Categories
There are seven categories in this year’s Scotland awards and applicants can enter as many categories as they choose. Click on the “Show criteria” button under each award to find category-specific criteria. A big thank you to our 2021 sponsors for their support in making the Social Enterprise Awards Scotland possible.
Category 1 – Social Enterprise of the Year Scotland
A social enterprise that has been operating for more than 2 years that can evidence the criteria below but that has also demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector.
Criteria
Criteria:
- Excellent vision and strategic direction
- Clear leadership and management of the organisation
- A high degree of customer satisfaction
- A clearly evidenced social, environmental and community impact
- Show sustainability in terms of profit and growth
- Good brand awareness and communication outputs
- Evidence of creativity and innovation
Category 2 – One to Watch Award
A social enterprise that has been operating less than 2 years that can clearly demonstrate the criteria but also articulate their future vision and how they are going to achieve it showing growth in their model.
Criteria
Criteria:
- A clear vision for the social enterprise
- A creative approach to problem-solving
- Excellence in impact, design or growth since inception
- Potential for future success, in the judges’ view
Category 3 – Prove It: Social Impact
This award is designed for any social enterprise that can truly demonstrate and communicate their impact with their stakeholders. This award is not comparing the scale of different enterprises’ impact, but their measurement and reporting process.
Criteria
Criteria:
- Clear articulation of theory of change and impact, proving the organisations mission and objectives
- Transparency in the process of findings (including stakeholder engagement)
- Includes good quantitative and qualitative evidence
- Demonstrates its impact on a specified community, be it geographic or community of interest
- Has communicated its impact in accessible and creative ways
- Includes how it will utilise evaluation to improve its work
Category 4 – Market Builder Award
Any social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisation that has demonstrably made efforts within its own organisation and remit to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises. This could be a local authority implementing a council-wide Social Value Act strategy, a company showing innovation in its procurement and supply chain processes, or a social enterprise seeking to support the movement through buying social.
Criteria
Criteria:
- Able to articulate the steps taken to improve the buying environment for social enterprises
- Explain their key aims and objectives in trying to ‘buy social’ in their work
- Explain the technical and cultural challenges that had to be overcome and how they did that.
- Articulate any progress on spend / impact to date
NB: Only organisations which are supporting social enterprises over and above their core purpose will be eligible
Category 5 – Health and Social Care Award
This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years and deliver high quality health and social care work. This award can include mental health and well-being.
Criteria
Criteria:
- A clear evidenced health and care impacts
- Excellent vision and strategic direction
- Clear leadership and management of the organisation
- A high degree of customer/user satisfaction
- Show sustainability in terms of profit and growth
- Good brand awareness and communication outputs
Category 6 – Environmental Social Enterprise
This is open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years in the green and environmental sectors that can demonstrate excellence in the following criteria.
Criteria
Criteria:
- A clear evidenced environmental impact
- Excellent vision and strategic direction
- Clear leadership and management of the organisation
- A high degree of customer satisfaction
- Show sustainability in terms of profit and growth
- Good brand awareness and communication outputs
Category 7 – Social Enterprise Champion
This award will recognise an individual working or volunteering in a social enterprise.
Criteria
The individual should be someone who:
- Goes above and beyond to make a difference.
- Inspires and empowers others to achieve.
- Demonstrates a commitment to diversity.
- Exhibits enterprising spirit and drive.
