Open to all business accelerator and incubator programmes in Yorkshire 

1. How has the accelerator/incubator contributed to the success of participating businesses? Provide specific examples of outcomes such as funding, growth, or market entry. 
2. What types of support services (e.g., mentoring, workshops) does the accelerator/incubator offer? How do these services benefit the participants? 
3. What high-specification facilities or unique features does the accelerator/incubator have that benefit the participants? 
4. How satisfied are your participants with the accelerator/incubator programme? Include testimonials or case studies. 
5. What impact has your programme had on your local business community and economy in Yorkshire? Include testimonials or case studies. 

Open to all brokers of any insurance line in Yorkshire 

1. How do you measure customer satisfaction? Provide evidence of high satisfaction and retention rates amongst your customers. 
2. Describe your team or organisation’s expertise, knowledge and experience. How does this expertise benefit your clients? 
3. Provide examples of recent business growth, such as new client acquisition or market expansion. 
4. How diverse and competitive is your pool of insurer partners, and how does that translate into positive outcomes for your clients? 
5. What impact do you have on the wider community? Outline any local community projects andcharitable activities, and third-party recognition of your impact. 

Open to all providers of financial services in Yorkshire 

1. What career development opportunities do you offer your employees? Provide examples of training programmes and career progression. 
2. How do you foster a positive workplace environment? Include examples of initiatives that promote employee satisfaction and wellbeing. 
3. How do you promote diversity and inclusion within your organisation?    
4. What unique or outstanding benefits do you offer your employees? Provide examples.  
5. What impact do you and your employees have on the wider community? Outline any local community projects, charitable activities, and third-party recognition of your impact. 

1. How do you ensure high levels of client satisfaction? Provide testimonials or case studies that demonstrate successful client outcomes. 
2. How do you stay current with industry developments? Include examples of continuous professional development and accreditation. 
3. Outline how your knowledge and expertise bolster the services that you provide to your clients. Provide examples. 
4. Describe any innovative approaches or technologies you use in providing financial advice. 
5. How do you empower or educate your clients and wider community to make sound financial decisions? Provide details, e.g. participating in community education or financial literacy programmes. 

Open to all issuers of insurance policies in Yorkshire 

1. How do you achieve high customer satisfaction? Provide ratings and feedback related to customer service. 
2. Describe any innovative insurance products or services you have introduced. How have they impacted the market?  
3. Provide evidence of your significant presence or growth in the insurance market. 
4. Outline how your business’ knowledge, expertise and ethical practices make it a frontrunner in the financial and insurance industries. Provide examples.  

Open to all loan providers in Yorkshire 

1. How do you achieve high customer satisfaction? Provide evidence of your customer service quality and client feedback. 
2. What innovative lending products or solutions have you developed, and how do they position you as a market leader? Describe their impact. 
3. Provide examples of your market growth, and the diversity of your book of business. 
4. Outline how your business’ knowledge, expertise and ethical practices make it a frontrunner in the finance industry. Provide examples. 
5. How are you making a difference to the wider community? Provide details of community development or support programmes, the impact your business has had , and any third-party feedback. 

Open to all mortgage brokers and intermediaries in Yorkshire 

1. How diverse and competitive is your pool of mortgage providers , and how does this translate to positive outcomes for your clients? Provide specific examples or case studies. 
2. How do you measure and ensure high customer satisfaction? Provide evidence and testimonials. 
3. Describe your knowledge and experience of the mortgage market. How does this benefit your clients? 
4. How do you ensure compliance with lending regulations and maintain ethical standards? Provide examples. 
5. How do you go above and beyond the competition in making an impact? Outline community financial education or support projects, or innovative processes and technologies that make your services stand out. 

Open to all providers of mortgages in Yorkshire 

1. How do you achieve high levels of customer service and satisfaction? Provide evidence and feedback. 
2. What innovative mortgage products have you introduced? Describe their impact on the market. 
3. Provide evidence of your significant presence or growth in the mortgage market. 
4. How do you ensure compliance with mortgage lending regulations and ethical standards? Provide examples. 
5. How are you involved in community housing or support initiatives that benefit the Yorkshire region? Provide details. 

1. How do you deliver positive outcomes for your clients? Provide examples or case studies. 
2. How do you ensure you’re adhering to professional and ethical standards? Outline how you ensure customers are recommended appropriate products. 
3. What makes your restricted financial advice service stand out from the competition? Describe your knowledge, experience, expertise, or any innovative methods or tools you use. 
4. How do you receive and use client feedback? Provide testimonials or positive feedback examples. 
5. How do you empower or educate your clients and wider community to make sound financial decisions? Provide details, e.g. participating in financial literacy education or through innovative tools. 

