The objective of the EFQM Excellence Awards is to recognise Europe’ s best performing organisations, whether private, public or non-profit . It recognises industry leaders with an indisputable track record of success in turning strategy into action and continuously improving their organisation’s performance .

Previous applicants have described the EFQM Excellence Awards as "like playing in the Champions League", because it is supported by one of the most rigorous assessment processes. To identify the nominees, a team of 5 - 9 international experienced managers spend one week on applicants’ site, or an average of 500 hours per applicant; reviewing documents, interviewi111g and analysing the organisation against the EFQM Excellence Model. The feedback from the assessor teams are then presented to an independent jury that decides the level of recognition for each Nominees.

Jury
The Awards Jury is a group of highly influential people from the world of business, public service and academia. They are called to deliberate on whom among the best organisations in Europe is the role model all others should aspire to learn from, and to decide whom amongst top business and public service leaders should be called on stage and receive the ultimate recognition, the EFQM Excellence Awards. They have the opportunity to exchange views with some of their peers in the high echelon of Europe’s industrial, political and cultural world on how business and public service strategies are implemented in Europe, and by selecting the role models to influence the strategic direction in the future. They also get acquainted with organisations and people that are exiPected to shape the economic landscape in Europe- and globally- in the next few years.

EFQM is committed
to help organisations drive improvement through the use of the EFQM Excellence Model, a comprehensive management framework used by over 30 000 organisations in Europe. For the last 20 years, we manage the development of this Model, incorporating the experiences and learning from these organisations to ensure it reflects reality.
To help you implement our Model, we provide training, assessment tools and recognition . But our real talent comes from gathering good practices and integrating those within our portfolio. EFQM, a not-for-profit membership Foundation, aims to share what works, through case studies, online seminars, working groups, conferences and thematic events. We nurture a network of world-class organisations and their leaders who share our passion for business excellence.
We believe that the EFQM Model is a common framework that helps us all to improve our businesses.

Assessors
Every year, more than 100 assessors from several countries come together in Brussels to kick-off the EFQM Excellence Award assessments. These people come from a diverse range of organisations, from the private and public sectors, from SMEs to global multi-nationals . They also bring a wider range of experience and skills to each team. The assessors are not just "business excellence professionals"; they come from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, from HR to IT, from Finance to Supply Chain Management . And it’s this diversity that brings benefits not just for the applicants in the feedback and insights they ultimately receive, but to the assessors themselves .

How to Apply
General information

The Awards Assessment
A team of assessors will visit you to ana lyse results and interview people at all levels of your organisation. After the assessment, the Jury selects a shortlist of Nominees. These organisations are able to demonstrate a high level of matur ity and effective execution of their strategy. Out of the Nominees the Jury identifies Prize Winners. Prize Winners show role model behavior at least in one of the 8 EFQM Fundamental Concepts of Excellence. To win the EFQM Excellence Awards, an organisation must be able to demonstrate that their performance not only exceeds that of their peers, but they can sustain the performance level in the future.


Who can apply ?
Only EFQM Members can apply for the Excellence Awards. To apply for membership, please contact us. Moreover, applicants are qualified at 500 points before they can enter the Awards process. The Awards is open to every high performing organisation in Europe. For companies headquartered outside Europe please contact: info@efqm.org

How do I apply ?
Please download the application form online (www.efqm.org ) and return iit by the due date. Together with this, you will return the qualification file which consists of key information and key results. EFQM qualifies the awards candidates at 500 points. The second step is to complete your submission document by creating an enabler map or a 75-page submission document.

How much is the entry fee ?
The application fee is determined based on the size of your organisation and the geographical spread out . It may vary between: € 8,000; € 12,000 or € 15,000. To understand your price category, please contact EFQM. Applicant organisations are also bearing the costs associated to tlhe site visit.

When is the Awards Ceremony ?
The EFQM Awards Ceremony traditionally takes place on the first day of the EFQM Forum, our yearly thematic conference to learn from experts and expand your professional network.

Contact:
Samuli Pruikkonen
Avenue des Olympiades, 2
1140 Evere, Brussels
+32 2 775 3511