So you’ve decided to run an awards programme - great news! Now all you have to do is get sign-off from the powers that be which, as we all know, is one of the trickiest parts of any project. To help with that, we’ve put together this guide, so you can write an awards brief that gets approved at the first meeting, not the nineteenth.
Start with the ‘why’ not the ‘what’
It's tempting to open with logistics: categories, dates, judging panels. Resist that urge. Stakeholders - especially the ones holding the budget - care about outcomes first and mechanics second.
Before you write a single category name, answer this: what is this awards programme actually for? Is it revenue generation? Brand visibility? Strengthening relationships with existing clients? Internal recognition and retention? Whatever your objective, clarifying the goal upfront gives your stakeholders a lens to evaluate everything else through.
Distil your aim into one sentence - ‘This programme exists to position us as the go-to authority in [industry] and generate qualified leads from senior decision-makers,’ for example - and make sure everything else in the brief links back to that.
Show your workings
Nothing builds confidence faster than evidence that you haven’t just made this up over a coffee. Include a short section - three or four bullet points is plenty - covering:
What similar programmes in your space look like, and roughly how they’re structured
Any past data you have (if this isn’t your first programme, last year’s submission numbers, entrant demographics, or revenue are gold here)
A rough sense of demand - has anyone actually asked for this, or expressed interest informally?
You don’t need a full market analysis. You just need to show the idea is grounded in something real, not guesswork.
Be upfront about the numbers
This is where most briefs lose momentum - not because the numbers are bad, but because they're vague. ‘We’ll need some budget for marketing and a platform’ is not a number anyone can approve.
Break the budget down into clear categories:
Platform/software fees
Marketing and promotion
Judging expenses
Ceremony or event costs, if you're running one
Staff time (even a rough estimate - it matters, and it’s often the cost people forget to mention)
If you can, pair this with an equally clear view of expected return - entry revenue, sponsorship potential, or the value of the leads or brand exposure you expect to generate. You don’t need to promise precision here. A reasonable estimate, clearly labelled as an estimate, is far more persuasive than silence on the topic.
Be realistic about the timeline
Map out the key phases: category and scoring design, judge recruitment, promotion, submission window, judging period, and ceremony or results announcement. Then, briefly, name the one or two things most likely to cause delays - judging overrunning, or promotion needing to start earlier than people expect are common culprits. Flagging risk yourself, rather than having someone else spot it in the meeting, does a lot for your credibility.
Address the common questions
Think about the two or three questions you already know are coming - because someone always asks them. Maybe it’s ‘why not just fold this into our existing conference?’ or ‘why do we need dedicated software for this?’ Answer them directly in the brief, in a short FAQ-style section if needed. It’s much easier to pre-empt an objection in writing than to improvise a good answer on the spot.
Keep it short
Don’t try and cover every last detail in the brief. Aim for something that can be read in five minutes and referred back to easily - one page of narrative, plus a simple budget table and timeline, is usually enough. If stakeholders want more detail on any one section, they’ll ask. Better to leave them wanting more than skimming through without reading it properly.
Structure it well
If you’re starting from scratch, here’s a simple structure:
Purpose - one sentence on why this programme exists
Context - brief evidence that this is grounded in real demand or past performance
Structure - categories, entrant profile, judging approach (kept high-level)
Budget - with a rough expected return
Timeline - key phases and known risk points
Questions - a short FAQ addressing the objections you expect
Our awards experts are here to help with any aspect of your awards programme - whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned pro! Just drop us a line - we’d love to chat to you.
