Categories
A completed entry will include:
1. Payment Form
2. Entry Form
3. 1000 Word Submission
4. Company Logo
5. UK contact details
2024 WINNERS & SHORTLISTED
1. Best Use of Data Analytics
This award will recognise a company, solution or project that can demonstrate the innovative and large-scale use of data analytics to the benefit of a business, their customers or the financial industry’s infrastructure. The winning entry will demonstrate its successful implementation via KPIs such as delivered cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service and future business opportunities. Enter here
2. Best Use of Data
This award will recognise a solution or project that utilised data to deliver demonstrable benefits to the business, their customers or the financial industry’s infrastructure. The winning entry will demonstrate successful data management aligned to commercial strategy and underpinned by cutting-edge technology.
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3. Best Use of IT in Consumer Finance
This award will recognise the most effective use of IT in bringing business benefits to consumer-focused financial services by organisations such as retail banks, insurance providers, wealth management firms, credit lenders, independent financial advisers, or commercial finance organisations. Nominations may be for a single project or for an overall strategy. The winning entry will demonstrate how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped further opportunities for future business success. Enter here
4. Best Use of IT in Investment Banking
This award will highlight the most effective use of IT to enhance business processes within wholesale banks, investment banks, and related financial institutions. Nominations may be for a single project or an overall strategy. The winning entry will demonstrate how the strategic implementation of technology has resulted in significant cost benefits, streamlined internal processes, and, where applicable, elevated client services. Enter here
5. Best Use of IT by a Trading Platform
This award will recognise the most impressive trading system innovation, whether the tech is installed internally at a bank or generally into the financial markets for wide-scale use. Nominations may be for systems that specialise in non-displayed trades, public order books, data delivery or digital assets (including cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens). The winning entry will demonstrate how the use of technology has improved processes, increased response times, enhanced capacity and helped further the chances of future business success. Enter here
6. Best Use of IT in Commercial Finance
This award will highlight the most effective use of IT in improving business processes within business-to-business commercial banks and other similar companies. Nominations may be for a single project or an overall strategy. The winning entry will demonstrate how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, or enhanced external service to clients (where applicable), in order to further opportunities for future business success.
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7. Best Financial Services IT Team
This award will recognise the best IT team within any financial services firm, be it bank, insurer or investment business. The team will have to have proven their excellence in the delivery and/or support of IT services over the course of the last year and to have demonstrated good collaboration skills and a clear vision of how technology can be applied to ensure business benefits. The team can be nominated from within the financial institution itself or by partners and suppliers.
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8. Best Customer Service and Experience Technology
This award will highlight technological innovation within all aspects of customer experience and engagement including traditional call centres and newer strategies such as AI chatbots. Nominations may be for a single project or an overall strategy. The winning entry will demonstrate how technology has allowed their organisation to anticipate people’s needs, respond quickly and accurately, tailor business processes accordingly and ultimately improve the efficiency of their business. Enter here
9. Best Use of Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services
This award will recognise successful deployment of artificial intelligence within financial services to save time or money, improve customer service, security or compliance. Nominations may be for a single project or an overall strategy. The winning entry will demonstrate the business case for AI and how it has been implemented, supplemented by case studies and quantifiable success stories. Enter here
10. Consumer Finance App of the Year
This award will recognise the continued rise of mobile banking and payments in the financial services sector. Nominations must be available on recognised app stores and on leading mobile devices. The winning entry will demonstrate how the application meets consumer needs, enables easy and intuitive consumer self-service, and provides cost efficiencies to its operator. Enter here
11. Best Use of Embedded Finance and Open Banking
This award will recognise a financial services firm that has embraced the Open Banking initiative and integrated embedded finance capabilities through a product, solution, or initiative. The winning entry will demonstrate how the seamless integration of Open Banking APIs, data-sharing capabilities, and embedded finance solutions have led to the creation of novel and impactful financial products or services. These solutions should showcase the power of integrating financial services into non-financial platforms or ecosystems, enabling frictionless and contextual experiences for end-users. The entry should highlight industry collaboration, innovative use cases, and the transformative impact on customer experiences and business models. Enter here
