About the Awards

Introduction

They shine a light on initiatives that have clearly resulted in improved outcomes for students with learning difficulties and / or disabilities. Sharing the work of the award winners is part of Natspec’s commitment to supporting continuous improvement and raising standards in our sector.

The Natspec Innovation Awards do not seek to identify which college has ‘the best’ practice in a certain area, unlike some other education awards. Our focus is on recognising exciting new and innovative practice which is enabling young people with learning difficulties and / or disabilities to achieve their goals.

Whatever the size of your setting, and however long your organisation has been a Natspec member, this is your chance to showcase innovative, effective practice and share your work with the sector.

Who can apply?

The awards are open to any specialist FE provider that is currently a member of Natspec. Applicants must be willing to support Natspec to disseminate the learning from their projects. The awards are not open to Natspec affiliates or to general FE colleges.

What does award-winning practice look like?

The practice can be small-scale and carefully targeted at a particular student group, or it can be a whole college initiative. It must:
  • be innovative and exciting
  • be relatively recently implemented rather than something that has become business as usual
  • have generated evidence that it has made a positive difference for students
  • provide useful learning for others in the sector.
If a practice only involves an individual learner, this can be accepted provided the college clearly demonstrates that there is a wider impact than for one individual learner.  For example, you would need to show how it will lead to a system change, have a wider impact for other learners, or how it strengthens the colleges offer.

Use our innovation checklist to help you decide just how innovative your practice is. If you are uncertain whether or not your practice is suitable for entering or for advice on which category to enter, please contact awards@natspec.org.uk.

Key dates for 2027 awards

Applications open

week commencing 12 October 2026

Closing date for applications

Wednesday 9 December 2026 at 4:00pm

Shortlist announced

March 2027

Winners announced

22 April 2027 at an online ceremony from 1:30pm–2:30pm

The Natspec Innovation Awards categories

The eight awards categories are:

  1. Innovative use of technology
  2. Innovative routes into employment
  3. Innovation in student voice
  4. Innovative approach to mental health and wellbeing
  5. Innovative interdisciplinary working
  6. Innovative specialist / mainstream partnership working
  7. Curriculum innovation
  8. Innovative approach to equality, diversity and inclusion

The judges

An independent panel of judges will choose the winners of the Natspec Innovation Awards. They are as follows:

How to apply

Applications must be made via the online submission form on the Natspec Awards website. Applications for 2027 will open week commencing 12 October 2026. A limited amount of additional supporting evidence can also be uploaded electronically using the form. Please ensure your evidence demonstrates the impact of the project.

Natspec members can apply for any number of the awards categories, with a maximum of one application per category. The same project cannot be entered for more than one category.

More details and guidance about how to apply will be available when the awards open for applications.

What the winners receive

Award winners will receive:

  • £300 CPD bursary
  • use of the Natspec Innovation Award winners’ logo on their college headed paper, websites and other promotional materials
  • a certificate and trophy to keep.

Category winners will also be considered for the overall Kathryn Rudd Award for Innovator of the Year.