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APM puts spotlight on SME’s contribution to project management

By Hilary Trahair, events manager, Association for Project Management

Association for Project Management (APM) has an exciting new category line-up in place for its annual Project Management Awards taking place on 15 November, and entries are now open. For the first time, an award category has been introduced focusing on project excellence carried out by SMEs.

Our Awards recognise the valuable contribution that project professionals make to the development of the profession and showcase the best individuals, projects and programmes the profession has to offer.

The Contribution to Project Management award will include three new categories:

• Contribution to Project Management: SME
• Contribution to Project Management: Company/Consultancy
• Contribution to Project Management: Not-for-Profit

The award will see companies and consultancies competing together within the same category for the first time, as well as smaller projects carried out by SMEs being recognised. The contribution of social enterprise projects will also be celebrated in the Not-for-Profit category.

As the chartered body for the project profession, we believe it’s crucial that organisations – no matter their size, structure or industry – should be rewarded for leaving a positive legacy for the project profession and project management practice.

The SME category is for project management organisations with fewer than 250 employees operating in any sector to manage and/or deliver projects of any size. The judges are looking for organisations who stand out in two ways; firstly, by committing to positive and meaningful progression of the project profession (which may include the development of project professionals and knowledge/best practice sharing) and secondly, by delivering excellence in project management practice (demonstrated by a positive and measurable impact from projects and/or programmes that they have managed and/or delivered).

Previous research carried out by APM and PwC Research found that project work within SMEs contributes up to £94bn in Gross Value Added to the UK economy, and is the source of up to 1.3 million jobs.

Other APM Awards presented at the ceremony will include Young Project Professional of the Year, Overall Project of the Year, Project Professional of the Year and Innovation in Project Management.

Entries for the awards are now open and will close on Mon 21 June 2021 at 4pm.

For further details about the APM Awards visit apm.org.uk/apm-awards/, and information on how to enter and the rules of entry.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by APM .