Criteria for reseller categories

All the criteria for the 2019 reseller categories at the Channel Awards

CRN Staff
25 April 2019

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Below are the criteria for the Reseller categories at the Channel Awards. These awards are open to those that class themselves as VARs, SIs, MSPs, MSSPs, CSPs as well as resellers.

Please note that if shortlisted for either of the 'Reseller of the Year' categories (sub £50m and £51m+ turnover) you will be required to present at the second stage judging day, taking place in central London on Thursday 10 October.

RESELLER AWARDS

Award Name Rising Star Award

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Reseller Awards will recognise excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the reseller's ability to deliver real benefits to the end user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, ROI and investment protection, and cost reduction. Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.

Rising Star Award

This category is open any company that is seeing phenomenal growth in their field and has been in business for a MAXIMUM of five years and MINIMUM of 18 months in their current form. There is no specific business model that is more qualified than others to enter - so you could be an MSP, VAR, integrator or a specific vertical sector IT provider. If you can demonstrate strong growth over the past year, feel you are a disruptive force and can give some example of your potential growth in the future, then you are the ideal candidate for this award.

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 convince the judges why your entry should be considered in this category - give examples of customer demographics and include some information about your business to set the scene - size, staff, how long company been in business, what exactly you do etc.
Provide evidence of your growth over the past year and why you should be considered as a rising star in your field - what will you achieve in the coming year and how will you make an impact on the market? Use stats and figures to back up your points. Include any investment in new systems/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable player and a one to watch in this space?
Pick a particularly successful case study from the past year that has contributed to your amazing growth and explain to the judges why it was such a success and perhaps what different skills you brought to the table. A customer testimonial must be used to back up the study and again use stats.
People - how do you keep your staff happy and motivated? Do you offer anything different from the norm?
Company image - describe any marketing activities you undertake to raise awareness of your company to customers, and how you go the extra mile to keep customers happy and ensure you continue to grow.

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 2019 to qualify. Resellers 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.

Maximum word count: 1,000.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant customer testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count.

Award Name Security VAR of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Security VAR of the Year

With security being the number one concern of end user customers, this category is back by popular demand and a recognised need to highlight excellence in cybersecurity. This category is open to all VARs/MSPs/integrators that specialise in security solutions to customers of any size, whether this is SMB, mid-market or enterprise. At least 50 per cent of your business needs to be dedicated to security to qualify for this category, as the competition is going to be very tough.

Outline why you are entering this category and why you should be considered as a contender for this award. How much of your business is security based? What standards do you comply to? What are your customers' biggest security fears. Please include stats and figures to back up your points.
Provide evidence of the value provided to your customers. Include any investment in new technologies/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable partner for vendors in this space?
Pick a particularly successful customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how you helped that customer overcome particular security concerns/beat hackers/cybercriminals, or protect against further security breaches. A customer testimonial must be used to back up the study and again use stats.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible security-based service to your customers and are fully trained? Do you invest in training/team-building exercises to keep your staff happy? Do all your staff comply with all the necessary rules and regulations? If so, which ones?
Company image - describe any marketing activities you undertake to raise awareness of your company to customers, and how you go the extra mile to keep customers happy/why they keep coming back to you for all their security needs.

Maximum word count: 1,000.

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant customer testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count.

Award Name Corporate VAR of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Corporate VAR of the Year

This category is open to all VARs/MSPs/integrators that deal with either mid-market (loose definition: 250-1,000 seats) or enterprise (loose definition: 1,000+ seats) customers, or a mix of both - supplying products, managed services or a mix of both, preferably from a mix of vendors. These customers can be UK based, have multiple UK offices, or be multi-national companies with a significant base in the UK, in the private sector. At least 50 per cent of your business needs to fall under the ‘corporate' definition to be eligible to enter.

Outline why you are entering this category and convince the judges why your entry should be considered in this category - give examples of customer demographics and include some information about your business to set the scene - size, staff, how long company been in business etc. Please include stats and figures to demonstrate growth and company size.
Provide evidence of the value provided to your corporate clients over the past year- use stats and growth figures to back up points. Include any investment in new systems/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable partner for vendors in this space?
Pick a particularly successful corporate customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how you helped that customer save money/streamline their business/improve their service. A customer testimonial can be used to back up the study and again use stats.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible service to your customers? Do you invest in training/team-building exercises to keep your staff happy?
Company image - describe any marketing activities you undertake to raise awareness of your company to customers, and how you go the extra mile to keep customers happy.

