29 August 2025 - The UCISA Awards 2026
The UCISA Awards 2026
The UCISA Awards recognise, celebrate and promote the outstanding achievements and innovation of staff working in or supporting technology in UCISA member organisations, and the application of digital solutions which positively transform the experience of students, academics and professional staff.
The 8 categories are:
- CIO/IT Leader of the Year
The UCISA CIO/IT Leader of the Year Award celebrates outstanding contribution by an exemplary digital leader who demonstrates vision, innovation, transformation and professional excellence. This individual will be a role model not only within their institution but throughout the wider UCISA community. - Diversity and Inclusion
The Diversity and Inclusion Awards seeks to recognise institutions that can demonstrate a holistic and long-term commitment to diversity and inclusion within your culture. You must be able to highlight your strategy and how it has had a positive impact and is represented through all levels of your organisation and have championed actions to remove barriers and improve the working experience and engagement. - Outstanding Corporate Member
The UCISA Award for the Outstanding Corporate Member recognises a business that has worked in partnership, delivering exceptional services that have positively impacted an institution or the sector. - NEW for 2026: Outstanding Leadership Award
The Outstanding Leadership Award celebrates exceptional IT leaders within higher and further education institutions who demonstrate visionary leadership, inspire teams, and drive meaningful technological advancements. This award recognises individuals who shape the future of IT in academia, champion innovation, and foster collaboration to enhance institutional success. - Rising Star
The UCISA Rising Star Award seeks to recognise an emerging leader in digital technology. Demonstrating ongoing technical and creative expertise as well as growth in responsibility and leadership. This award is for emerging future leaders and/or exemplars within the sector. Individuals already in a formal leadership role (e.g., managing teams or strategic programmes) are not eligible and should instead consider applying for the Outstanding Leadership Award. - Sustainable Digital Project or Initiative
The UCISA Award for Sustainable Digital Project or Initiative celebrates an innovative activity that not only provides exceptional value to the institution but demonstrates a positive environmental sustainability impact for the future. - Supporting Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Research
The UCISA Award for Supporting Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Research recognises digital innovations which have had a transformative effect on learning, teaching and research activities. Demonstrating the application of innovation in support of how academics research, teach and students learn. - Transformation. The UCISA Transformation Award celebrates groundbreaking digital innovation that has transformed and delivered for the institution and beyond. Contributing to improved processes, better student and staff experiences, management of risk and control of costs. Enabling your institution to make exceptional progress in daily activities.
Criteria
The judging of the awards will look at the project / individual's achievements as a whole, with particular interest in the following criteria. Applicants should address any of the criteria they believe to be applicable or pertinent to their project or entry.
- Supporting each other and inclusivity in leading the development of digital innovation, capabilities and technologies to transform education and research.
- Quantifiable impact – and doing it 'together' / across boundaries. This may be within your organisation, between institutions, with commercial partners or for the sector.
- Stakeholder Engagement, demonstrating change in attitudes, behaviours, values and outcomes. Measuring and reporting benefits achieved.
- Value to institutional priorities and stakeholders. Institutional context/support; transformation, impact and return on investment achieved (realised or expected)
- Delivery of innovation, transformation or positive change through groundbreaking digital technologies, services, or partnerships.
- Sustainability and scalability of activity that demonstrates positive environmental and financial impact for the long-term.
- A Model that is motivating, inspiring or being adopted by others.
How to enter
Applications for the UCISA Awards 2026 are now being accepted. Before you enter, here are some things to consider, to assist in preparing the application.
- Select the most relevant Award category for the activity/initiative
- Ensure the conditions of entry/eligibility requirements (below) have been met
- Read through and make sure you understand the selection criteria. The judging panel will use these criteria to determine eligibility and assess the application
- Complete the online UCISA Award Entry form.
- Email any supporting documentation to operations@ucisa.ac.uk
Applications close 17:00 Monday 08 December 2025
Finalists are recognised and category recipients announced at the annual UCISA26 Leadership Summit, taking place Tuesday 17 – Thursday 19 March 2026 at the ACC in Liverpool.
Conditions of entry
- Applications are open to all current UCISA institutional member organisation/staff working in or supporting technology.
- The UCISA Awards are open to institutional members only. Corporate members are not eligible for the UCISA Awards, outside of the Outstanding Corporate Member Award.
- For the UCISA Awards 2026, the majority of the activity on which the submission is based must have been performed in the 2-year period between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2025.
- The individual leading the activity/initiative must be from a recognised team and a current employee of a UCISA institutional member organisation during the calendar year 2025.
- Collaborative entries between institutions are welcomed, however a lead institution must be identified and make the submission.
- Applicants must meet eligibility criteria.
- You may make a submission as an individual or on behalf of a team. You may also nominate other individuals or teams.
- An online UCISA Award entry form needs to be completed as part of the submission process. Nominations submitted via email or post may be missed and therefore not accepted. If you wish to submit in a different format (including email or post), please contact operations@ucisa.ac.uk in advance.
- The initiative or activity may be entered in one Award Category only (although a project team members may be part of two different nominations if they have worked on multiple initiatives or activities. The CIO/IT Leader of the Year / Rising Star / Outstanding Leadership Award nominee may also be part of a team nomination)
- The summary statement can be submitted as a written statement (must not exceed more than 2,000 words) or a video entry (must not exceed more than 15 minutes in length)
- The award entry will need to be endorsed by the organisation’s senior IT leader or signed for on their behalf.
- All applications must be submitted via the online form by 17:00, Monday 08 December 2025.
- UCISA may request a project demonstration webinar to the sector with any category nominees. This session may be recorded.
- All finalists may be requested to attend an interview with a UCISA representative, prior to the announcement of each award recipient. This session may be recorded.
- All finalists may be asked to give a speech at the Awards dinner, taking place at the UCISA26 Leadership Summit on 18 March 2026.
- Shortlisted applicants will be asked to film a short video, no longer than 2 minute, about their project which will be shared with the UCISA community.
- You acknowledge that photographers may attend UCISA events, and the images of participants may be used on the UCISA website or within event marketing material. If you do not wish to be photographed, please advise the photographer at the time.
Applications for the UCISA Awards 2026 will close at 17:00 on Monday 08 December 2025.
