FAQs
Please take the time to read these Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand more about how to enter the Awards and eligibility and understand more about the project in general.
If your question is not answered on this FAQ page please email us at digitalawards@n-e-life.co.uk
How do I enter?
Can I enter the awards more than once?
Can I enter the same category more than once?
Is my business eligible for entry?
Why should I enter?
What is a 'Digital User'?
What is a ‘Digital Supplier'?
What is a ‘Digital Innovator'?
I am a ‘User' who hired a ‘Supplier' to create my website. Can both of us enter the same project in the same category?
How long can I expect to wait for my entry to be approved?
Can I upload supportive evidence with my entry?
Can I cast more than one vote?
My colleagues are attempting to vote but are receiving a message telling them they have already voted, which is not the case. Why is this?
What happens once the Awards close? If I have the most votes do I automatically win?
How will the entries be judged?
Who will be judging the entries?
When will the results be announced?
When is the closing date?
What about sponsorship deals?
Can I sponsor the event AND enter the awards?
How do I ask a question?
How do I enter?
It's really simple. First you need to fully register your business to obtain your login details. Once your registration is completed select 'Submit Entry' on the homepage and follow the instructions.
The information entered will form the basis of your case study and will be passed on to the judges in order that they may evaluate your entry. With this in mind you should carefully consider the information that you are uploading. Ensure that you:
- Fully explain what the project is and how it works
- Answer all the questions comprehensively
- Use plain English and keep it simple and easy to understand
- Included supportive evidence, including figures, stats, and testimonials
- Upload supportive evidence where possible - audio or visual files for example
Your case study is your application form to enter the Digital Awards. It is your only opportunity to communicate directly to the judges about of the elements that make your solution potentially award-winning. There will not be an interview or presentation stage, so be sure to make your case study unique and engaging.
Can I enter the awards more than once?
Yes, but each entry must be absolutely unique. This means that you can enter more than one category but each entry must be about a different project, product or solution. Content submitted to support your project, product or solution must be individual to each entry; we will not accept a content 'template'. Remember, the more unique your entry is, the more your entry will stand out during the judging process.
For example, if you have a new eCommerce website and enter the ‘Best eCommerce Website' category, we would consider the build of this website as a ‘project' and so could not accept any further entries based on the ecommerce functionality of the website.
However, if you had also carried out an SEO programme or successfully introduced regular podcasting, you may enter these as separate projects into the relevant categories.
Please note - The North East Digital Awards Team will decline all duplicate entries and reserves the right to decline any entry based on the entry criteria.
Can I enter the same category more than once?
Yes. You can enter a category more than once but each entry must feature a unique project.
Is my business eligible for entry?
If you meet all four of the following requirements, you are eligible to enter the North East Digital Awards:
The awards are open to all businesses:
- Small, medium or large
- Sole trader, partnerships, limited companies
- Public and private sector
Based in the North East of England:
- Northumberland
- Tyne and Wear
- County Durham
- Tees Valley
The project you enter must focus on digital technology that you have adopted or applied for the benefit of your business, someone else's business or a particular target audience.
The project you enter must have been completed within the last year (or due for completion by the submission deadline of 27 February 2009).
Why should I enter?
If you use, supply or are an innovator of digital technology then these Awards are for you. The obvious benefit is the chance that you will win an Award, attend a high profile Award Ceremony, receive great publicity, and be able to bask in the associated kudos!
But these Awards have much more to offer. Take the opportunity to shout about your successes and you will have them showcased right here on this website. As well as enjoying high levels of traffic and visitors from throughout the region, the UK and globally, you can also send out your case study entry via RSS feeds and social bookmarking. You can even convert it to a PDF document to keep and share.
For more in depth information on the awards visit the about us page.
What is a 'Digital User'?
A digital user is a company or an individual that has used digital applications to the benefit of their business. This may include developing a website, online order system, or mobile marketing campaign.
The work may have been undertaken in-house or a third party supplier, but the main thrust of the Awards entry will highlight the advantages to the business - the digital user.
See all Digital User categories here.
