NWG are pleased to announce the GEM Awards have returned for 2024!
Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) have a clear vision to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services and it is vital that we work with suppliers who share our drive for excellence whilst delivering outstanding customer service.
We want to recognise the amazing contribution our supply partners play in helping us to achieve our vision and celebrate those that are “Going the Extra Mile”. We have 12 award categories this year reflecting our vision and values and which provide the opportunity to recognise the brilliant organisations we are working with of all shapes and sizes.
Nominations are now closed!
After receiving over 100 submissions across our 12 award categories, which recognise the wide range of contributions our suppliers make across our business, our expert judging panel have now whittled these down to a shortlist of 56 impressive entries!
Across them all, it has been fantastic to see the impact our suppliers are making on our local communities and the future of the business. From projects showcasing new innovations and carbon reductions to delivering exceptional service for our customers.
We love our customers and we make sure they are at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for a supplier who delivers world class customer service and an unrivalled customer experience while delivering excellent outcomes for NWG.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 | Virgin Media O2 |
Esh Construction and Multiconnect Communications |
Kielder Waterside WiFi Project |
2 | Esh Civils | Mirror, Mirror . . . | |
3 | nZERO Group |
Open All Hours - nZERO Gas Grid Entry Unit Support |
|
4 | Shout Digital | Shout Digital | |
5 |
United Living Water Limited |
Excellence in D-Mex Performance |
As such we place a high value on creativity and innovation, and we encourage our suppliers to partner with us to find innovative solutions that drive efficiencies, improve customer experience or simply add value to what we do.
Creativity can come in many forms from new product development to the creative use of technology, and if it helps us to work smarter then it definitely fits under this category!
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 | Connexin |
|
Connexin - smart communication network rollout |
2 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
MMB Creativity and Innovation |
|
3 |
FIDO Tech Limited |
FIDO Direct AI Project |
|
4 | Stantec |
Positioning NWG to be UK first water company of low carbon eel screen technology |
|
5 |
nZERO Group |
Revolutionising Clean Energy: nZERO's Propane Mitigation System |
It is embedded in everything we do. We are looking for a project, organisation, initiative or simply an action, where excellent health, safety and wellbeing has been displayed.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 | Galliford Try |
|
Bran Sands Train C Blowers - Galliford Try (Principal Contractor) |
2 |
Esh Civils |
High-Risk Confined Spaces and Rescue Training delivered by Esh Civils |
|
3 |
Prospect Woodland Services Ltd |
Hunter Harvesting Limited & Redeswood Forestry |
Storm Isha Tree Management at Kielder Waterside |
We place great importance on working together while promoting co-operation to achieve our objectives. By working well as a team we can come up with smarter ways of working and improved performance and outputs.
We are looking for a team who have demonstrated excellent team performance while living our values to achieve an excellent outcome.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
DJ & SJ Recycling |
|
DJ & SJ Recycling restoring historic lagoon for strategic emergency storage |
2 |
Esh Civils |
Esh, Jetaire, EDS, Clearway, Greenspark, Pipetek |
One in, all in |
3 |
United Living Water Limited |
|
One Team - Achievement of Exceptional D-Mex Performance |
4 |
Shout Digital |
|
Shout Digital & NWG - One Team |
5 |
Stantec, Motts & NWG |
Stantec, Motts & NWG |
Nutrient neutrality submission - One team award |
This award is for a supplier that has delivered exceptional results to NWL by going above and beyond the standard scope of their contract. We are looking for suppliers that have supported our corporate goals or wider business strategies in addition to completing their standard supplied goods or services.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
Retroflo Limited |
|
Retroflo achieves results at Portrack |
2 |
Network Plus |
|
Network+ Smart Metering Acceleration Project |
3 |
Esh Civils |
Esh, Jetaire, EDS, Greenspark, Clearway, Pipetek |
It's raining, it's pouring . . |
4 |
Anglian Land Drainage Ltd |
|
Layer Sandyard |
5 |
United Living Water Limited |
|
The Pursuit of Ambition - United Living Water |
We are committed to ethically procuring goods, works and services in a way that generates maximum value not only to our organisation but also to the society and economy, while enhancing the environment and complying with all the relevant laws.
