CATEGORIES

The CIPS Asia Excellence in Procurement and Supply Awards recognises innovative, engaging and successful procurement stories from organisations over the past year and from across the APAC region.

Here are the award categories this year:

Best Approach to Risk Mitigation

Recognising excellence in supply chain risk management.

This category rewards teams who have successfully managed business risk in order to safeguard their organisations against cost or reputational damage, or mitigated risk within the business or supply chain to gain competitive advantage.

Best Collaborative Teamwork Project

Recognising successful cross-functional teamwork projects.

This category rewards procurement teams who have implemented successful projects, for example a sourcing project or business process improvement initiative, working collaboratively with internal teams or departments.

Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supplier Base

Recognising supplier diversity excellence.

This category is for organisations that have implemented successful supplier diversity projects that have unlocked innovation and strategic business results, as well as opening up opportunities for organisations that are diverse in size, ownership or mission.

Best Initiative to Deliver Social Value through Procurement

Recognising procurement projects that deliver significant social value outputs.

This category is open to both public and private sector organisations that are using innovative sourcing and contracting initiatives to deliver social value.

Best Procurement Transformation Programme

Recognising procurement transformation projects.

This category is for transformation or large scale business process improvement projects that have resulted in improved business outcomes or increased competitive advantage. Projects can be procurement–led or wider organisational projects, but they must explicitly explain procurements’ role and influence on delivering the outcomes.

Best Supplier Relationship Management Initiative

Recognising collaborative Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) projects.

This category can include specific supplier relationship projects or an overarching SRM strategy development project and should demonstrate the processes and mechanisms that the procurement team and supplier have put in place to work together on a successful project. Examples may be supplier development projects, new product development or innovation projects. Joint entries with suppliers are encouraged.

Best Sustainability Project of the Year

Recognising social, environmental and responsible procurement projects.

This category encompasses Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) procurement projects. These can be either procurement-led or organisation-led initiatives but must evidence the specific procurement or supply chain role in the project’s success. We welcome entries from all aspects of sustainability from modern slavery and human rights, climate change and energy conservation through to community and regeneration projects.

Leader of the Year

Recognising the most influential procurement leader.

This award recognises the most influential procurement leader who is pushing procurement and supply strategy forward and making a positive contribution to the reputation of the profession, through the value they deliver to their own organisations and the work they do to raise the profile of the profession more widely.

Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion Practices in Procurement Teams

Recognising diversity in procurement and supply chain teams.

This category rewards procurement teams who have integrated D&I developing a culture and embedding practices that allow the most skilled and talented people to succeed regardless of age, gender, race, physical abilities or sexual orientation.

Outstanding People Development Programme

Recognising excellence in professional procurement capability development.

This category rewards training or development programmes that have substantially raised the capability and influence of the procurement or supply chain team, leading to improved performance, results and business integration. Judges are looking for programmes that develop teams beyond traditional, technical procurement skills.

Best Use of Technology

Recognising innovative technology projects that deliver significant results.

This category is open to procurement or supply chain teams showcasing successful technology projects that have made significant business impact. Technology providers may also enter case study-led projects where they have worked in partnership with the procurement organisation.

Procurement Team of the Year

Recognising high performing procurement teams.

This category rewards procurement teams who have made significant improvements to their performance and culture resulting in increased effectiveness, influence, efficiencies, savings or competitive advantage. Open to organisations with a turnover of £500m and over.

Public Procurement Project of the Year

Recognising public sector procurement excellence.

This category is open to all public sector bodies and rewards projects that demonstrate how procurement has successfully managed public sector specific challenges or opportunities.

Young Talent

Recognising the most influential up and coming procurement talent.

This award will be presented to the profession’s ‘one to watch’ and is open to anyone aged 30 or under as of March 2025. The judges will look for evidence of achievement that is significant and beyond what is normally expected from managers of this age and experience.