Building meaningful relationships with charities, other businesses and the communities in which companies operate is a means of developing brand awareness, improving reputation and doing good in the world. This year’s awards programme will recognise the best in relationships and reputation management through partnerships, sponsorships and CSR. Winners are chosen from 30 categories, focusing on successful collaborative working, communications and partnership development. As the 2018 awards opens for entries, its commitment to benchmarking the best in corporate engagement across Europe continues.

With a growing focus from the business community in developing dynamic and valuable relationships manifested in social outreach and charitable causes, this year’s awards programme welcomes a sharpened consideration of the core elements within corporate engagement. Yet as winners are chosen across over 30 categories, successful collaborations often turn the scope outwards, leveraging platforms and giving voice to those without.

This year’s programme also welcomes four new categories – developed to better reflect the diversity of projects within the corporate space – including, ‘Best sponsorship activity to support or develop a corporate reputation,’ ‘Best CSR activity/programme to support or develop a corporate reputation,’ ‘Best engagement of an internal audience in a sponsorship programme,’ and ‘Best engagement of an internal audience in a CSR programme.’

Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Communicate magazine, says, “The Corporate Engagement Awards 2017 brought into sharp focus the need for the business community to fortify its cross-sector influence, not only in the workplace, but equally outside of it. Each of last year’s winners represented the positive and forward-thinking collaborations within the corporate arena, this year’s class of entries is sure to go above and beyond.”

Winning 2017’s ‘Best team effort during a programme,’ Aviva’s partnership with British Red Cross sought to eradicate vulnerability through its effective digital campaign, translating the crux of its volunteering platform through digitised means. Equally, the 2017 Grand Prix was taken by Macmillan Cancer Support and npower, for an energy-first collaboration that spurred fruitful and meaningful changes to those diagnosed with cancer.

With the ceremony set for June 2018, the final entry deadline is scheduled for 6 April 2018. For a chance to save £100 and receive a fifth entry free of charge, enter before 16 February 2018. Alternatively, for any further information regarding the Corporate Engagement Awards 2018, contact Ash Sandys.