Association of Colleges

How to Structure your Application

Your application should address all of the above criteria and should be made in a statement of no more than 3,000 words. The statement should be made by a senior member of staff who has had close contact with the initiative.

Written evidence from beneficiaries should be included in the word limit. You may make reference to other materials (i.e. multimedia material, college documents etc.) which the assessors can request, should they wish to do so. Your submissions should be structured, as far as possible, under the following headings:

• The Project: Planning and Purpose – include a description of the initiative and how it was set up or developed.
• Also include a clear description of target group, including numbers.
• Aims and Objectives – outline how aims and objectives were established and how the initiative evolved to meet them.
• Monitoring Procedures – demonstrate how quality assurance was used to improve the initiative.
• Outcomes and Benefits – show how the initiative has benefited the students/trainees and others involved with the project – this should be supported by written evidence from beneficiaries who may be students, trainees, employers or, in some cases, parents.
• Dissemination and the Future – indicate how the initiative could be of benefit to other colleges and how you perceive it developing in the future.

The statement needs to be accompanied by a completed application form (see back of this Prospectus) and must be signed by the Principal/Chief Executive.

No initiative which has previously won a Beacon Award will be eligible for consideration for the same Award a second time.

A college may apply for as many Awards as it wishes. However, it may submit only one application per Award.

A college which has a project which fits into two or more categories may submit that project for only one Award.

All applications will be treated as strictly confidential to the Steering Group, Assessors and Beacon Awards Manager. Material from any application will only be made public with the express approval of the college concerned.
Each application will be sent an acknowledgement addressed to the Principal/Chief Executive. Your college will be subsequently contacted only if the project is shortlisted.