Written by Andy Boardman, Digital Content Specialist at Thornton & Lowe
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are widely seen as the UK’s top business awards, recognising organisations that deliver outstanding results and lasting impact, and we’re on a mission to increase the number of Greater Manchester businesses applying and winning as the region has world‑class innovators who should be recognised nationally. That’s why we’ve partnered with expert bid writing agency, Thornton & Lowe, to bring you this ‘how-to’ guide.
Deciding to apply for the King’s Awards is an exciting moment. It’s a chance to take stock, celebrate what you’ve achieved and share your story with a national audience. And yes, it can feel daunting at first; that’s normal. The good news is that successful entries aren’t about glossy language or endless lists. They’re about clear evidence, a focused story and an honest explanation of what makes your work stand out. Let’s walk through it together.
Tell your story in your own words
A strong King’s Awards entry should sound like your organisation, not a generic brand statement. Assessors will read a lot of applications, so it helps to bring them into the real story behind the results.
A simple way to do this is to include a few details that only you can provide.
- Start with a brief introduction and motivation, explaining why the business exists and what problem you set out to solve.
- Include one turning point: a hurdle you faced, what you changed, and what improved as a result.
- Use named roles and teams, such as “our export lead”, “our operations team”, “our apprenticeships manager”, rather than “the business” throughout. Talk about how you worked together to deliver the change.
- Add one short real-world example that brings the outcomes to life, then back it with numbers.
That sort of context helps your evidence land, because it shows the thinking and decision-making behind the outcomes. You don’t need to include lots of personal detail, but a clear narrative makes the application easier to follow and more memorable.
Use plain English and a clear layout
When putting your application together, think about both the language and the presentation. Writing in plain English, without jargon or acronyms, makes it easier to understand your claims and achievements. Write for a reader who doesn’t work in your sector, avoiding any assumptions about background knowledge.
A clear layout is just as important. Use short paragraphs, keep sentences focused, and lead with your strongest point in each section. Mirror the wording of the questions in your headings so assessors can navigate easily. Where it genuinely helps the reader, you can use a small number of bullet points to separate key outcomes or evidence, rather than burying them in long paragraphs.
Finally, make sure that your evidence is easy to interpret. Add time periods and context so that your figures actually mean something to an assessor reading for the first time. This also helps with tight word counts, because it reduces the need for long explanations later.
Support your case with strong evidence
Strong award applications are built on credible, verifiable outcomes. Make it easy to trust your results. Use figures you can verify, keep them consistent across the entry, and be clear about time periods and sources. To strengthen your evidence, focus on:
- Outcomes that are measurable, not just activity
- Baselines and time periods so results can be understood in context
- Attribution so it is clear what your organisation influenced
- Source notes and named owners, so key facts can be checked quickly
- Independent support where possible, such as testimonials, evaluations, press coverage, accreditations, or partner endorsements.
A simple evidence tracker makes drafting much easier, as it will help to reduce the risk of last‑minute contradictions or rushed data checks. You can keep it as a working table that captures each claim, the supporting evidence, the source, the timeframe, and who can sign it off. Even if you do not use every item, it helps you write faster and avoid last-minute rewrites caused by missing or inconsistent figures.
Build a narrative that links everything together
Once your evidence is in place, the next job is to present it as a coherent story.
A useful structure is:
- The context and the challenge
- The decisions you made and why you made them
- What you delivered and what was distinctive
- The results and why they matter
- How you sustained the improvement or built on it
This keeps the focus on impact and decision-making rather than a catalogue of initiatives. It also helps assessors follow cause and effect without having to join the dots themselves.
At Thornton & Lowe, we see a close crossover between writing high-scoring submissions and strong award entries. The fundamentals are the same for any form of application: a clear strategy, a logical structure, and evidence-led storytelling that makes your results easy to follow.
Need help perfecting your entry?
At GM Business Growth Hub, we offer support and guidance for businesses applying for the King’s Awards, including resources and events to help you through the process. Keep an eye on our King’s Awards page for upcoming opportunities to learn more and get involved.
And don’t forget to read the next article in our King’s Awards series, where Thornton & Lowe guide you through the editing process.