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DC Innovation of the Year, DB Investment Innovation of the Year, Technology Innovation of the Year and Retirement Innovation of the Year - judges will measure the submissions solely on the basis of innovations made over the past year (the 12 months to December 31, 2025). Judges will award up to 100 marks - looking at the extent to which your firm has developed new services, products and offerings for clients and the extent to which these innovations helped pension schemes, sponsors, trustees and scheme members. The submission should also be no more than 4 pages of A4 in length. All parts of the submission must refer to specific developments during the past 12 months.

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lThe Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award is open to the providers, advisers and asset managers that provide services to occupational pension schemes and trustees. It aims to reward those firms that best promote diversity and inclusion within their own workforce as well as those who have contributed to industry-wide initiatives in this area. Judges will, in particular, look at initiatives launched, conducted or largely completed during the year to 31st December 2025 - awarding up to 100 marks in this category. The submission should be no more than 4 pages of A4 in length.

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DC Innovation of the Year, DB Investment Innovation of the Year, Technology Innovation of the Year and Retirement Innovation of the Year - judges will measure the submissions solely on the basis of innovations made over the past year (the 12 months to December 31, 2025). Judges will award up to 100 marks - looking at the extent to which your firm has developed new services, products and offerings for clients and the extent to which these innovations helped pension schemes, sponsors, trustees and scheme members. The submission should also be no more than 4 pages of A4 in length. All parts of the submission must refer to specific developments during the past 12 months.

For the Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year and Educational & Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year awards, judges will measure the submissions solely on the basis of an initiative launched or largely completed over the past year (the 12 months to December 31, 2025). The Educational and Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year category specifically aims to reward the consultancy or provider which has worked hardest to help trustees and employers understand the complex world of pensions and investments and those that have broken new ground in terms of pensions knowledge and understanding - either developing new ideas to help solve the issues pension schemes and trustees or challenging current orthodoxies over the 12 months to 31 December 2025. Judges will look at the extent to which consultant and provider initiatives have helped trustees understand complex topics, make better decisions or look at things in a new way. Initiatives may include such things as thought leadership, articles, whitepapers, seminars, conferences, videos etc For the Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year award, judges will look at the extent to which consultant and provider initiatives have helped engage scheme members or helped them understand their pension better. Initiatives should focus on the new innovations launched during the 12 months to 31 December 2025 and could include the use of technology; financial education; or simply the revamp of existing communications. The submissions should also be no more than 4 pages of A4 in length. All parts of the submission must refer to specific developments and initiatives during the past 12 months.

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For the Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year and Educational & Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year awards, judges will measure the submissions solely on the basis of an initiative launched or largely completed over the past year (the 12 months to December 31, 2025). The Educational and Thought Leadership Initiative of the Year category specifically aims to reward the consultancy or provider which has worked hardest to help trustees and employers understand the complex world of pensions and investments and those that have broken new ground in terms of pensions knowledge and understanding - either developing new ideas to help solve the issues pension schemes and trustees or challenging current orthodoxies over the 12 months to 31 December 2025. Judges will look at the extent to which consultant and provider initiatives have helped trustees understand complex topics, make better decisions or look at things in a new way. Initiatives may include such things as thought leadership, articles, whitepapers, seminars, conferences, videos etc For the Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year award, judges will look at the extent to which consultant and provider initiatives have helped engage scheme members or helped them understand their pension better. Initiatives should focus on the new innovations launched during the 12 months to 31 December 2025 and could include the use of technology; financial education; or simply the revamp of existing communications. The submissions should also be no more than 4 pages of A4 in length. All parts of the submission must refer to specific developments and initiatives during the past 12 months.

DC Innovation of the Year, DB Investment Innovation of the Year, Technology Innovation of the Year and Retirement Innovation of the Year - judges will measure the submissions solely on the basis of innovations made over the past year (the 12 months to December 31, 2025). Judges will award up to 100 marks - looking at the extent to which your firm has developed new services, products and offerings for clients and the extent to which these innovations helped pension schemes, sponsors, trustees and scheme members. The submission should also be no more than 4 pages of A4 in length. All parts of the submission must refer to specific developments during the past 12 months.

The overall Pension Scheme of the Year category is open to both DB and DC schemes of all sizes but is not open to entry by commercial master trusts (which are covered by the ‘DC Master Trust of the Year’ and ‘DB Master Trust / Consolidator of the Year’ categories above. Judges assessing this category will be looking at innovations the scheme has made over the 12 months to 31 December 2025; what entrants have done to improve member experience, service and outcomes; improvements and innovations they have made to their investment strategy; and how they have successfully engaged and communicated with their members. It will also assess how funds have improved their governance and administration during the period as well as at-retirement processes as applicable. In particular, it will look at: Innovation: Schemes should demonstrate innovations they have made over the 12 months to 31 December 2025 in order to improve the scheme or solve a specific problem. This will be worth 30% of the total mark. Member Outcomes / Service to Members: What have entrants done to improve member outcomes / the experience for members / member service. This will be worth 15% of the total mark. Investment management: Companies with DC schemes should explain how their chosen investment strategy helps members achieve good outcomes as well as how these investment choices and charges are reviewed to ensure ongoing good value and outcomes. DB schemes should set out their investment strategies and show performance over one, three and five years. This will be worth 15% of the total mark. Communication / Engagement: Judges will be looking for how schemes have successfully communicated with members and innovative ways they have used to make sure key messages have been understood by members (use of websites, webinars, social media, newsletters, meetings, roadshows, financial guidance etc). Judges will also look at measures schemes have taken to change communication strategies, educate members and raise their financial awareness in light of the pension freedoms. This will be worth 10% of the total mark. Governance: Entrants should set out what they have done to improve their scheme’s governance or ensure it is best in class – be it through a traditional trustee board, a pensions committee or other form of oversight. This will be worth 10% of the total mark. Administration: Schemes should demonstrate how they have improved their administration and ensure their admin is ‘best of class’. This will be worth 10% of the total mark. At-Retirement: Entrants should set out their at-retirement processes – detailing the support, communication and education given to members in the run-up to retirement and, for DC schemes, the process that is in place to help members choose an appropriate way to take income from the scheme. This will be worth 10% of the total mark.

This category is open to DB and DC schemes of all sizes and LGPS funds and pools but is not open to entry by commercial group personal pension providers, master trusts or consolidators (which would be covered by the other categories above. GPP providers and commercial master trusts are, however, allowed to put forward an entry on behalf of one of their employer or pension scheme clients. Judges assessing this category will be looking for evidence of an innovative investment strategy – particularly looking for evidence on how the design of the scheme’s strategy meets the schemes objectives; the implementation of new asset classes and strong investment performance.

This category is open to both DB and DC schemes of all sizes but is not open to entry by commercial group personal pension providers, master trusts or consolidators (which would be covered by the ‘Pensions Communication Initiative of the Year’ categories in the UK Pensions Awards. GPP providers and commercial master trusts are, however, allowed to put forward an entry on behalf of one of their employer or pension scheme clients. Judges assessing this category will be looking for evidence of a successful communications or engagement project or strategy over the year to 31 December 2025 – particularly looking for evidence on the effectiveness of its communication, the way it has used technology to support its strategy and any innovations it has employed.