Responsible Investment Awards

There are three award categories:

1. Responsible Investment Award – firms with more than £1bn under management (open to GPs and LPs)

2. Responsible Investment Award – firms with less than £1bn under management (open to GPs and LPs)

3. Portfolio Company Award (open to any portfolio company backed by a BVCA member)

The judges are looking for submissions that can illustrate how the ESG practices of firms and companies have progressed over time, in addition to examples of best practice.

Please note that the following judging criteria are by no means exhaustive – not all have to be addressed and please provide evidence on any other aspects that is key and relevant for your firm.

Responsible Investment Awards – for GP and LP firms

The judges will be looking for evidence of good practice of an overall ESG framework by the firm, as well as examples to illustrate the firm’s engagement with portfolio companies. The judging panel will consider submissions against the following criteria:

• How responsible investment is embedded at the firm level, including why it is important to the firm, existence of an ESG policy, and commitment by senior management
• How ESG is considered as part of origination and due diligence
• Regularity and depth of post-acquisition / funding engagement with portfolio companies / GPs on ESG matters
• Evidence of ESG reporting to LPs / investors or other stakeholders (formal or informal)
• Examples of value creation at exit / capital distribution due to ESG engagement
• Support for external initiatives such as the PRI

Please provide a one-page summary addressing the above criteria. You may also choose to submit relevant supporting evidence, however please keep this concise in order for the judges to take this into consideration.

Responsible Portfolio Company Award – for any portfolio company backed by a BVCA member organisation

This award seeks to recognise portfolio companies that have demonstrated progress in embedding the management of ESG issues in their commercial activity. Any portfolio company with a UK presence that has had equity investment from a BVCA member at some point during 2018 is eligible for this award. The judges will consider submissions against the following criteria:

• How responsible investment is embedded within the portfolio company, including the existence of an ESG policy and commitment by senior management
• How ESG is considered as part of the portfolio company’s day to day commercial activities
• Evidence of the portfolio company seeking to minimise negative ESG impacts
• Examples of positive impacts on the environment, workplace, marketplace and/or community
• Evidence of engagement on ESG with wider stakeholders (including employees, suppliers, customers, local communities and/or investors)

Please provide a one-page summary addressing the above criteria. You may also choose to submit relevant supporting evidence, however please keep this concise in order for the judges to take this into consideration.

Nominations for the 2020 BVCA Responsible Investment Awards will open in June.

All submissions should be emailed to responsibleinvestment@bvca.co.uk

The winners will be selected in early October by an independent judging panel.

The 2020 BVCA Responsible Investment Awards will be presented at the BVCA Summit on 08 October 2020 in London.