Open to all businesses in financial services with an annual income of £5m or less in the previous financial year

1. How have you demonstrated significant business growth and market presence over the past year? Provide key metrics and examples. 
2. How do you ensure a high level of employee engagement and satisfaction within your organisation? Provide examples and feedback. 
3. Detail any unique financial products or services you have developed and their impact on your client base. 
4. How does your business differentiate itself from competitors in the financial industry? 
5. What initiatives have you undertaken to promote financial literacy and education within the Yorkshire community? 

Open to all wealth managers providing financial management and wealth advisory services in Yorkshire, including managing estate planning and assets of affluent individuals in Yorkshire

1. How diverse and competitive is your offering, and how does this translate to positive outcomes for your clients? 
2. How do you ensure high levels of client satisfaction?  Provide testimonials or case studies. 
3. Describe how your knowledge, experience, and expertise in wealth management and financial planning benefits your clients. 
4. What makes your wealth management service stand out from the competition? Describe any innovative methods, technology, or tools you use. 
5. What impact are you making beyond your immediate client base? Outline any community or charitable activities, or third-party feedback. 

Open to all FCA-authorised credit brokers operating in Yorkshire, excluding mortgage-only brokers (please see our Mortgage Broker category)

1. How do you measure customer satisfaction? Provide evidence of high satisfaction, repeat business, and positive client outcomes.

2. Describe your team or organisation’s expertise, regulatory knowledge and experience in credit broking. How does this benefit your clients and support responsible lending?

3. Provide examples of recent business growth, such as new client acquisition, increased lending volumes, or market diversification.

4. How wide and competitive is your panel of lenders or finance providers, and how does that translate into better outcomes for your clients?

5. What impact do you have on the wider community? Outline any financial inclusion efforts, education initiatives, or charitable and community engagement, as well as any third-party recognition.

Open to all financial services organisations in Yorkshire 

1. What ambitious ESG targets has your organisation set, and what impact have they had on environmental, social, or governance issues? Provide specific examples. 
2. Describe any innovative approaches used in your ESG campaign. How have they addressed ESG challenges and ensured long-term sustainability and lasting impact? 
3. How are your organisation’s senior leadership taking a top-down approach to planning, setting, and executing ESG activities? Outline at least one recent campaign that demonstrates this approach. 
4. How have you involved stakeholders in your ESG campaign? Provide examples of feedback or engagement from stakeholders. 
5. How has your ESG campaign benefited the local community or environment beyond your organisation? What recognition have you received from third parties for these efforts? 

Open to all in-house fintech teams and fintech companies in Yorkshire (fintech initiatives must be have been released in the past 12 months) 

1. Describe the fintech initiative being put forward: how do its aims, capabilities, marketing, and delivery meet the needs and requirements of the business/industry? 
2. How innovative is your fintech initiative? Describe its uniqueness, originality, and any inventive aspects developed to make it stand out in the market. 
3. How seamlessly has your initiative been adopted by users? Provide evidence of adoption rates and customer satisfaction. 
4. What is the potential for your initiative to scale and be applied more broadly? Provide details on its potential or measured impact on the local financial ecosystem or economy. 
5. What recognition has the initiative received from third parties, and how has it benefited the local financial ecosystem or economy? Provide examples. 

Open to all financial services organisations in Yorkshire (services and products must be have been released in the past 12 months) 

1. How innovative and unique is your product or service? Describe its features, benefits, and any inventive aspects developed to bring it to market. 
2. How do its aims, capabilities, marketing, and delivery meet customer needs and requirements? 
3. What demonstrable impact has your product had on the market or customer base? Provide examples. 
4. What are its unique selling points and what differentiates it from the competition? 
5. What is the potential for your product to grow, be applied more broadly, and benefit the local community or economy? Provide details and mention any recognition received from third parties. 

Open to all individuals, teams and organisations working within financial services in Yorkshire that have made a major positive contribution to the sector in the region within the past 12 months 

1. What major contribution have you made to the financial services sector in the past 12 months, and how is it demonstrably outstanding? 
2. What were the immediate benefits to relevant stakeholders? 
3. What significant positive impact have you had on the wider industry or community? Describe any innovative approaches or solutions you have used. 
4. How does your achievement ensure long-term benefits and sustainability? Has the learned knowledge and experience been shared to allow replication? 
5. What recognition has the achievement received from third parties? 

Open to all individuals, teams and organisations working within financial services in Yorkshire that have demonstrated excellent customer service in the region within the last 12 months 

1. Tell us about the customer service example being put forward: how is it demonstrably outstanding? 
2. What evidence can you provide of your exceptional service quality and responsiveness?    
3. How did the individual/team/ organisation go above and beyond expectations for the customer? 
4. How will you ensure long-term and consistent delivery of high-quality service in future?   
5. What recognition has the example of outstanding customer service received from third parties?  

