The LBI Steering Committee has placed paramount importance on fair and balanced assessment and judging to ensure that the winning entries are truly outstanding and worthy of receiving an LBI Award. The integrity of that process is essential to the LBI Awards overall.

To that end, LBI Steering Committee has developed and approved assessment criteria and rubrics that have been peer-reviewed by national and international experts. Award entries are judged by a select panel of experienced industry practitioners, academics, and subject matter experts who follow and apply the LBI standard work adjudication process to enable consistent, independent, objective, impartial, and rigorous evaluation of all award entrant submissions.

Additionally, the LBI Steering Committee recognises and respects the potentially sensitive nature of certain data/information submitted by entrants, and affirms that submissions are not disclosed, discussed, reproduced, nor shared with any third parties. Furthermore, Judges are not permitted to discuss same with other Judges nor any other third parties as part of the judging process.

Key elements include:

• LBI Steering Committee is solely responsible for the development and maintenance of the Awards Judging Process as well as for the selection and appointment of Awards Judges.
• LBI Steering Committee has assigned Box Media primary responsibility for coordination of Judges and the Judging Process, and for secure and confidential interactions with Judges vis-à-vis award entries, rubrics, scoring, and results.
• Judges are bound by a strict confidentiality agreement and are not permitted to engage in any communication, conversation, or correspondence with any third parties prior to, during, nor following the Awards Ceremony pertaining to entrants, the judging process, nor their awards decisions. The only exception to this is where a Judge and/or Box Media need to engage with one another and/or where the LBI Steering Committee may need to engage with a Judge on any matter requiring LBI Steering Committee intervention.
• Judges are assigned to specific categories and they assess category entries based on the respective category rubrics.
• Judges shall be recused from adjudicating a particular award entry and/or category when, for example, a Judge or their own organisation submits an entry and/or where a Judge or the LBI Steering Committee otherwise deem there is a potential conflict of interest.
• Should a Judge have any query or concern about a particular entrant, they shall raise this immediately with Box Media and Box Media will address it directly where possible and appropriate to do so, or Box Media will bring the matter to the LBI Steering Committee where required.
• After the closing date for submissions, all entries are sent separately by Box Media to the assigned category Judges.
• Judges assess each entry individually and do not engage with one another to discuss assessment, scoring, or category winners.
• Judges’ scores are collected and collated by the LBI Awards Coordination Team, which is separate and independent of the Judges and the LBI Steering Committee.
• Judges’ scores are double-checked and verified by the Judging Coordinator who is lead of the LBI Awards Coordination Team.
• The highest aggregate scoring entrant in each category is deemed the Award winner for that particular category.
• Judges’ decisions are final and no communication, conversation, nor correspondence of any kind should be entered into in relation to decisions reached.
• Entry submissions and award winner details are securely stored by the LBI Awards Coordination Team.
• The award winners are announced on the night of the LBI Awards Ceremony.

Entry criteria and eligibility

• Awards entrants must follow the Entry Requirements for each category as detailed on the LBI Awards Website.
• Awards entrants must use the Entry Submission Template provided for each respective category, and then upload it and additional required materials via the web form provided on the LBI Awards Website.
• An organisation may enter no more than 3 awards categories in a single year.
• Entries are permitted from organisations from across the island of Ireland.
• Entries are permitted for one or both of the Contribution to Knowledge awards wherein the authorship team comprises individuals from outside the island of Ireland provided that Irish-based co-authors represent a minimum of 50% of the authorship team.
• Lean service providers/trainers/consultants, either as organisations or individuals therein, may only submit entries to the Contribution to Knowledge category.
• Software/Technology/Sustainability service providers/trainers/consultants, either as organisations or individuals therein, may only submit entries to the Contribution to Knowledge category.
• Higher/Further Education Institutions may submit entries to the following categories: Service Innovation & Improvement in Public Services; Sustainability (Large); Digital Innovation & Transformation (Large); Lean Champion of the Year.
• Individuals from Higher/Further Education Institutions may submit entries to the Contribution to Knowledge category, and the individuals themselves are the named winners (as opposed to the Institution).