Channel Awards 2021 - Distributor Criteria
Have a read through the Distributor Criteria for this year's Channel Awards
Award Name Cloud Distributor of the Year
Eligibility Is this the Award for you?
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to reseller and vendor partners in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Cloud Distributor of the Year
Open to distributors that have developed a dedicated cloud business either for one particular vendor, or a growing stable of vendors, and are helping resellers either get into cloud services, or further develop their cloud offerings. The ability to aggregate multiple cloud solutions and simplify the confusion surrounding the amount of cloud technology in the market, will also be taken into account. Entrants must prove that they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2021, and are really adding value around cloud services.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Outline why you are entering this category and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth, and any investment made in this area of your business over the past 12 months.
- Provide evidence of the value provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
- Outline any particular cloud-focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training, logistics and of course, events.
- Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
- Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000.
Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count.
Award Name Storage Distributor of the Year
Eligibility Is this the Award for you?
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to reseller and vendor partners in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Storage Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors that operate within the storage marketplace, be that software, hardware or peripherals or cloud-based/datacentre storage. Distributors must show how they have helped reseller and vendor partners grow and maintain profitable business between July 2020 and July 2021. Entrants can be fully dedicated to storage, or have a storage division within their overall business - but this needs to be explained fully in the entry.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Outline why you are entering this category and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth, and any investment made in this area of your storage business over the past 12 months.
- Provide evidence of the value provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
- Outline any particular storage-focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training and logistics.
- Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
- Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000. Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count. Videos must be five minutes or less.
Award Name Security Distributor of the Year
Eligibility Is this the Award for you?
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to resellers in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Security Distributor of the Year
The category is aimed at distributors offering cybersecurity solutions, including hardware, software or peripherals within the cybersecurity arena. Entrants must prove how they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2021. Entrants can either be fully dedicated to Security, or have a Security division within their overall business.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Outline why you are entering this category, why you are relevant to this category, and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth and any investment made in this area of your Security business over the past 12 months.
- Provide evidence of the value given to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
- Outline any particular Security focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training, logistics and of course, events.
- Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
- Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000. Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count. Videos must be five minutes or less.
Award Name Networking/Comms Distributor of the Year
Eligibility Is this the Award for you?
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to reseller and vendor partners in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Networking/Comms Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors that operate within the networking/comms marketplace, be that SDN, UC, WiFi, AV, network infrastructure or peripherals. Distributors must show how they have helped reseller and vendor partners grow and maintain profitable business in 2021. Entrants can be a full networking/comms specialist or have a division dedicated to networking/comms technology within their overall business.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Outline why you are entering this category, why you are relevant to this category and provide stats and figures to describe the size of your business in this category - ie turnover and growth, and any investment made in your datacentre business over the past 12 months.
- Provide evidence of the value given to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why does your business stand out from the competition in this category? What successful campaigns have you run (using MDF) that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
- Outline any particular datacentre-focused initiatives that you have launched or that you run/develop each year which helps resellers maximise sales and keep their customers happy, but which also appeals to your vendor partners. This can include licensing, credit facilities, support, training and logistics.
- Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that show real value-add? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
- Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000. Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count.
Award Name Technology Incubator Award
Eligibility Is this the Award for you?
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to reseller and vendor partners in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Technology Incubator Award
Please do not make this a very technical/technology-based entry - the purpose is to identify a distributor that is outstanding in the field at recognising new technology and openly promoting it to the channel. Those distributors that class themselves as true incubators of technology that is new and disruptive to market. The ability to identify new technology trends and harness them to benefit their business and that of their partners will also be taken into account. Entrants must prove that they have assisted their reseller and vendor partners to build a profitable business in 2021 using this technology.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Outline why you are entering this category and why your business is classed as a technology incubator. Feel free to provide some examples of the technology that you have brought to market in the past year.
- Describe how that technology has been helped by you to be a success in the UK market. Were you the first to spot it? How did you discover the technology? Why have you invested in it? How does it fit into your portfolio? What successful campaigns have you run with the technology that has borne fruit for both your reseller and vendor partners?
- Do you have examples of outstanding service provision from your teams in this area that have really helped this technology take off? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
- Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where you have helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000. Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count. Videos must be five minutes or less.
Award Name Innovative Project Award
Eligibility Is this the Award for you?
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to reseller and vendor partners in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Innovative Project Award
Open to distributors who have overseen true innovation in their field over the past year - this can be the launch of a new event that has benefited its partners and customers, a new platform to aggregate/distribute technologies, a new finance scheme, the launch of a new team that has made life easier for partners or anything that can be classed as true innovation in its field. Please focus on ONE project only and tell the judges everything they need to know.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Outline why you are entering this category and why you feel your particular project deserves recognition. Please describe what the project is, why you think it is innovative, how it came about and how it works within your business.
- Provide evidence of the value this particular project has provided to both your reseller partners and your vendor partners over the past year - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Why do you stand out from the competition? Have you run any particularly unusual campaigns or events to promote this specific project?
- How have your internal teams contributed to this innovative project - has anyone been particularly outstanding? How have they overcome any challenges? How do they operate?
- Pick a particularly successful reseller or vendor case study demonstrating where your particular innovative project has helped them grow their business/grow their channel presence, supported by figures and testimonials from the chosen partner.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000. Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count. Videos must be five minutes or less.