Open to any financial services organisation operating in Yorkshire, including banks, building societies, investment firms, insurance companies, credit brokers, and other financial intermediaries.

1. What was the core objective of the campaign (e.g. brand awareness, lead generation, product launch, client retention)?

2. Describe the strategy behind the campaign. What insight or creative approach shaped your message and channel selection?

3. How was the campaign executed? Outline the channels used (digital, print, social, PR, events, etc.) and the audience targeted.

4. Provide measurable results and ROI. How did the campaign perform against its objectives (e.g. reach, engagement, conversions, sales uplift)?

5. How did you ensure the campaign met FCA regulatory requirements for financial promotions, including clarity, fairness, and avoiding misleading content?

6. What made the campaign stand out creatively or strategically within the financial services landscape?

Open to all teams that deal directly with consumers and business customers in Yorkshire 

1. How has your team demonstrated outstanding performance and collaboration to go above and beyond the customer’s expectations? 
2. How well equipped is the team in terms of knowledge, experience and expertise? 
3. How has effective teamwork led to successful customer outcomes? 
4. Describe any innovative methods or technologies you use to improve customer service. 
5. What recognition has the team received from third parties for customer service? 

Open to all organisations and teams providing financial advice in Yorkshire 

1. How diverse and competitive is the organisation/ team’s pool of financial product providers? 
2. In what ways are the organisation /team’s products and services innovative and market-leading? 
3. How do the people in the organisation/team stand out? Describe expertise, evidence professional development and how the team strives for excellence in customer service.   
4. How does your team ensure high levels of client satisfaction and retention? 
5. Describe any innovative approaches or technologies your organisation/team uses in providing financial advice. 

Open to all investment management organisations and teams in Yorkshire 

1. How diverse and competitive is your investment management offering, and how has it delivered strong client returns? 
2. How does your team embody and demonstrate expertise in investment management? 
3. How does your team ensure high levels of client satisfaction? Provide client feedback and testimonials. 
4. Describe any innovative investment strategies or tools your team uses. 
5. What impact does your team have outside of your immediate client base? Provide examples of your impact on the wider industry or local community. 

Open to all heads of departments and regional directors working within financial services in Yorkshire 

1. How have they demonstrated effective leadership and vision in their role, and why are they considered an outstanding leader? 
2. How have they positively impacted their organisation or department and contributed significantly to its success? Provide examples. 
3. How do they demonstrate dedication to clients? 
4. How does the director contribute to the wider sector or Yorkshire business community? 
5. What do they contribute to staff development and welfare?

Open to all women in leadership positions working within financial services in Yorkshire

1. How has the female leader demonstrated effective leadership and vision in their role and what makes them stand out as an exceptional leader? 
2. Provide specific examples of how the female leader has positively impacted their organisation or department, contributing significantly to its success? 
3. How does the leader demonstrate dedication to clients and what initiatives have they implemented to enhance client satisfaction and trust? Provide examples. 
4. What steps has the leader taken to promote diversity and inclusion within their team and the broader organisation, particularly for women in finance? Provide examples.  
5. In what ways does the leader contribute to the wider financial sector or business community in Yorkshire, and what impact have their efforts had? Provide examples. 

Open to all individuals working within financial services in Yorkshire under 30 years old (at the time of entering)

1. What demonstrable and significant professional growth suggests this person is a ‘rising star’ within their organisation or wider sector? Outline any notable achievements. 
2. How does the rising star benefit their organisation internally and push it forward? 
3. How has the rising star demonstrated a clear commitment to excellence, quality and innovation? 
4. How does the rising star contribute to the wider sector or business community? 
5. How does the rising star plan to continue professional development and pursue excellence in their industry? 

Open to all members of support staff working in financial services in Yorkshire

1. How has this support staff member consistently demonstrated exceptional performance and reliability in their role? 
2. How has this support staff member shown a commitment to professional development and skill enhancement? Provide examples. 
3. In what ways has this support staff member contributed to improving customer/client satisfaction or experience? Provide testimonials or feedback from clients or customers. 
4. How has this support staff member positively impacted colleagues and fostered a collaborative work environment? Provide evidence or testimonials from team members. 
5. How does this support staff member exemplify the values and culture of the organisation? Provide examples or testimonials from senior staff.  

Open to all individuals on graduate, apprenticeship and training contracts at financial services providers in Yorkshire 

1. Why should the trainee win this award? Provide specific examples of excellent standards of work, specific achievements, and milestones. 
2. What new skills or knowledge has the trainee gained, and how has this contributed to improved client relationships and/or business development? 
3. Describe any innovative ideas or approaches you have introduced during your training. 
4. How has the trainee maintained high standards of professional development? 
5. How does the trainee contribute to the wider sector or business community?