What is a ‘Digital Supplier'?
A digital supplier is usually a company who have produced, or supplied, a digital solution for another business. The agency or individual is demonstrating their capabilities, using a particular project to showcase the kinds of solution they can supply to other businesses, making them a supplier.
See all digital supplier categories here.
What is a ‘Digital Innovator'?
A digital innovator is a company, agency, or individual demonstrating the implementation of groundbreaking technology. This could include games developers, mobile specialist and programmers for example. If your business is working with the very latest ebusiness and ICT-related technology, experimenting with technology, and leading the way, then you are a digital innovator.
See all Digital Innovators categories here.
I am a ‘User' who hired a ‘Supplier' to create my website. Can both of us enter the same project in the same category?
No. Please see FAQs 2 and 3 for more information.
If you do find yourself in this situation we recommend that you collaborate with the other party and together decide which group and category to enter. Much better to get together and develop an in-depth case study, which will increase your chances of winning! You can also pool all of your contacts together which should double the potential number of votes you can expect to receive.
Please note that the North East Digital Awards team reserve the right to eliminate duplicate entries without notice.
How long can I expect to wait for my entry to be approved?
The Digital Awards team will review your application and provide you with further notification within 48 business hours of submission.
Can I upload supportive evidence with my entry?
Yes. The size limit for files to support your case study is
1MB for image files
5MB for audio/pdf/doc files
10MB for video files
Can I cast more than one vote?
Voting is limited to one vote per category. To ensure fairness we store both your Awards ID (if you're a registered user) and your IP address. Voting patterns will be checked regularly as part of the Digital Awards administration process.
My colleagues are attempting to vote but are receiving a message telling them they have already voted, which is not the case. Why is this?
You may experience voting problems if your place of work uses a large central server. To avoid this, please register with the website which will then allow you to cast your vote.
What happens once the Awards close? If I have the most votes do I automatically win?
No! Following the closure date (27 February 2009) votes can continue to be cast until 6 March 2009. Your supporters can cast their vote as soon as your entry has been approved and is live on the website. The online voting system is used to generate votes in order that your entry makes it on to the shortlist.
The three entries from each category with the most votes will make the shortlist, at which point the number of votes received will be discounted and the judges will mark each project on its own merits before deciding on a winner.
How will the entries be judged?
The Digital Awards winners will be selected following a two-phased approach.
Phase one - entries with the most votes will be automatically shortlisted so it is in your best interest to promote your entry and get your contacts to vote for you! Entries will be reviewed for quality irrespective of number of votes before being added to the shortlist.
Phase two - shortlisted entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will the have the difficult task of deciding on the overall winners for each category. The evaluation will be conducted based on the project itself (so be sure to provide an active web link and supportive evidence) and on the strengths of the case study submitted by the entrants.
To give yourself the best possible chance read the guide to completing your case study.
Who will be judging the entries?
There will be a panel of independent judges for each group - Digital Users, Digital Suppliers and Digital Innovators. Each panel will comprise five handpicked high-calibre professionals representing organisations relevant to the digital industry.
When will the results be announced?
Shortlisted entries will be announced via the website after voting closes on 6 March 2009. All winners will be announced at the North East Digital Awards Ceremony which will take place on 25 March 2009.
When is the closing date?
The deadline for entries to the competition is 27 February 2009. Following this deadline, your friends, contacts and associated will have until 6 March 2009 to get any last minute votes in.
What about sponsorship deals?
There are two sponsorship packages available.
- Headline sponsorship - the highest level of sponsorship offered and available for the three main groups - Digital User, Digital Supplier and Digital Innovator.
- Associate Sponsorship - offered for all categories within each of the three groups.
Download sponsorship information.
Can I sponsor the event AND enter the awards?
No! This would obviously jeopardise the integrity of the North East Digital Awards. However, if you entered the Awards last year and do not wish to enter the Awards this year, you may stay involved by becoming a sponsor.
How do I ask a question?
If your question is not answered on this FAQ page please email us at digitalawards@n-e-life.co.uk