NWG have committed to working with ethical suppliers who help to achieve our 7 Impact Initiatives as part of our Responsible Procurement Strategy. We are looking for a supplier who has demonstrated an outstanding responsible approach as part of working with NWG and who has ethics embedded firmly within their organisation.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
North |
|
North - Responsible Procurement |
2 |
Esh-Stantec |
|
Esh Stantec's Responsible Procurements Management System (Constructing Local + Loop) |
3 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
MMB - Responsible Procurement |
4 |
Randstand |
|
Randstad - Responsible Procurement |
5 |
Selwood |
|
Selwood - Responsible Procurement |
We are looking for suppliers who can demonstrate how they have created a positive lasting impact which has enhanced our brand and reputation within the wider communities which we serve.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
Dodgy Clutch |
|
Kielder Winter Wonderland |
2 |
Randstad |
|
Randstad Legacy |
3 |
Stonbury |
|
30 years of Framework Partnership |
4 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
Giving back: A customer- first legacy of collaboration and conscientiousness - MMB |
5 |
Esh-Stantec |
|
Get into STEM 'Water' |
The projects or programmes could come from any area of our business activity from IS programmes, investment projects, water efficiency projects or working smarter initiatives (to name a few!).
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
Selwood |
|
Portrack Sewage Treatment Works |
2 |
Virgin Media O2, Esh Construction and Multiconnect Communications |
Virgin Media O2, Esh Construction and Multiconnect Communications |
Kielder Waterside WiFi Project |
3 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
DW06 West Hallington - MMB |
4 |
ACEDA Limited |
|
Telemetry Outstation Upgrade Programme |
5 |
Esh-Stantec |
|
Grassholme Reservoir Northern Embankment Stabilisation Works |
We are particularly looking for those who have made strides in improving their company through implementing best practice. To be considered for this category the supplier needs to have fewer than 50 employees and a turnover of less than £10m per annum.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
ACEDA Limited |
|
ACEDA - Successfully Delivering Business Integration |
2 |
Watertrain Limited |
|
Watertrain Limited |
3 |
Shout Digital |
|
Shout Digital |
We are looking for suppliers who have contributed/supported our journey to net zero through reducing, replacing, removing, or offsetting carbon on capital projects/programmes or through the works/goods/services you provide to NWL.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
Stantec, MMB, Galliford Try |
Stantec, MMB, Galliford Try |
A Bold New Climate Pledge to Transform the Construction Industry |
2 |
Esh Civils |
|
'Even Greener' on Runway 1 & 2 |
3 |
Stantec |
|
Wormingford Pumping Station Eel Screen |
4 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
MMB Carbon Approach |
5 |
Esh-Stantec |
|
Grassholme Reservoir Northern Embankment Stabilisation Works |
Diversity helps our success and ability to innovate, with different people bringing skills and thinking to improve what we do and how we do it. We are looking for suppliers who reflect NWL’s D&I commitments within their own company strategies and are actively working towards/on the way to achieving an equal, diverse and inclusive workforce.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
Turner & Townsend |
|
Creating an environment to foster diverse talent through alignment of Turner & Townsend D&I Strategy with NWG's TIDE Strategy |
2 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives |
3 |
Hach UK |
|
Hach Supporting Building Families |
4 |
Stantec |
|
Better Together: Fostering Inclusivity and Community at Stantec |
5 |
Farrans Construction |
|
Farrans Construction |
This means we constantly invest in the skills, training and experience of our employees. Through apprenticeships, research partnerships, sponsored PhD placements, NGO relationships and much more we invest heavily in our greatest asset – our people.
It is important that together, we maximise the sector’s investment in skills and ensure we develop a sustainable and skilled workforce for the future. Therefore, we are looking for an outstanding, early careers, individual from our supply chain who you have identified is “one to watch” for the future.
Shortlisted Supplier |
Joint Entry | Entry Title | |
1 |
Aqua Consultants |
|
Catherine Hagerman |
2 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
Alex February |
3 |
Farrans Construction |
|
Rebecca Nakimera |
4 |
Mott MacDonald Bentley |
|
Sam Preston |
5 |
Stantec |
|
Robert Chesney |
The GEM awards are NWG’s supplier recognition initiative designed to help us create an environment where our suppliers feel valued and are driven to deliver outstanding service to NWG. We want to promote, highlight and celebrate the crucial role our suppliers play in the day-to-day success of our business.
A project team will be created to judge the award entries. This will include a wide range of stakeholders to ensure we have a range of people reviewing the entries.
We offer the shortlisted suppliers in each category two places free of charge for each award they are shortlisted for. Following initial allocation if there are still spaces available we may offer additional places to shortlisted suppliers but we do ask that a small donation is made to the charity ‘WaterAid’ for each additional place.
The awards are a way of NWG celebrating the role our suppliers play in our success and as such we don’t charge to enter or attend the event. Food and drink will be provided for those who attend. As an active partner of WaterAid we will be looking to partner with them for this event and there will be opportunities to donate to WaterAid throughout the evening.
The awards ceremony will be held on 10th September 2024.
An event programme will be issued to shortlisted suppliers closer to the date with more information.
The venue for the awards will be The Fed, Lancaster Rd, Dunston, Gateshead NE11 9JR.
If you have any further queries regarding our GEM awards, please email gemawards@nwl.co.uk