Check out our categories page to see which sub-category your brand falls into.
KEY DATES
Tickets on sale - 4 March
Entry earlybird end - 7 April
Entry deadline - 29 May
Ticket earlybird end - 20 July
Awards - 10 September
ENTRY FEE
Friday 19th April 2024
Friday 19th April 2024
Wednesday 15th May 2024
Autumn 2024
Stage 1 EXTENDED entry deadline
Shortlisted entrants notified
Stage 2 entry deadline (for entrants who are successfully shortlisted only and unfortunately we cannot offer an extension to this deadline)
Winners notified and awards content published
£250 + VAT per brand, per category
If you are a small business, there is a discounted category within relevant sections. Please find more information in the FAQs below. If you have any questions please get in touch with us: marieclaireawards@futurenet.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL
Marie Claire’s fourth annual Sustainability Awards have a new set of entry requirements for 2024. In a world that is demanding increasing transparency around sustainability, we want to ensure our awards are both credible and authentic. It is important that award winners demonstrate sustainability in their core business practices as well as in specific product innovations, demonstrating responsibility to both people and planet. To avoid greenwashing, we require entrants to provide evidence for their claims.
There are two stages to enter:
Stage 1–entrants will be asked to provide information about their brand/business, including achievements and the reasons why they should win the category chosen. The extended entry deadline is Friday 19th April 2024.
Shortlisted entrants will be notified by Friday 19th April 2024 by email and will be invited to complete additional information in the next stage.
Stage 2–entrants that have been shortlisted will be invited to complete an entry form and judging criteria will be made up of three parts:
1. Getting to know you
Tell us about your business and your practices. This section applies to all entrants. A weighted score will be allocated for each question to assess if your core business operates in an ethical and sustainable way.
2. Category focus
Please provide 500 words explaining what social and environmental issues you address and how. This section includes category specific topic areas we would like to see information on, such as circularity, your supply chain or packaging. You are encouraged to provide further evidence to support this explanation.
3. Supporting evidence
It is essential that sustainability is measured and evidenced to ensure it is embedded within a business. This section invites you to upload policies, reports, and certifications to validate your sustainability efforts. The scoring of this evidence will be weighted according to the size of your business.
We look forward to celebrating businesses that demonstrate true social and sustainable innovation and practices.
If you have any specific questions about the entry form or would like to know what information to gather for stage 2 please contact marieclaireawards@futurenet.com.
As part of phase 2, we need a range of information:
- More information about your company, including the number of employees, turnover, and headquarters.
- Your mission/vision statement and your commitment to your team.
- How you track your environmental footprint.
- Evidence of your company's commitment to sustainability initiatives such as circularity, plastic reduction, and packaging innovation.
- Transparency in your supply chain and evidence of efforts to reduce carbon intensity, empower local economies, and promote environmentally friendly behaviour change.
- Certifications such as cruelty-free, fair labour, fair wage, and vegan are appreciated.
Providing thorough evidence of your sustainability practices will strengthen your entry and showcase your commitment to environmental and social responsibility. We recommend you involve the sustainability champion to collate this information and evidence.
There are multiple rounds of judging. Entries will be judged by the Marie Claire UK team, sustainability advisors at Seismic and a selection of global experts, thought leaders and activists in sustainability. Individuals will be selected from our panel to judge the categories best suited to their knowledge and expertise. Judges will be asked to provide feedback and scores. The highest scoring entry will win the category.
You can enter your brand/company into multiple relevant categories. Brands and initiatives can have been launched at any time.
The extended entry deadline is 6pm BST on Friday 19th April 2024.
No, any brands or companies can enter, regardless of location. The winners and highly commended will be featured on marieclaire.co.uk with a link for our audience to purchase/enquire, so your product/service must be available for UK customers.
Winners and highly commended will be notified by email by the end of September 2024. This information is embargoed until after the virtual awards ceremony. Winners and highly commended will be celebrated at our virtual awards moment in Autumn 2024. Winners and highly commended will also be announced with editorial on marieclaire.co.uk. Unfortunately we are unable to notify entrants who have not been shortlisted for the final judging stage or awarded.
Yes, we have a number of licensing packages available so that you can make the most of your win. Discounted rates are available to small businesses. To request costs please contact Efi.Mandrides@futurenet.com.
We do not require product samples. Please provide as much information as you can about your brand/business. Categories will be presented to a panel of judges based on their experience and area of expertise. If any judges require a sample we will request this from you.
No, your entry does not have to be a new launch. Brands and companies can be launched at any time.
Entrants are kept confidential, and only the winners and highly commended brands will be featured within awards editorial on marieclaire.co.uk.
PAYMENTS
One entry is £250 + VAT per brand/entry, per category. e.g. if you wanted to enter into vegan brand and progress towards circularity, the cost would be £500 + VAT. There are some discounted categories available to small business entrants, please use the code SB at the checkout for the reduced entry fee to be applied.
Payment by card is required. We accept VISA, Mastercard and AMEX. If you have issues with payment please contact marieclaireawards@futurenet.com.
We are able to issue an invoice for group entries over £1,000 + VAT. Please submit requests to marieclaireawards@futurenet.com.
Yes, there is a category dedicated to small businesses within various sections where appropriate. This is discounted to £95 + VAT and your business must have an annual turnover of under £84,000. Please use code SB at the checkout for the reduced entry fee to be applied and select "small business" within sub-categories.
There is a discounted category available to small businesses within various sections where appropriate. This is discounted to £95 + VAT and your business must have an annual turnover of under £84,000 to qualify for this discount. Unfortunately it is not possible to discount fees for other categories.