Who can enter?
The Retirement Living Awards are open to any developer or owner of a retirement living development in the UK (no matter how large or small the scale of operation) as well as providers of retirement living services.
Companies may submit entries in any number of categories. Each entry will incur a fee of £150 plus VAT if applicable. Please tailor each submission to fit the category into which it is being entered. This is particularly important for your 100-word entry summary as it is the first moment judges will view your entry and should provide them with a context for the entry.
Practices and agencies are welcome to submit entries on behalf of their clients. Retirement living operators based outside the UK can also enter, provided they have UK developments.
If entries are duplicated by accident or in error, entries will have to be processed before a decision about their duplication can be made. Regrettably, any duplicated entry fee will be forfeited.
Eligibility
Except where indicated, submissions should relate to the period June 1 2023 – May 31 2025.
The organisers reserve the right to retain entries for subsequent publication, both on- and offline in ways that enhance the standing of entrants, of the supporting partners and of the Retirement Living Awards themselves. Descriptions of submissions from winners and runners-up will be published in connection with the Awards. Entrants may mark certain sensitive parts of their entry ‘not for publication’ (such as exact data, etc.), provided such restrictions are not used unreasonably.
General entry information
Entries into the Retirement Living Awards must be submitted online. Your written entry document must be no more than 1500 words (12 point type, single line spacing) saved in PDF format (5MB maximum file size), uploaded from your desktop to the Retirement Living Awards award management system. All entries should be written following the template sections shown below. The Judges will automatically vote lower any entries that exceed 1500 words. Please adhere to these basic rules of entry, together with any other specific criteria described below.
Template guide
Your written entry and 100-word summary form the basis on which the judges will vote for and short-list your entry. The 1500 words should tell your story in your way, but at the beginning of your submission the following information must be listed:
- URL
- Category entered
- Name of development/community/village
- Entering company
- Entering company (if entered by an agency for a client)
The Judges will need to access your website (please note that the website must remain live or be accessible in an archive for the judges to access until August 31, 2025).
Within your submission document you must use the following as sub-headings under which you clearly enter your information:
- Short description of development including size, location and environment (e.g. Utopia Village, a development of 20 residences, completed 5 years ago and situated in contoured, landscaped grounds on the banks of the River Trent, etc, etc.) - 10 marks
- Reasons for choice of site, choice of materials, architecture, construction methods and landscaping decisions - 20 marks
- Special facilities or benefits for residents that the development offers including lifestyle options, sport and leisure facilities, all other types of activities (e.g. fine art, community newsletter, etc.) - 20 marks
- Innovative ideas for new developments or new thinking related to an older well established development, including redesign and refurbishment - 20 marks
- Involvement of consultants and advisors (e.g. planning, finance, infection control, creative or marketing services, etc.) - 15 marks
- Feedback from residents and staff - 15 marks
You may not need to complete all the above headings fully. If your entry is just about a marketing campaign for a development, for instance, the judges will mark your entry in context and will expect the content of your submission paper to reflect the specific nature of your entry.
Support material
If you wish to provide additional support material please provide a URL to a supporting micro site in your 1500-word submission paper, as well as the URL to the relevant website. If you wish to submit video material, please upload it to Vimeo, for preference, and provide the link to the material. The judges will want to feel fully informed about your online activity, so please include whatever you feel is appropriate and relevant for your entry. If an entry is entered into more than one category, please indicate this clearly, and state which other categories you have entered.
Disqualifications
Any entry that breaks national or international laws or offends public, religious, national or gender-specific sensitivities will be disqualified. If an entry is disqualified for any reason the entry fees will not be refunded.