AWARDS
Entries for the NACFB Patron Awards 2022 have now closed
Best of luck to all those organisations that have entered
This year’s NACFB Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday 24th November 2022
Click on the category heading to download the submission form
Asset Finance Provider of the Year
Britain’s manufacturers are powered by the engines, the machinery and the equipment that combine to produce all manner of goods. Whether through leasing or hire-purchase, the judging panel will be seeking to shortlist Patrons that demonstrate they are funding the beating heart of industry - either through the provision of soft or hard assets. Download entry form.
BDM Team of the Year
Whilst lending institutions are the central hub, they are being fed information by a network of specialist nerve endings, their business development teams. These teams span the entire UK and partner with the broker community to turn a no into a yes. The judges will be looking for evidence of expertise, insight, growth and will, above all, recognise the ability to maintain and develop strong intermediary relationships. Download entry form.
Business Bank of the Year
The last twelve months marked an era of gradual recovery from the worst effects of the pandemic. Lifelines had been cast, and ships were steadying, thanks in no small part to the lenders that have helped SMEs with critical business funding them. The judges will be looking for Patrons who have partnered with the broker community to champion British businesses as they exit what will have been for many, their darkest hour. Download entry form.
Buy-to-Let Lender of the Year
Landlords the length and breadth of the country rely on the specialist expertise of buy-to-let funders. The judging panel will be compiling a shortlist made up of Patrons who have enabled portfolios to grow and helped navigate the sectors’ complexities, helping to balance forbearance and tenant insecurity throughout a tumultuous year. Download entry form.
Commercial Mortgage Lender of the Year
The UK commercial property sector is a highly developed market with an estimated size of nearly £1.3 trillion. The last few years have placed tremendous strain on commercial property units, and funders are still adapting to a relatively uncertain future. The judges will be compiling a shortlist of the sector’s most dynamic and agile commercial mortgage funders. Download entry form.
Deal of the YEAR
At the very heart of our industry are the deals and transactions that we all work towards. This award welcomes the best intermediary-led deals of the last year, ones that really exemplify and highlight the successes of collaboration. The judges aren’t just looking for the biggest deals, they’re looking for the most creatively structured, the most interesting client journeys, and the deals that made the biggest impact. Patrons can enter more than one transaction into this category, but they must be entered separately. Download entry form.
Development Lender of the Year
Be it in the residential, retail or hospitality sectors, SME builders and developers rely on an injection of credit to get projects both off the ground as well as seeing them to completion. This award will recognise Patrons who provide the foundations for construction projects, as well as those that have helped clients overcome supply chain, labour, and planning challenges. Download entry form.
Factor & Invoice Discounter of the Year
Now more than ever, it remains vital that SMEs are able to release the funds tied up in their unpaid invoices. The diverse array of facilities that the shortlisted Patrons provide, will enable an unlocking of credit that can often be a lifeline for SMEs crippled by late payments. Download entry form.
INDUSTRY SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
It takes far more than just lenders and brokers to finance a deal. The lifecycle of a commercial transaction is also dependent upon a roster of insurers, lawyers, valuers, platforms and bespoke services to ensure completion. In this category, the judges will be looking to recognise industry suppliers that can demonstrate the adding of tangible value to today’s brokers and lenders. Download entry form.
Most Innovative Lender of the Year
Innovation is what keeps our industry moving forward and keeps lenders throughout the community on their toes. Recent years have required more innovative solutions to respond to market volatility. But innovation isn’t just limited to technology, the judging panel will be looking for advances in product development, service levels and in the pioneering ways that lenders engage with brokers. Download entry form.
Rising Star of the Year
We are seeing a new generation of finance professionals making waves in the sector. Our industry is more than just the merely transactional, it celebrates the real people who are the beating heart of face-to-face business. The judges will be looking for an up-and-coming professional who has a promising career ahead of them. The winner of the award must be under 30 and will be chosen by the NACFB head office team. Download entry form.
Short Term Lender of the Year
Short-term and bridging finance products remain an indispensable tool in a broker’s arsenal. With many lenders boasting record speeds and efficiencies, the judges will be producing a shortlist of short-term lenders that provide real substance and market understanding, alongside their flexible funding solutions in the property finance space. Download entry form.
Socially Responsible Lender of the Year
This year’s award seeks to recognise Patrons whose core remit is that of ethical banking. The judges will be seeking evidence of Patrons who grant socially responsible loans, those who help organisations to prosper and contribute to economic, community and social change. Download entry form.
Specialist Lender of the Year
Specialist lenders help the broking community find solutions in some of the most complex and niche areas. The shortlist will be made up of lenders who are willing to partner with a broker and adapt their offering when an ‘out of the box’ solution will not do. Specialist lenders can come in all forms, but the judges will want to see demonstrable evidence of business sector diversity and product alternatives. Download entry form.
Unsecured Funder of the Year
Unsecured business loans place credit into businesses often when they need it most. Business loans that don’t use assets as security remain an attractive funding solution. The judges will select a shortlist that represents the pick of the Association’s unsecured finance Patrons. Download entry form.
Entry criteria
Entry to these awards is only open to NACFB Patrons.
All categories are awarded based on votes from NACFB Members and the feedback of a judging panel. The judging panel is made up of the NACFB Board Directors (minus Patron Directors) and other relevant parties and industry stakeholders.
Entries can be for any events, campaigns or initiatives which have taken place between 23rd July 2021 and 23rd July 2022
The deadline for all entries is 17.00 on Friday 26th August 2022.
Shortlisted entrants will be notified on Monday 26th September 2022.
The winners will be announced at the NACFB Patron Awards ceremony on Thursday 24th November 2022.
An activity may be entered in more than one category, but each entry must be accompanied by an entry form. There is no limit to the number of entries one Patron can make.
Judges reserve the right, without prior consent of the entrant, to move entries to different categories if they feel it is more appropriate.
The judges’ and Members’ decision are final, no correspondence will be entered into and no reasons given for decisions.
All information provided to judges will be used solely for the purposes of assessing the entries. Potentially sensitive information will not be made public.
Winners may state in advertising and promotional material that they have won, but they must state the year the award was won.