Maximum word count: 1,000

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant customer testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count.

Award Name Public Sector VAR of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Reseller Awards will recognise excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the reseller's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, ROI and investment protection, and cost reduction. Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.

Public Sector VAR of the Year

This category is open to VARs that have a clear focus on doing business, providing products and solutions to public sector customers. These organisations can be in any part of the public sector from education to healthcare, from local government to government, and emergency services.

AT LEAST 40 per cent of your business must be public sector-based to qualify for entry.

Outline why you are entering this category and convince the judges why your entry should be considered in this category.
Set the scene and describe in detail the percentage of your business that is public sector as per requirements, using stats and figures where possible, and explain which part/parts of the public sector you serve and what exactly you specialise in.
Provide evidence of the value provided to your public sector clients over the past year- use stats and growth figures to back up points. Include any investment in new systems/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your public sector offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable partner for vendors in this space?
Pick a particularly successful public sector customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how you helped that customer save money/streamline their business/improve their service. A customer testimonial must be used to back up the study and again use stats.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible service to your customers?
Company image - describe any marketing activities you undertake to raise awareness of your company to public sector customers, and how you go the extra mile to keep those customers happy.

Maximum word count: 1,000

Please read the criteria before submitting your entry. Relevant customer testimonials and supporting materials are welcome but must not exceed the 1,000 maximum word count.

Award Name SMB Reseller of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Reseller awards will recognise excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the reseller's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, ROI and investment protection, and cost reduction. Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.

SMB Reseller of the Year

The award is open to resellers that have a focus on the SMB market, whether this is on very small companies (1-9 employees) within a locality or region, or larger firms that fall within the ‘SMB' definition i.e. fewer than 250 employees. And also to those firms that are fairly young and consider themselves an ‘up and coming' player in the SMB space, and have seen excellent growth since launch.

NOTE - More than 80 per cent of your business must be SMB to qualify for entry. Please make sure you address this point.

Outline why you are entering this category and convince the judges why your entry should be considered in this category - give examples of customer demographics and include some information about your business to set the scene - size, staff, how long company been in business etc. Please include stats and figures to demonstrate growth and company size.
Provide evidence of the value provided to your SMB clients over the past year- use stats and growth figures to back up points. Include any investment in new systems/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable partner for vendors in this space?
If you are entering as an ‘emerging' company - give evidence of rapid growth in the form of facts and figures, and explain why you stand out from your peers. Plus give some ideas of growth expectations in the years to come.
Pick a particularly successful corporate customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how you helped that customer save money/streamline their business/improve their service. A customer testimonial must be used to back up the study and again use stats.

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 Managed Services Provider of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Reseller Awards will recognise excellence in the delivery of service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the reseller's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, ROI and investment protection, and cost reduction. Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new service offerings will also be candidates for these awards.

Managed Services Provider of the Year

This award is ONLY open to companies that can truly call themselves a managed service provider (MSP). Vendors or support companies DO NOT qualify for this award and will be removed from the category. Business has to consist primarily of managed services TO END USER CUSTOMERS, this can be any or as many of the ‘as-a-service' disciplines as you like - although bear in mind there is a separate cloud category, so non-cloud entries will be given priority and cloud entries could be moved by the judges. Entries can cover managed services to enterprise, mid-market or SMB level customers. We would ask that at least 40 per cent of your business is through managed services to qualify for entry.

Outline why you are entering this category and convince the judges why your entry should be considered in this category - explain the managed services part of your business, using figures and stats to demonstrate the size of that business, and ensure it meets the criteria requirements.
Provide evidence of the value provided to your customers over the past year through your services - use stats and growth figures to back up points. Include any investment in new systems/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable partner for vendors in this space?
Pick a particularly successful corporate customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how you helped that customer save money/streamline their business/improve their service to their own customers. A customer testimonial must be used to back up the study and again use stats.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible services to your customers? Do you invest in training- if so what type and how often?

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 Cloud Services Provider of the Year

Eligibility Is this the Award for you?