Award Name: Best Lockdown project/initiative of the Year - Distributor - For 2021 ONLY
This has been a year like no other, and while there has been far too much sadness, sacrifice and tragic loss, the Coronavirus Pandemic has also brought out the best in so many people and companies.
Firms have been forced to innovate like never before, and channel firms have been at the very heart of this innovation - whether it is helping customers speed up their digital transformation, or being involved in many initiatives that have helped a range of vital organisations - ranging from NHS/Schools/research labs to supermarkets, insurance and funeral directors - keep going under immense pressure.
This award is to recognise that innovation and give some much-deserved recognition to those companies that have gone out of their way to help keep this country running during the most challenging conditions we have experienced in living memory.
Entry Criteria: Please use these criteria as a rough guide to shaping your entry - but feel free to make it as personal as possible, including photographs
- Outline what initiative you are entering in this category and explain how it came about during the pandemic. Tell us what the initiative was in as much detail as possible.
- Feel free to explain how your company has been affected by the crisis and how this initiative has not only helped customers/partners, but has also impacted on the company itself.
- The personal touch - how did your teams pull together to get this initiative off the ground? How much work went into it and how did they implement it under difficult social distancing conditions?
- Testimonial - ask the customer/partner to provide a short explanation of how your initiative has helped them and how vital it has been to helping them serve their own customers.
- Any figures/facts you can share to demonstrate the achievements of the initiative will be welcomed by the judges.
Entries can be anything between 400 and 1,000 words - please include as much relevant information as possible and make it as personal as you like. Videos must be five minutes or less.
Award Name: Distributor of the Year - (sub £250m turnover)
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to resellers in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Distributor of the Year - sub £250m turnover
This category is encouraged to give the smaller distributors a platform on which to showcase their excellence. It is open to all distributors with a TOTAL turnover of £250m or less that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months to deserve this prestigious new award. Any distributor, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award. Divisions of larger organisations cannot be entered in this category.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Demonstrate why you feel you qualify for the Distributor of the Year (sub £250m turnover) Award, use stats and figures to back up your claims and convince the judges you deserve to win.
- What has your business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition? ie This can be a mix of initiatives launched to help your customers maximise their business, reorganisation of reseller/vendor facing teams, exceptional service in a difficult or challenging situation, significant expansion of the business through organic or acquisitive growth, or simply punching above your weight in terms of business offerings and most of all results. Back up all claims with stats and figures.
- What has been your company's biggest achievement over the past year? Why are you proud of it, how have your people contributed to that and what extra resources did you dedicate to achieving this success?
- Pick a particularly successful case study (can be either reseller partnership or vendor partnership) from the past year (using stats and figures again) and explain to the judges why it was such a success, and why you think it will help you win this award. A reseller/vendor testimonial can be used to back up the case study.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000.
Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count. Videos must be five minutes or less.
Award Name: Distributor of the Year (£251m+ turnover)
Distributor Awards
The Distributor Awards will recognise the overall service and support provided to resellers in that area of the market, taking into account product focus and choice, availability and distribution services, pre- and post-sales support, market development assistance and online capabilities.
Distributor of the Year
This category is open to all distributors that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves the top accolade at the CRN awards. Any distributor, with a turnover of £251m+, regardless of specialisation or focus, is eligible to enter this award. Please do not enter if you turnover is below £251m.
Entry Criteria: Your entry should be based around the following criteria, which is what the judges will be using as a basis to score each entry. Please do not address each point separately and just base the entry on these points alone -try to add some colour/personality and just incorporate them into your entry as you see fit. Also bear in mind that the judges are accepting PDF or multi-media entries, but at the very least please make sure your entries that are easy to read and digest if in plain text format.
- Demonstrate why you feel you qualify for the Distributor of the Year Award, use stats and figures to back up your claims and convince the judges you deserve to win.
- What has your business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition? ie This can be a mix of initiatives launched to help your customers maximise their business, reorganisation of reseller/vendor facing teams, exceptional service in a difficult or challenging situation, significant expansion of the business through organic or acquisitive growth, or simply punching above your weight in terms of business offerings and most of all results. Back up all claims with stats and figures.
- What has been your company's biggest achievement over the past year? Why are you proud of it, how have your people contributed to that and what extra resources did you dedicate to achieving this success?
- Pick a particularly successful case study (can be either reseller partnership or vendor partnership) from the past year (using stats and figures again) and explain to the judges why it was such a success, and why you think it will help you win this award. A reseller/vendor testimonial can be used to back up the case study.
Entries are actively encouraged to include hard facts and figures - all of which will be kept strictly confidential and used for judging purposes only. All campaigns and initiatives must have been new or further developed in 2021 to qualify. Distributors are actively encouraged to enter for more than one award if they so wish, and if the category is relevant to their business. But every entry MUST be different.
NOTE: The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact globally on companies' performances - please do feel free to mention how the crisis has affected your strategy/goals in the UK and how you have innovated around that.
Maximum word count: 1,000.
Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant partner testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count. Videos must be five minutes or less.
The deadline for entry is Friday 2 July. The event will take place on Thursday 11 November 2021. Please click here to find out more.