Templates and examples
Award nomination examples that would survive a judging panel
A strong AEA Awards nomination has four blocks: the operational problem, the learning-system change, the 6–18 month result with a baseline, and why this category. Below are anonymized patterns — not winners to copy.
Three anonymized patterns
Example A — Onboarding (UAE bank): Problem: new tellers reached proficiency in 14 weeks. Intervention: redesigned week-one practice, manager checklists, spaced coaching. Result: nine weeks to proficiency versus the prior cohort; 18% drop in early errors. Category: Innovation in Onboarding and New Employee Training.
Example B — Leadership (KSA industrial): Problem: 34% of critical supervisor roles filled externally. Intervention: a 12-month bilingual supervisor academy with workplace projects. Result: 61% internal fill; regrettable supervisor attrition down. Category: Leadership Development Excellence.
Example C — AI upskilling (government): Problem: analysts spent 11 hours a week on manual reporting. Intervention: a role-based AI curriculum plus a human-review policy. Result: 4.5 hours saved; error rate unchanged (the quality gate held). Category: Innovation in Learning Technologies.
What we reject
Weak pattern we reject: “World-class culture of learning, 50,000 hours, executive quotes, no numbers.” If your draft looks like that, rewrite it from Example A’s skeleton before October.
How to draft from the four-block structure
- 1
Write the problem in one paragraph
Who was failing which operational metric, by how much, and over what period.
- 2
Describe the learning-system change
Curriculum, practice, managers, technology — what actually changed in the work.
- 3
Add the result with a baseline
One table: before, after, source. No adjectives in this block.
- 4
Name the category
Link the outcome to one award category. Delete extra categories.
Frequently asked questions
Can we use these examples in our entry? +
Use the structure only. Copied fictional numbers will fail integrity checks. Your evidence must be yours.
How long should a nomination be? +
Follow the portal word limits. Substance over length: a tight 800-word evidence story beats 3,000 words of adjectives.
Do you provide a Word template? +
The live form opens with nominations on 20 October 2026. Until then, draft against the four-block structure on this page.
Should we include client logos? +
Only with written permission. Vendors without client outcomes should not enter client categories.
Are these real winning entries? +
No. They are composite teaching examples. Do not treat the numbers as published results.
2027 cycle
Register your interest before nominations open on 20 October 2026
AEA Awards is the MENA Learning & Development benchmark. Leave your details and we will remind you when the entry window opens.