Reseller Awards

Cloud Services Provider of the Year

This category is open to VARs/MSPs/Integrators with a specific focus on providing cloud computing and the relevant services to their end user customers. This can be in any vertical sector with any relevant cloud technology set, whether it is security, storage, infrastructure, datacentre services or a mix of the above and others.

NOTE: Resellers entered for this category should derive at least 40 per cent of their business from the provision of cloud products and services. Please address this point.

Outline why you are entering this category and convince the judges why your entry should be considered in this category. Are you a true cloud provider? If you have been on a journey to the cloud, or are a born in the cloud player, please include a full but brief outline.
Explain your cloud business - the services and products you offer and what customer demographic you serve with your offerings. Please include stats and figures to help set the scene and ensure you meet for criteria cut off point for entry.
Provide evidence of the value your cloud offerings provide to your clients over the past year- use stats and growth figures to back up points. Include any investment in new systems/vendor accreditations/services for example. Or if you have made an acquisition to further bolster your offerings, please elaborate. Why do you stand out from the competition in this category? Why are you a valuable partner for vendors in this space?
Pick a particularly successful customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success, how your cloud solutions helped that customer save money/streamline their business/improve their service. A customer testimonial must be used to back up the study and again use stats.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible service to your customers? Do you invest in training to ensure your teams are always up to date with the latest cloud technology?

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: Reseller of the Year (£51m+ turnover) - Please note that this category requires a face-to-face presentation if shortlisted

Reseller Awards

Reseller Awards will recognise excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the reseller's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, ROI and investment protection, and cost reduction. Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.

Reseller of the Year

This category is open to all VARs/MSPs/Integrators with a turnover above £51m, that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves a top reseller accolade at the CRN awards. Any IT supplier, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award, but to be in with a chance of winning you have to have done something spectacular to impress the judges and be prepared to shout about it. Plus your turnover threshold must qualify to enter.

Demonstrate why you feel you qualify for the Reseller of the Year (£51m turnover) award (this can be staff happiness/retention, impressive achievements, vendor accolades etc) and remember to use stats/figures to show growth and back up claims.
What has your business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition - this can be either significant revenue growth (both organic and through acquisition), a large number of vendor accreditations in one year, significant amount of major contract wins or just punching above your weight in a challenging economic climate. Again use stats and figures.
What has been your company's most impressive achievement this year? Why are you proud of it, how did your people help achieve it? Again back up with stats and figures.
Pick a particularly successful corporate customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success and why it should help you win the award. Remember to include stats and testimonials.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible service to your customers? Do you do anything unusual for your staff that the competition doesn't?

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: Reseller of the Year (sub £50m turnover)- Please note that this category requires a face-to-face presentation if shortlisted

Reseller Awards

Reseller Awards will recognise excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to end user customers, taking into consideration the reseller's ability to deliver real benefits to the user organisation, and to meet customer objectives in terms of improved efficiency, ROI and investment protection, and cost reduction. Companies that demonstrate innovation in developing and bringing-to-market new concepts and solutions will also be candidates for these awards.

Reseller of the Year

This category has been launched to give the smaller players in the market a chance to compete on a more even playing field against their peers. The award is open to all VARs/MSPs/Integrators with a turnover up to £50m, that feel they have done a particularly outstanding job over the past 12 months that deserves a top reseller accolade at the CRN awards. Any IT supplier, regardless of specialisation or focus is eligible to enter this award, but to be in with a chance of winning you have to have done something spectacular to impress the judges and be prepared to shout about it. Plus your turnover threshold must qualify to enter.

Demonstrate why you feel you should win the Reseller of the Year (sub £50m turnover) award (this can be staff happiness/retention, impressive achievements, vendor accolades etc) and remember to use stats/figures to show growth and back up claims. You must also let the judges know your turnover to qualify.
What has your business achieved in the past 12 months that makes it stand out from the competition - this can be either significant revenue growth (both organic and through acquisition), a large number of vendor accreditations in one year, significant amount of major contract wins or just punching above your weight in a challenging economic climate. Again use stats and figures.
What has been your company's most impressive achievement this year? Why are you proud of it, how did your people help achieve it? Again back up with stats and figures.
Pick a particularly successful corporate customer case study from the past year and explain to the judges why it was such a success and why it should help you win the award. Remember to include stats and testimonials.
People - How have you invested in your people to ensure they provide the best possible service to your customers? Do you do anything unusual for your staff that the competition doesn't?

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.