Optum European Diversity Awards

Deadline: 4-Aug-23

Applications are now open for the Optum European Diversity Awards (EDA) to recognise achievement across all strands of Diversity: race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity and belief.

Attended by leading lights from business, politics and the media, the EDA recognises those individuals and organisations whose outstanding leadership has made a genuine difference to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda.

Categories 2023

• Diversity team of the year: Recognising the outstanding contribution of teams that have delivered change in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion in their organisations, this award is open to diversity teams from the private, public and third sectors.
• Diversity champion of the year: This award goes to an outstanding individual who has leveraged their influence to promote the values of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace or across the media.
• Inspirational role model of the year: This accolade is given to someone in the public eye whose commitment to equality and diversity is a prime example for others to follow.
• Diversity in technology: This award is given to an individual or company who uses their role to ensure diversity and inclusion are at the heart of their business or specific tech project.
• Head of diversity of the year: A company’s Head of Diversity is the lynchpin of their organisation’s D&I policy, setting the standards for others to follow. This award is given to the HoD who has demonstrated excellence and commitment over the past year.
• Marketing campaign of the year: Awarded for the print, broadcast or social media marketing campaign which best demonstrates the values of diversity and inclusion.
• Community project of the year: This award goes to a community based project which ensures that drives diversity into the heart of everything it does, making a positive impact on the community it serves.
• Company of the year: The top corporate accolade, this award is given to the organisation which promotes progressive D&I values from the boardroom to the shop floor to the demonstrable benefit of all stakeholders.
• Social mobility iniative of the year: It is now understood that social class can be a real barrier to success and career development. This award is given to the company which has best addressed social inequality over the past year.
• Outstanding employee network: People work better when they can be themselves, and staff networks play an essential part in making people feel valued in the workplace. This award goes to the Network which has achieved the most over the past year.
  • NB: LGBTQI, Disability and Ethic Diversity Networks should enter in the specific category.
• LGBTQI network of the year: People work better when they can be themselves, and staff networks play an essential part in making people feel valued in the workplace. This award goes to the LGBTQI+ network which has achieved the most over the past year.
• Ethnicity network of the year: People work better when they can be themselves, and staff networks play an essential part in making people feel valued in the workplace. This award goes to the Ethnic Diversity Network which has achieved the most over the past year.
• Disability network of the year: People work better when they can be themselves, and staff networks play an essential part in making people feel valued in the workplace. This award goes to the Disability Network which has achieved the most over the past year.
• Media diversity champion of the year: Having people in the public eye who drive diversity across their platforms shows the rest of the world how things should be. This award is presented to a person in the public eye who uses their position to drive positive change.
• Hr champion of the year: This award is given to a leading HR professional who has leveraged their influence to ensure that the values of diversity and fairness are at the hear t of their organisation’s HR policies and to ensure their workplace has diverse talent covering all sections of the workplace.
• Charity of the year: The third sector plays an essential part in the promotion of diversity across the country. This award rewards the stand – out charity from the past year.
• Hero of the year: Recognising a person who has campaigned to highlight diversity and worked to make a difference or served as an inspiration to others
• Women in technology: This award is given to a woman working in tech who has gone out of her way to support the cause of getting more women and diverse groups of people into the industry.
• Lifetime achievement: The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises the outstanding achievements of an individual who has gone and beyond to make the world a better place specifically in the field of Diversity and Inclusion. This category is not shortlisted and the winner is chosen by the panel.

Eligibility Criteria

• Select the category you wish to enter.
• Follow the instructions to create an account and register.
• You will receive an email, to validate your account add the validation code. You will not be able to place an entry without creating and verifying an account.
• Finally, complete the entry form for your submission.
• You can revisit your account and make changes up to the closing date.

For more information, visit EDA.