Please read these terms and conditions of entry carefully before participating.
Terms & Conditions 2026
By entering the BFA Industry Awards, you confirm that you accept these terms and conditions and that you agree to comply with them.
Entry to the Industry Awards is open to:
• Any BFA/IPF member* working in or owning a retail / studio/ event florist business.
• Students and tutors at recognised Member Colleges or Training Schools*.
• Any Corporate Member* that is a supplier, service provider, wholesaler, grower or other company related to the florist industry.
*Membership must be current and maintained until 5th October 2026 or later.
Nominations
1. Only one company or individual may be nominated per category per nominator. The sole exception is Student of the Year, where tutors may nominate multiple students.
2. There are ten open award categories. You may submit nominations for all categories or only those relevant to you.
3. All nominations will be reviewed and verified before inclusion on the nominees list.
4. Nominations submitted in the incorrect category, or which do not meet the category criteria, will be removed.
5. Nominees can only be listed in one award category, with the sole exception of the Sustainability Advocate award. Those nominated for in the Sustainability category, may also be listed in 1 other category.
6. Where a nominee has been submitted for multiple categories, they will be contacted.
7. No category changes will be permitted once the nominee list has been announced.
8. All nominations are subject to verification by the awards moderator.
Awards Entry Submissions
9. Once the nominee list is announced, all nominees will be contacted. Nominees wishing to participate in the awards process must complete an entry submission before 5pm on 30th June 2026.
10. Nominees who do not submit the required documentation, or who fail to complete the full submission process will forfeit their place in the awards.
11. Entries must be submitted via the online awards platform. Any entries that do not meet the submission requirements or category criteria will be removed.
12. Late entries will not be accepted.
13. Any nominee found to have provided false or misleading information will be removed from the awards with immediate effect.
14. Information provided within the submission and application forms cannot be amended once received or after the stated cut-off date. All details submitted will apply for the full awards cycle.
15. Where nominations are linked to a place of work, nominees may not change employment during the process without forfeiting the right to participate.
16. In the event that a finalist’s circumstances change after reaching the final stage, eligibility will be reviewed by the industry awards panel. The finalist must notify the BFA of any changes in writing via email to info@britishfloristassociation.org so that a
decision can be made.
17. Student entries must have been nominated by a tutor and be enrolled on a floristry course at a member College or Training School in order to be eligible.
18. Floristry tutors participating in the awards must be members of the Institute of Professional Florists (IPF).
19. All businesses participating in the awards must be BFA members.
20. For categories requiring BFA or IPF membership, membership must be valid and maintained until 5th October 2026 or later.
21. By entering the awards, nominees agree that limited information and photographs will be viewed and voted on by the public, and full submission information will be reviewed and marked by the judging panel.
Judging & Voting
22. Submissions will be awarded points by the judging panel. Additional points may be awarded for social media presence, website content (where applicable) and adherence to maximum word counts.
23. An independent panel of industry professionals will judge each category. Judges’ scores will be averaged to determine total number of points awarded to each entry.
24. Judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding results.
25. Nominees must not contact panel judges via any means in relation to their nomination, the judging process, or anything else relating to the industry awards. Any nominee found to have done so will be disqualified.
26. The highest scoring entries in each category will be selected as finalists and will progress to the public vote stage.
27. Finalists will be announced, and voting will open on Wednesday 12th August 2026.
28. Public voting is limited to one vote per category, per person. Votes that do not comply with the rules will be removed and not counted.
29. Voting will close at 5pm Wednesday on 16th September 2026.
30. All judges’ scores and public votes will be collated and checked by the moderator to determine the winners in each category. The final decision is binding.
31. In the event of a tie, the entry with the highest combined judges’ panel score will determine final placements.
32. First, second, and third place winners in each category will receive a certificate. First place winners will also receive a trophy.
33. Feedback requests must be submitted via email to info@britishfloristassociation.org within 14 days of the awards final. Feedback will be limited to guidance on areas for improvement only.
Attendance, Conduct & Administration
34. All finalists must be represented at the Industry Awards Evening on Saturday 3rd October 2026, held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, NG7 2RJ.
35. In the event that a finalist cannot attend the Awards Evening in person, the BFA must be notified and the finalist must provide a named representative who will be in attendance. The named representative will be responsible for collecting any awards in place of the finalist.
36. The BFA cannot be held responsible for any awards or certificates once they have left the stage.
37. If the BFA cancels the awards, all entrants will be notified no later than one week prior to the awards evening.
38. All documentation submitted will be retained by the British Florist Association in accordance with GDPR legislation.
39. Nominees must make themselves available for reasonable media and promotional purposes as required by the BFA.
40. It is the responsibility of the nominator and nominee to check all closing dates for nominations, submissions, and voting.
41. Directors of the BFA may not nominate, vote, or assist entrants in order to maintain transparency and fairness.
42. Aggressive, abusive, or inappropriate behaviour towards BFA staff, directors, or representatives - online or otherwise - will not be tolerated. Any nominee engaging in such behaviour will be removed from the awards and barred from future BFA
awards and events.
Logos & Branding
43. Where use of a BFA or IPF logo is required, logos must be obtained from the membership area under Member Downloads. Only the correct, current membership logo may be used.
44. BFA or IPF main business logos may not be used.
45. All nominees, finalists and judges will be provided with BFA Awards logos and graphics to use for marketing purposes.
46. All graphics, logos, and images provided by the BFA must be used in their original form. No alterations to BFA logos or assets are permitted.
Acceptance
47. By submitting a nomination or entry, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, you must not participate in the BFA Industry Awards.
48. The BFA reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.