FAQs
Does it cost anything to enter an award category?
There is no charge to enter. Each entrant can enter a maximum of three categories.
For what period does an entrant have to demonstrate relevant achievements for each category?
We are looking for all or some of the achievements to have taken place between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2023 for all categories apart from:
International alum of the year - entrants must have graduated from 2020 onwards.
Outstanding contribution to the industry, which has no timeframe attached to it.
PIEoneer of the year - there is no timeframe to this award - it can be awarded to an organisation that has at a minimum, taken the project, business or idea beyond pilot phase and can evidence its success.
Emerging Leader of the year category, we accept nominations about individuals who have worked in the global education industry for 8 years or less.
I work for a small organisation with limited budget, can I enter?
Yes, absolutely. The PIEoneer Awards are designed to recognise innovation and achievement across the whole of the international education sector, not just big organisations with big budgets. There are many small to medium sized organisations, including new enterprises, who are achieving great things. If you are working with a limited budget/team and feel you have achieved significant impact, please make this clear in your entry.
Which category should I enter?
Please see our categories page and Entry kit.
How will the awards be judged?
A team of The PIE staff and industry experts will put together a shortlist of finalists for each award category by reviewing and scoring the information provided on the entry forms. A maximum of nine shortlisted finalists for each award will be selected.
Each question has an equal weighting and will be scored out of a maximum 10 points. The scores for each question are added together, and the eight entries with the highest cumulative scores in each category will be selected as finalists.
The panel of judges, all of whom are independent of The PIE, will then judge the shortlisted finalists for each award category and select a winner in each. They will score in the same way - by giving a score out of 10 to each question. The entries with the highest cumulative score across all the judges will be selected as the winner for that category.
Please think carefully about the information you present in your answers. Don't repeat content across questions on the same entry form, and use numerical data wherever possible to illustrate your achievements and the impact your work has had.
If there is a conflict of interest between entrants and judges, judges will not score that entry/category.
How will we know you have received our submission?
You will receive an email letting you know that it has been received. You can edit your submission at any time up until the entry deadline by logging in to your account before the entry deadline of 28 March.
When will the shortlist be announced?
The shortlist will be announced the week commencing 20 May. Finalists will be notified by email and announcements will also be made on our social media channels.
Will I receive feedback on my entry?
We will not systematically give feedback to all entrants because of the high volume of entries we receive, but we will endeavour to do so if you contact us directly via damla@thepienews.com. For finalists, if requested, we will provide a selected highlight from the judges' comments that you can use publicly.
What is the hashtag for the event?
Follow #PIEoneers24 on X and Instagram for updates prior to and during the awards ceremony.
How can I contact the event organiser with any questions?
Please email damla@thepienews.com or call Damla +44 (0)7864031980 with any questions you may have.