Term and Conditions for Finalists
Congratulations on becoming a finalist! To keep the awards fair, fun and credible for everyone, please read and follow the terms below. By taking part as a finalist you agree to these conditions, and we reserve the right to disqualify any finalist who breaches them.
1. The public vote
1.1 The public vote is one part of how each category is decided. It counts for 50% of your result, with our judging panel deciding the other 50%.
1.2 Voting closes at 11:00pm on 30 June 2026. This deadline is final.
1.3 No votes cast after 11:00pm on 30 June will count, even if the voting page is still live. It takes us until the following day to take the page down, so any votes received after the 11:00pm deadline will be discarded and deleted.
1.4 Voting is one vote per person. Only one vote per email address and per IP address will be allowed, and votes coming from the same IP address will be checked. We do not permit fake, duplicate, automated or bulk voting (for example using bots, multiple email addresses or fake accounts). Any votes we believe to be fraudulent will be removed, and persistent abuse may lead to disqualification.
2. The judging form
2.1 All finalists are asked to complete the finalist judging form. This is how our judging panel scores the 50% of your result that isn’t the public vote, so completing it fully and accurately is in your interest. Finalists who don’t return a form risk scoring nothing on the judging half.
2.2 Please return your completed form by the date we give you. Late or incomplete forms may not reach the panel in time to be scored.
2.3 In certain categories you’ll be asked whether you’re open to a mystery shop or product tasting. This applies to Best Restaurant, Best Takeaway, Best Cafe, Best Retailer and Best Local Food or Drink Business. Indicating that you’re open to this can strengthen your entry, as it gives the panel a real first-hand experience to score alongside your form.
3. Promoting yourself and asking for votes
3.1 You are very welcome, and encouraged, to promote your finalist status and ask people to vote for you, whether that’s on social media, in store, by email, on your website or through any other marketing.
3.2 You must not offer any incentive in return for votes. Specifically, you may not:
- give away freebies, gifts, vouchers or discounts to encourage or reward voting;
- run a competition, prize draw or giveaway tied to voting in any way;
- offer any other reward, benefit or inducement for someone to vote for you.
3.3 Asking people to vote is fine. Paying for, rewarding or incentivising votes is not. If we spot this, our team will reach out and ask you to remove it. Any business found carrying on after that may be disqualified.
4. Crediting our sponsors
4.1 Our sponsors make these awards possible, so we ask all finalists to support them in return.
4.2 Where possible, please tag both of the following into any social media post about the awards:
- our headline sponsor, Wilson Browne Solicitors; and
- your category sponsor.
(We’ll provide the correct social handles for your category sponsor and the headline sponsor alongside these terms. Please use them.)
5. The awards evening
5.1 The awards evening takes place on Thursday 16 July 2026 at The Chester House Estate. It is a ticketed, paid event. Our team donate their time, and all profits from the evening are donated to Sands (https://www.sands.org.uk).
5.2 You don’t have to attend. We’d genuinely love to see you there, but we understand it isn’t possible for every business, and not attending will not affect your chances of winning.
5.3 The event will be live streamed on our social platforms, so you can still be part of the night and share in the moment even if you can’t join us in person.
6. Use of your details and finalist resources
6.1 By entering the finals you give us permission to use your business name, logo, images and finalist status across our promotion of the awards (website, social media, print, the event and the live stream).
6.2 To help you encourage votes, we’ve put together a resources pack, including branded social posts, which you can download from our resources page (https://www.northantslife.co.uk/nl-awards-26-resources). You’re welcome to use these and the official “NL Awards 2026 Finalist” branding to promote your finalist status. Please don’t alter the branding.
6.3 Please make sure any information you’ve given us as a finalist is accurate and that you have the right to share any images or content you provide.
7. General
7.1 Please act professionally and respectfully towards other finalists, the public and the organisers throughout the awards. Disparaging or undermining other finalists is not in the spirit of the awards.
7.2 The judging panel’s decisions and the final results are final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
7.3 We may need to amend these terms or the awards process if circumstances require. We’ll let finalists know if anything material changes.
7.4 Any voter data collected is handled in line with our privacy policy and used only for the purpose of running the awards.
Thank you for being part of the NL Awards 2026, and good luck!