12. Anti-fraud Solution of the Year
This award will recognise the best internal or external anti-fraud strategy implemented by a financial services company, or the best anti-fraud solution offered by a technology provider. The solution will protect customers from fraud including but not limited to APP scams, phishing, ID theft, or defend financial institutions against attacks such as chargebacks, money laundering, insider fraud, or TOAD. The winning entry will demonstrate how anti-fraud technology has helped protect the end user and comply with financial regulations, with the application of technology to create business benefits being of equal importance to the degree of protection and innovation present in the IT solution. Enter here
13.Cyber Security Solution of the Year
This award will recognise the best internal or external cyber security strategy implemented by a financial services company, or the best cyber security solution offered by a technology provider. The system must be constantly evolving to deal with the online threat landscape, employing cutting edge technology to keep up with hackers. The winning entry will demonstrate how its approach has specifically helped the end user stay safe, or the company protect its data and comply with financial regulations, with the application of technology to create business benefits being of equal importance to the degree of protection and innovation present in the IT solution. Enter here
14. Operational Resilience Award
This award will recognise a financial services institution which can effectively navigate disruptions, maintain critical operations, and safeguard their business and customers against unexpected events. The winning entry will demonstrate exceptional preparedness and resilience in the face of operational challenges, along with the organisation’s ability to sustain business continuity, ensure robust risk management practices, and implement agile response strategies. Technology providers can enter this category by using a case study with an FSI, but entries should not be for a product. Enter here
15. RegTech and Compliance Project of the Year
This award will recognise the most effective compliance project by either a financial services institution or technology provider. The winning entry will demonstrate how the strategic use of technology has enabled compliance with governmental regulations and should show how the compliance strategy adds business benefits and furthers the organisation’s opportunities for future success. Enter here
16. Digital Transformation Project of the Year
This award will recognise the most effective project to integrate disparate systems, update legacy technology or any form of digital transformation by a financial services provider. Projects involving moves into the cloud, integrations after a merger or acquisition, or partnerships and collaborations, are all eligible. The project can be of any size. Nominations may be for a single project or an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped further the organisation’s opportunities for future business success. Enter here
17. DeFi and digital asset Innovation Award
This award recognises pioneering achievements and innovations in the realm of decentralised finance (DeFi) and digital asset management. It celebrates a product, project, or platform that harnesses the power of blockchain technology, smart contracts, and decentralised platforms to create ground-breaking financial solutions and digital asset ecosystems. The winning entry will showcase exceptional technical prowess, scalability, and robust security measures implemented in their DeFi and digital asset projects, ensuring tamper-proof and transparent financial ecosystems. Enter here
18. Financial Services Collaboration of the Year
This award will recognise either a specific technology partnership between two companies, or a collaboration between a group of companies such as work between a ‘traditional’ financial institution and a FinTech startup or multiple FinTechs partnering to build out their customer proposition. The winning entry will highlight the efforts and expertise of all stakeholders and demonstrate the success of the project. Enter here
19. Payments Innovation of the Year
This award will recognise a product, solution or project which has broken new ground within payments. The winning entry will demonstrate genuine innovation in the space, highlighting the key issues it was looking to solve, how its success was achieved and the benefits for end users. Enter here
20. Financial Sector Innovation of the Year
This award will recognise a financial services organisation or technology provider which has created an innovative and successful new line of business, promotion, product, customer service or branch/mobile/online feature that has really set them apart from the competition. The winning entry will provide evidence that this innovation has created revenue and is sustainable. Enter here
21. Cloud Innovation of the Year
This award will recognise an organisation which is effectively leveraging the cloud to drive innovation within financial services. The winning entry will showcase how cloud-based initiatives have positively impacted the organisation, contributed to industry advancement, and exemplified best practices in cloud adoption and development. Enter here
22. Risk Management solution of the Year
This award recognises success in the development, implementation and running of risk management solution in the financial sector. The winning entry will demonstrate how the software solution has been developed, with evidence of ongoing performance, continued support and genuine business or customer benefit. Enter here
23. Most Innovative Product of the Year
