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Firm Categories
The Accounting Excellence firm categories are crafted to recognise the most innovative, ambitious and successful accounting firms within the UK. Judged by a panel of leading industry experts, the aim of each entry should be to demonstrate excellence in contribution to the profession.
SMALL FIRM
OF THE YEAR
MEDIUM FIRM
OF THE YEAR
LARGE FIRM
OF THE YEAR
SPECIALIST TEAM
OF THE YEAR
NEW FIRM
OF THE YEAR
FAST-TRACK FIRM
OF THE YEAR
CLIENT SERVICE
AWARD
INNOVATIVE FIRM
OF THE YEAR
INVESTING IN
PEOPLE AWARD
NOMINATE YOURSELF
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Whether it’s their leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit, or a career-spanning commitment to driving the industry forward, the individual awards categories are to highlight those special individuals that act as lightning rods of professional inspiration.
PRACTICE PIONEER
OF THE YEAR
OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTION
AWARD
NOMINATE YOUR SOFTWARE
SOFTWARE CATEGORIES
As the realm of possibility in accounting becomes shaped more and more by technological advancement it’s critical that accountants have their say. Our software categories are voted on by the accounting, finance and user community awarding the leading tech serving the industry.
Software vendors
Get your software listed
Software users
Vote for your favourite software
Mid-market & Enterprise
Accounting Software of the Year
Small Business Accounting Software of the Year
Small Business Accounting Software of the Year, Practitioners’ Choice
Payroll Software of the Year
Data & Expense Management Software of the Year
Professional Tax Software of the Year
Practice Management Software of the Year
Accounts Production Software of the Year
Practice Suiteof the Year
Forecasting, Planning & Analysis Software of the Year
Non-Accounting Cloud or Banking App
Software Innovation of the Year
SMALL FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for small firms (1-2 partners/directors, annual fee income £251k-£500k).
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate the strength and quality of your firm and client vision. Show us the defining qualities that help you stand out in a crowded market.
MEDIUM FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for medium-sized firms (3+ partners/directors or with a fee income £500k-£5m) typically with multiple teams and locations.
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate the strength and quality of your specialist strategy. Show us the defining qualities that help your team stand out in a highly competitive market.
LARGE FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for large firms (5+ partners/directors or with a £5m+ income) typically with a broad range of service lines and locations across multiple regions.
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate the strength and quality of your firm and client vision and the defining qualities that help you stand out in a highly competitive market.
NEW FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for firms that have been trading for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years.
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate they are targeting a gap in the marketplace with a unqiue vision and a sustainable business model.
SPECIALIST TEAM OF THE YEAR
This category is for firms/teams that have developed specialist, niche services for clients.
Specialist offerings may include in-house teams of consultants, management accountants or virtual finance directors, M&A specialists, technology developers, marketers and analysts, as well as people delivering more traditional audit, tax and industry-specific services.
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate the strength and quality of your specialist strategy. Show us the defining qualities that help your team stand out in a highly competitive market.
FAST-TRACK FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for firms that have found the formula for rapid and sustainable growth over the past two to three years.
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate there is more to growth than rising client numbers and fee income. Showing how you have managed the challenges associated with growth over the last two to three years will earn you higher marks.
NEW FOR 2020
DIGITAL FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for predominantly cloud based firms that deploy a range of apps and associated technology to maximise client service and efficiency.
Judges are looking for pioneers who apply digital technology for a purpose – better client service – and not just firms that likes to experiment wtih the latest tools.
CLIENT SERVICE AWARD
This category is for firms that put client service at the heart of their business. You don’t have to have complicated systems in place to achieve that goal, but you do need to demonstrate observable strategies that enable your team to deliver exemplary client service.
Judges will be looking at how you build your service vision into the fabric of your firm and the results your approach has achieved.
INNOVATIVE FIRM OF THE YEAR
This category is for the innovators. Firms who are not just having new ideas or adopting new technologies, but are achieving real results and charting new frontiers for the accounting profession.
Judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate originality in the firm’s thinking and evidence of the results it has achieved. Try to present evidence that quantifies how you assess success, drive learning and achieve real results.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE AWARD
This category is open to both accounting firms and finance teams in the industry who are fostering talent, supporting career progression and achieving excellence through their people’s performance.
Judges will be looking at how your organisation’s training and development strategy helps your team deliver exceptional service. This can be achieved by presenting quantifiable measures of the impact learning and development activities have had within your organisation.
NEW FOR 2020
BOOKKEEPING FIRM OF THE YEAR
This new category seeks to celebrate the essential work that helps keep the accounting wheels turning. It is open to any specialist bookkeeping practice or to bookkeeping departments that operate within practices.
Judges will be looking for firms that do more than just keep the books and can demonstrate how their service contributes to the wider success of client businesses.
NEW FOR 2020
SOLE PRACTITIONER OF THE YEAR
This category is for a single principal/partner who earns <£250k a year, with or without a supporting team.
The judges are looking for sole practitioners who know where they’re going and who can explain how they are able to help clients in ways that no other firms can.
PRACTICE PIONEER OF THE YEAR
This category is for practice pioneers who are not only experts in their field, but show a genuinely innovative approach to the wider challenges facing the accounting profession.
Tell us about the pioneer you would like to nominate and the contribution they have made to accounting excellence over the past year.
The judges are looking for a Practice Pioneer who not only has expertise in their field, but shows a genuinely innovative approach to the wider challenges facing the accounting profession.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD
The Outstanding Contribution award is given to an individual to mark their exceptional service and contribution to the AccountingWEB community and wider accounting profession. This honorary award is given at the discretion of the AccountingWEB editorial team and is not necessarily awarded every year. In making our decision, we draw heavily on our online community and AccountingWEB contributors.
MID-MARKET & ENTERPRISE ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
Evidence must be shown of the impact on the business and its customers, such as testimonials, short case summaries and client satisfaction measures.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
Quantifiable performance measures must be shown – including revenue growth and profitability, but also those relevant to the finance function itself.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR , PRACTITIONERS’ CHOICE
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
PAYROLL SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
DATA & EXPENSE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
PROFESSIONAL TAX SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
ACCOUNTS PRODUCTION SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
PRACTICE SUITE OF THE YEAR
The Practice Suite of the Year award is calculated on final voting results based on the best average score across a full suite of product categories.
FORECASTING, PLANNING & ANALYSIS SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support and Reliability.
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
Software Vendors enter now or Software Users vote now
NON-ACCOUNTING CLOUD OR BANKING APP
The voting community will rate a vendor’s product out of 5 in four key areas: Functionality, Value for money, Support, Reliability
To be considered for the shortlist, an ‘entrant’ must receive a minimum of 3% of the total votes cast in that category. Then the top 4/5 vendors will make the shortlist, with the winner being the product with the highest overall average score across the 4 variables and a user recommendation rating.
SOFTWARE INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
This category is for software vendors that have introduced a product or solution in the past year that has solved major issues for accountants and helped them deliver outstanding value or service to clients.
The judges are looking for innovations that have achieved tangible results during the past year.
Judges panel
A panel of expertise
Meet our carefully selected judging panel of respected industry experts. Learn more about the judging process and what we mean when we evaluate excellence in the industry.
Our Partners
Accounting Excellence Partner
Accounting Excellence Partner
Accounting Excellence Partner
Small Firm of the Year Sponsor
Medium Firm of the Year Sponsor
Practice Pioneer Sponsor
New Firm of the Year Sponsor
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