TO MAKE YOUR ENTRY

Please read the instructions below before submitting your entry. 

HOW TO ENTER

1. View the category descriptions here and click the on the ENTER NOW button of the category you'd like to enter, or select the categories you'd like to enter by ticking the relevant checkboxes, and click on PROCESS.
2. You will be asked to complete your contact details and register to enter.
3. We recommend that you review the online entry form/s for the category/ies you wish to enter; this is where you will find details of what the judges will be looking for per category, as well as recommended or stipulated supporting material.
4. Your answers can then be prepared offline, to be uploaded into the online form once you are ready.
5. Return to the online entry form to complete the requested information, and upload any digital supporting material. Please take the time to ensure copy you supply is accurate and follows the specified formats, as this information will be used on all collateral should your entry be selected.
6. To complete an entry/ies, click 'CONTINUE'.
7. If you wish to enter additional categories at this stage, please add them by using the "Add another item" dropdown menu. 
8. In order to submit for review by the judges you must complete Steps 2 and 3 of the checkout process.
9. Proceed to complete your payment details. Please note that the Oystercatchers Club members 100% discount will be applied at the checkout stage.
10. At this point your entry/ies will be considered submitted and the Terms and Conditions and Rules & Guidelines for Entry (which follow) will apply.
11. You will receive a confirmation email and receipt of payment where relevant.
12. Submit your entries by the Entry Deadline.

EDITING YOUR ENTRY

• Prior to 'submitting' your entry/ies you can leave and return to the site to edit them until the Entry Deadline.
• Once registered as an entrant, you will be able to revisit your entry by clicking on "LOGIN" from the main menu. This will enable you to return to your un-submitted entries and edit / add as necessary.
• Please ensure you click the 'SAVE' button before leaving the site to save your entries.
• Entries may be edited up until the point of submission and must be completed by the Entry Deadline.
• It will not be possible to amend or submit entries after the entry deadline.
• Entries will not be considered fully submitted until the entrant proceeds to the payment stage and processes payment. This includes Club Member agencies who must complete the checkout process fully.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

PAYMENT METHOD

Payment is due immediately on submission of your entries and you will be asked for your credit or debit card details at the end of the entry process. A VAT receipt for card payments will be emailed shortly after the transaction has been successfully processed.

ENTRY FEES 

• All categories are FREE TO ENTER for Oystercatchers Club members. Oystercatchers Club members 100% discount will be applied at the checkout stage.
• £250 + VAT per entry for non-Oystercatchers Club members.
• The early bird rate of £200 +VAT per entry applies until end of the day on 3rd October.

EXCEPTIONS:

Best Agency Credentials - Entrants must be an Oystercatchers Club member and have entered at least ONE other category. 

Champion for Change – is free to enter for non-members.

WITHDRAWAL OF ENTRIES / REFUNDS

Any entry may be withdrawn for any reason until the Entry Deadline upon written request to the Oystercatchers Team. However, once submitted, entries are non-refundable.

Please email club@theoystercatchers.com to request that your entry be withdrawn.

RULES & GUIDELINES FOR ENTRY

In order for your submission to be considered, please adhere to the following rules and general guidelines for entry:

ELIGIBILITY 

• The Oystercatchers Awards are open to all advertising, public relations, production, digital and agencies of other marketing disciplines (both members and non-members of the Oystercatchers Club). Some categories require a joint submission from agencies and their client partner(s); please check the individual category criteria.
• Unless stated otherwise in category criteria, entries should focus on work carried out in the UK.
• Unless stated otherwise in category criteria, the awards are judging performance from July 2024 - June 2025; this means that the bulk of work contained within the entry must have been carried out within this time period; it is NOT essential that a project or initiative has both launched and closed within this time period; the work entered or referenced could have started or launched before this date but must show substantial, measurable progress during this time.
• The judging panel reserves the right to move entries from one category to another if they feel it is more appropriate; however, they cannot be expected to routinely re-categorise incorrectly entered projects; the judges' decision is final.
• Sponsors are not permitted to enter any category that they are sponsoring.

DEADLINE

• All entries must be submitted by the Entry Deadline.
• Entries will not be considered fully submitted until the entrant proceeds to the final stage and submits their entry.

FORMAT OF ENTRY 

• All submissions must be made online through the online entry portal.
• Judges are looking for concise written submissions, but your entry should cover as many of the listed criteria as possible. 
• Please keep within the stipulated word count per question; the judges reserve the right to penalise entries exceeding the word limit.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

• Please read the relevant category criteria in the category-specific online entry forms to establish what type of supporting material should be included.
• Digital uploads may take a variety of formats e.g. PDF, Word, PowerPoint or jpeg file; please ensure that uploaded logos, video and any supporting files follow the supporting material guidelines and together do not exceed the maximum upload limit of 40MB per entry; please note when uploading supporting material file names must not include any 'special' characters e.g. _ / ( & * ".
• Where websites form part of an entry, please ensure any URLs, access details, usernames and passwords needed for judging are supplied, that they work, and that they will continue to work until the end of January 2026; sites that cannot be viewed will be excluded from judging.

CONFIDENTIALITY

• Please note that confidential information should be submitted via the ‘Confidential Information’ field on the entry form/s; this will be treated as for judges’ eyes only and will not be published.
• Should you wish to identify further elements of your entry as confidential, please preface the sensitive text with the word ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ to indicate any sections of the form that we may not share outside of the judging panel; in addition to ensuring that the sensitive material is clearly indicated on the form itself, please also contact hello@theoystercatchers.com to flag these sections.
• Please note that by agreeing to judge, all our judges are bound by our confidentiality agreement.
• Oystercatchers may choose to publish a selection of winning and shortlisted entries editorially or use for other business or marketing purposes as an example of best practice; we will exclude any material included in the ‘Confidential Information’ field or highlighted according to the instruction above.

INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY YOU

• All entrants must supply all contact details as requested in the online form for a main point of contact we can approach should the entry require any further clarification.
• In the event that your entry is shortlisted, all entry form details, e.g. Entry title, as completed in the online entry process will be used on Awards collateral (e.g. Website, Awards graphics, Awards Supplement, and in the event that your entry wins, on the trophy).
• Copy will adhere to the brand’s house style.
• Please ensure that the information submitted is accurate and the correct agencies / companies are credited as appropriate; we accept no responsibility for any incorrectly submitted information. 
• When entries are submitted on behalf of clients or another third party, approval is assumed; if any issues arise concerning approval once the entry has been submitted, no refund will be given.

NOMINATIONS

• If nominating a third party, please provide as much information as possible, including email address so we can contact your nominee.