This award recognises a technology supplier or financial services firm that has delivered innovation in the sector, through a particular product, service, or overall business approach by responding to market pressures with originality and creativity. The winning entry will provide details of product development and will demonstrate the implementation and performance levels of the product. Enter here
24. Technology Provider of the Year
This award will reward the tech vendor operating in financial services which has had an outstanding year with financial results, product innovations and customer testimonies being key factors. The winning entry will, with case studies, showcase the company’s past 12 months, its response to market pressures and future plans. Enter here
25. Most Disruptive Financial Sector Technology
This award will go to a company that has developed the most disruptive financial sector technology during the past 12 months. Nominations can be from any company operating in the financial sector. The winning entry will demonstrate the key industry issues the technology is looking to disrupt, with case studies to highlight its success. Enter here
26. Consumer Finance Product of the Year
This award recognises an initiative that utilises new technology to deliver a financial product or platform to consumers in a fast and convenient way. Nominations may be a mobile application, personal loan platform, instant pay-out solution, or other consumer finance product. The winning entry will provide evidence of the product’s development, launch, successful adoption and continued support. Enter here
27. Banking as a Service – Platform of the Year
This award recognises excellence in the development and deployment of a comprehensive Banking as a Service (BaaS) platform. The winning entry will showcase a cutting-edge platform that enables seamless integration of banking services into non-banking applications and ecosystems. The platform should demonstrate exceptional scalability, security, and compliance with regulatory frameworks while empowering businesses to embed banking capabilities seamlessly into their offerings. Enter here
28. InsurTech Innovation of the Year
This award celebrates groundbreaking innovations in the insurance technology sector. The winning entry will showcase a novel InsurTech solution that has revolutionised the insurance industry through its innovative approach. The solution should demonstrate tangible benefits, such as enhanced customer experience, streamlined processes, improved risk assessment, or the creation of new insurance products or services. The entry should provide evidence of successful implementation, adoption, and measurable impact within the insurance industry. Enter here
29. Startup of the Year
This award will recognise a visionary startup with a FinTech or InsurTech product or service which is making waves in the industry. Nomination must be a startup founded three years ago or less from the date of the awards ceremony. The winning entry will detail the startup’s concept, business success to date, any funding secured, why they are ones to watch and how they are changing the way that the sector operates. Enter here
30. FinTech Investor of the Year
This award will recognise the best funding and investment activity during the last 12 months, including fundraising rounds and acquisitions. Nominations may be financial institutions, advisers, Venture Capital (VC), private equity or crowdfunding firms. Deals and investment activity referenced in entries can be related to funding, floatation, spin outs, mergers, acquisitions, or alternative forms of investment. The winning entry will demonstrate involvement beyond funding and show how the investor has strategic advice to help founders and CEOs build the next tech unicorn. Enter here
31. Financial Inclusion Award
This category will recognise a company that is using technology to help underbanked individuals and small businesses and provide them with greater financial stability. The winning entry will be a project, product or service which helps people and communities who are typically underserved by financial services, with testimony from those who utilise it. Enter here
32. ESG and Sustainability Solution of the Year
This award will recognise a solution which addresses the ESG concerns of the financial sector such as carbon tracking, sustainable investment, and e-waste. The winning entry will be the innovation, solution or overall strategy which can evidence real impact in support of a company’s ESG goals, providing data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution or strategy and how it is likely to lead to further improvements in making businesses more sustainable in the future. Enter here
33. ESG Excellence in Banking - NEW
This award recognises banks that have demonstrated exceptional commitment and tangible progress in meeting their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. The winning entry will showcase a comprehensive ESG strategy that has been successfully implemented across the organisation, resulting in measurable positive impacts. Initiatives may include sustainable financing, responsible investing, minimising environmental footprint, promoting diversity and inclusion, robust corporate governance practices, and active engagement with stakeholders. The entry should provide clear evidence of achieving or exceeding ESG targets, driving meaningful change within the industry, and paving the way for a more sustainable and responsible banking sector. Enter here
34. CTO/CIO of the Year Award
This award recognises a senior technology decision maker who has made a significant impact on the industry over the past year and has served as a consistent leader in the organisation’s deployment and support of cutting-edge technologies. The winning entry will have a track-record of outstanding performance and leadership in the industry, setting an example for C-Suite technology leaders and their teams, with clear examples of the individual’s inspiring leadership in financial services technology. Enter here
