UK Pensions Awards 2016 - less than one week left to enter

The deadline for entry forms and submissions is Monday 11th January 2016.

Further details about the awards process can be found below.

Further information about the UK Pensions Awards can be found at: www.ukpensionsawards.com

Awards Process

This year there are two stages in the awards process - the deadlines of which are as follows:

1. Registration: Firms need to register for the awards and let us know what categories they plan to enter. To register for the awards, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XXF9WQ6

Registration is hugely important. Registering to enter for the awards will mean we can send you essential updates about the UK Pensions Awards 2016 as soon as they are published.

Registration will also give you access to entry guidance and allow you to listen to a Q+A with judges.

2. Entry submission: Firms that register will then have to submit an entry form - details of which will be sent to you when you register. The judges will use this form to draw up the finalists list and decide on the final winners. The deadline for receipt of the entries is Monday, 11 January 2016.

The entry forms and submissions will be considered by a panel of judges made up from professionals from across the occupational pensions industry. These judges will be announced in Professional Pensions over the coming weeks.

The finalists list will be published on Friday, 26 February 2016 and the winners will be announced at a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Thursday, 5 May 2016.

Categories

We made a small number of changes to the category list for the 2016 awards in response to feedback.

The changes include a further expansion of our DC award categories - and we have added a DC Master Trust of the Year award category to this year's line-up. We have also included an Employee Benefits Consultancy of the Year category to reflect the increasing amount of advice that is being provided in this area.

And, as well as continuing the ever-popular Pensions Personality of the Year Award, we are also be launching a CEO of the Year Award, to recognise the achievements of the people that run the firms that provide services and advice to UK occupational pension schemes.

In addition to this, we have also changed the name of two categories. The Actuarial / Employee Benefits Consultancy of the Year category becomes the Actuarial / Pensions Consultancy of the Year category and the At-Retirement Innovation of the Year category becomes the Retirement Innovation of the Year category in order to reflect all the innovation in the marketplace following the introduction of the retirement freedoms in April.

In addition to this, we have removed the Fiduciary Evaluator of the Year and the Sponsor Covenant Provider of the Year award due to the low number of registrants last year. We have also removed the Consulting Innovation of the Year - with respondents feeling innovations in this area are covered by other categories.

The complete list of categories for the 2016 awards

Individual Awards

- Pensions Personality of the Year Award

No submission are needed for this category. The Pensions Personality of the Year accolade will be awarded to the person who, in the eyes of the industry, has done the most to further the cause of occupational pensions over the past year. The nominations process for this award will begin in early 2016 - further details and will be announced in Professional Pensions magazine and online at www.professionalpensions.com

- CEO of the Year Award

The CEO of the Year Award aims to recognise the individuals who lead the firms - or the UK arms of the firms - that provide pension advice, products and services to UK occupational pension schemes, trustees and sponsoring employers.
Individual's do not necessarily have to be a ‘CEO' to enter or be put forward for the award but should be the most senior person in the UK part of a business dealing with pension schemes - eg: in a large accountancy firm, we would expect the head of UK pensions or similar person to apply etc.
Individuals entering or being entered for this award should demonstrate their achievements over the year to October 31, 2015.

Advisory Categories
 

- Actuarial/Pensions Consultancy of the Year**

- Employee Benefits Consultancy of the Year*

- DC Consultancy of the Year

- Investment Consultancy of the Year

- Pension Lawyers of the Year

- Risk Reduction Adviser of the Year

DC Categories
 

- DC Pension Provider of the Year

- DC Investment Manager of the Year

- DC Multi-Asset Fund Manager of the Year

- DC Master Trust of the Year*

Investment Categories
 

- Investment Manager of the Year

- Fiduciary Manager of the Year

- Equity Manager of the Year

- Fixed Income Manager of the Year

- DB Multi-Asset Manager of the Year

- Emerging Markets Manager of the Year

- Alternative Investment Manager of the Year

- Property Manager of the Year

- SRI / ESG Provider of the Year

- LDI Manager of the Year

- Risk Reduction Provider of the Year

Other Categories
 

- Independent Trustee of the Year

- Third-Party Administrator of the Year

- Sponsor Covenant Provider of the Year

Innovation Categories
 

- DC Innovation of the Year

- DC Investment Innovation of the Year

- DB Investment Innovation of the Year

- Retirement Innovation of the Year**

The Retirement Innovation of the Year category is a wide-ranging category that rewards the firm that has innovated most in the retirement space in the 12 months to 31 October 2015. Areas this category will cover include pre- and post- retirement investment funds, technology solutions / platforms, income drawdown and annuities.
Judges will look at the extent to which your firm has developed new services, products and offerings for clients and the extent to which these innovations helped pension schemes, sponsors, trustees and scheme members.

- Fixed Income Innovation of the Year

- Technology Innovation of the Year

- Communication Innovation of the Year

* New for 2016
** Renamed 2016