March 2025.
Graduate of the Year
Recruiting fresh talent into the industry is crucial the overcoming the skills gap. This award celebrates an outstanding woman graduate who has exceeded all expectation since joining the sector and is going above and beyond their job role to add value to their organisation and/or the industry’s reputation.
It is open to entries from an individual who graduated from university in or after 2022 or is, or was, part of a graduate scheme between 1st March 2024 and 31st March 2025. At a utility company or company operating in the utilities industry.
Rising Star
The future of the industry is in the hands of the next generation. This award is open to any woman who has worked in the utilities industry for fewer than five years and demonstrates huge potential, while making a significant contribution to their organisation and to the industry as a whole and demonstrating an ongoing commitment to innovation.
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Returning Star
This award celebrates an individual who has returned to the world of work after a career break for any reason and has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to their organisation and/or the wider industry since their return, exceeding all expectations and making a real impact.
It is open to any woman who joined, or re-joined, the utilities industry following a career break of over 6 months.
Best Employer for Women
(Under 500 employees)
This category highlights a company which has inclusion and diversity deeply embedded in its culture; values the benefits of a diverse workforce; and has implemented policies to remove barriers and encourage the development of women.
It is open to any companies operating within the utilities industry with under 500 employees on their payroll.
Best Employer for Women
(Over 500 employees)
This category highlights a company which has inclusion and diversity deeply embedded in its culture; values the benefits of a diverse workforce; and has implemented policies to remove barriers and encourage the development of women.
It is open to any companies operating within the utilities industry with 500 or more employees on their pay roll
Woman of the Year
Our flagship award recognises an outstanding senior leader who over the course of her career has contributed materially to the success of her own organisation and/or the wider industry and provided an inspirational role model for women in utilities.
This category is open to any woman working in or with the utilities industry.
