Information for projects, teams and organisations who have entered the 2026 Accolades

The judging takes place in three parts:

1. Our panel of judges will score all the entries and meet to agree a shortlist of the highest scoring entries.
2. The judges will visit your project either virtually or in person between mid-January and mid-February
3. The judges will then meet to choose the finalists and winner of each category.

The winners will be announced at the Accolades ceremony in summer 2026.

The judges may move your entry to a different category if they feel it’s appropriate.

You should make sure you’ve read and understood the terms and conditions before you send us your completed entry:

Publicity

Your team, group or organisation must agree that we can use the information you give us on your entry form to:

• promote and publicise the Accolades
• share notable practice and help others learn in the social care, social work and childcare, play and early years sectors.

We’ll make a short film of all the finalists’ projects, which will be shown at the awards ceremony.

Filming is likely to take place in March and April 2026 and all the finalists will need to make sure they’re available for filming. We’ll send the finalists more information about the filming in March 2026.

All the finalists could receive publicity in the media in Wales.

Judging

Our judging panel will choose the finalists and winners. There’ll only be one winner in each category.

The members of the judging panel mustn’t have any connection to the projects entered for the Accolades.

The judges’ decision will be final and we won’t enter into correspondence about their decision.

Shortlisted projects must be available to meet with our judges between mid-January and mid-February 2026.

We’ll award a trophy to the winner of each category and a certificate to all the finalists. There’ll be no cash awards or equivalent.

All the finalists will be invited to attend the Accolades awards ceremony, which will take place in Cardiff in summer 2026. If a finalist can’t attend the ceremony, they’ll need to let us know beforehand and tell us who’ll accept the award or certificate on their behalf.

Finalists will be told how many places they have at the awards ceremony. Anyone attending the ceremony will have to pay their own travel and accommodation fees.

If we find out one of the finalists has broken the rules – before or after an Accolade is presented – the judges may disqualify them. If this happens, the trophy and/or certificate must be sent back to us right away.

Closing date for entries: 5pm, 10 November 2025 (we won’t accept entries after the closing date)

Shortlisted entries told: by mid-January 2026

Judges’ meetings with shortlisted projects: mid-January to mid-February 2026

Finalists announced: March 2026

Awards ceremony: summer 2026