Judges' Tips

We've tried to make entering The David Awards as easy as possible. In order to give yourself the best chance possible, it's worth reading the tips below, which are based on feedback from the judges. Every year they see some stand-out entries, and others which they feel could have had much more of a chance. 

See what our Judges have said in their feedback about 2022 entries.

Here are some of their tips:

  • Read the question and make sure you answer what is being asked. The information on the entry is there to help you and often guides you towards what the Judges are looking for or how long the section needs to be.

  • You don't need to use the maximum number of words but if your content is very much shorter, you might find other entrants have included a lot more detail than you, which may work in their favour.

  • Include examples, numbers, concrete facts, proof of success. You do not have to disclose all your confidential information, but Judges are better able to judge your entry if you include some figures, graphs, results, etc. You may feel your "numbers" are small. The judges are not looking for "big numbers" but proof that you are operating a "real" business and that the successes you claim are genuine. Most businesses which enter are owner-operated and many have no staff. Don't be afraid you "won't stack up". Our judges are specifically briefed not to rank bigger businesses above smaller ones on the basis of turnover or size.

  • Put all your important information into your entry. By all means, include attachments which illustrate your point, but make sure you reference them in your entry (e.g. "Our sales have tripled in the past three years - see graph in attached document").

  • Sing your own praises - and remember, other people may know nothing about your business so it pays to be explicit about what you do, why you think you deserve to win, and back it up with proof.

  • Start early, so you have time to finish your entry, read it again, edit if necessary, and add to it if you want to. All entries remain editable until the closing deadline.

Good luck!