Collaborative Excellence Award
Our judges were truly heartened by this year’s range of entries, commenting on the volume and quality of submissions focused on tackling important and complex sector challenges. Across the board they noted a stepchange in the maturity with which collaboration is being supported. For example, identifying increasingly robust models for productive collective working and an increasingly common aspiration to push beyond bilateral partnerships to bring greater scale and impact to collaboration.
Perhaps most striking in this year’s set of entries however, was the widespread determination to ensure collaborations delivered benefits beyond their core technical objectives. Judges were deeply impressed with the meaningful impact that many collaborations were able to demonstrate on customers, communities and the environment. One judge commented that this trend was resonant of a sector “starting to look beyond itself” to address wider concerns and understand its role in a broader socio-economic setting.
Collaborative Excellence Award
Our judges were truly heartened by this year’s range of entries, commenting on the volume and quality of submissions focused on tackling important and complex sector challenges. Across the board they noted a step up in the maturity with which collaboration is being supported. For example, identifying increasingly robust models for productive collective working and an increasingly common aspiration to push beyond bilateral partnerships to bring greater scale and impact to collaboration.
Perhaps most striking in this year’s set of entries however, was the widespread determination to ensure collaborations delivered benefits beyond their core technical objectives. Judges were deeply impressed with the meaningful impact that many collaborations were able to demonstrate on customers, communities and the environment. One judge commented that this trend was resonant of a sector “starting to look beyond itself” to address wider concerns and understand its role in a broader socio-economic setting.
Avove, iNPIPE PRODUCTS, Ecofill
Leading infrastructure services and engineering company, Avove, is at the heart of designing, maintaining and transforming utilities, providing cutting-edge and sustainable solutions. As part of the Vyrnwy Aqueduct Modernisation Programme (VAMP), Avove is designing, constructing, testing and commissioning three pipelines in Siphon 1 between Malpas and Cotebrook (over 18.75km). In collaboration with iNPIPE PRODUCTS and Ecofill, Avove has brought innovative and sustainable design and delivery techniques to the forefront of the industry: the way Avove has approached the inspection, cleaning and relining of pipelines that carry water underneath Cheshire, and the infrastructure surrounding the project, has been groundbreaking.
Browne and Thames Water
Our work with Thames Water on their mains renewal programme exemplifies our proven track record of collaborative success with our clients, with industry recognition for our collaborative processes delivering successful project outcomes. Our proactive, dynamic approach brings a multitude of socio-economic benefits to our clients’ customers: less noise, less traffic disruption, less pollution and ultimately happier residents.
We also deliver financial benefits from shared lane rental closures and parking bay suspensions, which on projects of such a scale account for a significant amount of a project’s total cost, offering our clients fantastic time-cost savings.
Citizens Advice Plymouth and Utility Warehouse
Citizens Advice Plymouth have 11+ years’ experience working with utility partners and have been in partnership with Utility Warehouse since 2021. This collaborative relationship was formed as part of the Warm Home Discount industry Initiative. With the continued cost of living crisis, it is even more important for people experiencing fuel poverty and/or financial hardship to access the advice they need to empower positive change. Citizens Advice Plymouth offer free, independent, impartial advice on debt, income maximisation and energy efficiency. Our partnership with Utility Warehouse is committed and passionate about putting people at the heart of everything we do.
E.ON Next and Kidney Care UK
We’ve partnered with Kidney Care UK (KCUK) to provide specialist tailored support to customers living with kidney disease.
A dedicated team within E.ON Next is equipped with in-depth training about kidney disease and offers a tailored, end-to-end service. From energy bill assistance, financial support to referral to KCUK specialist services.
This team ensures that our vulnerable customers receive empathetic, personalised support tailored to their unique needs. Our success benefits the targeted group and also fosters a positive impact on the overall customer base, setting a precedent for collaborative excellence in addressing pressing vulnerable customers’ needs.
ENA PCB Strategy Group
This ground-breaking project with approval from environmental regulators has developed an innovative statistical risk register of assets, saving UK DNOs approximately £1 billion and prevented high levels of customer interruptions.
The project was established following a change in regulations relating to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) requiring all oil filled assets installed before 1987 to be tested for PCBs or replaced by the end of 2025. The project eliminated the need for 77,400 assets to be tested or replaced so far.
Its success was achieved through close collaboration and information sharing between UK DNOs as ENA member companies and the UK Environmental regulators.
SSEN, ENWL, NGED, UKPN, NPg, SPEN, SGN, Cadent, WWU and NGN
Through the power of collaboration, DNO’s and GDNs UK wide have joined forces in a groundbreaking partnership to break down the geographical barriers of promoting the Priority Services Register (PSR).
This huge step forward within the energy sector has seen the creation of a universal signposting hub ‘ThePSR.co.uk’ simplifying access to PSR registration, making it easier for both consumers and stakeholders to access and ultimately making a real difference to people’s lives.
National Grid ESO, SP Energy Networks, and TNEI Consultancy Campus
The Distributed ReStart innovation project was a partnership between National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), SP Energy Networks (SPEN) and TNEI (a specialist energy consultancy). The conventional approach to electricity system restoration (black start) uses large fossil fuel power stations – achieving net zero means we need to include greener distributed energy resources (DERs) like wind/solar/hydro/battery for restoration. The project was a world-first initiative that successfully tackled significant technical, organisational, and commercial challenges to deliver restoration from DERs. Distributed ReStart’s success and transition to business-as-usual would not have been possible without extensive collaboration with multiple suppliers across the industry.