Businessprofiles as a basis
All handed in questionnaires lead into uniformly structured businessprofiles. They enable a pan-european comparable representation of transformationachievements.
The Award evaluates businesses on the effectiveness of their additions in five priority fields of entrepreneurial responsibility and future viability:
> Climate
> Ressources
> Nature
> Work
> Society
Points of orientation for these fields are internationally accepted references like the agenda 2030, as well as european requirements like CSRD, ESRS and VSME.
The businessprofiles ensure that measures, reached effects and the challenges still present are transparent. This way we build the basis for a comparable evaluation of entrepreneurial responsibility based on facts.
Next to basic data like the main seat, branche and size of the business, the profiles also contain strategic mainpoints in sustainability and businessmodels, central measures and solutions, relevant contextinformation, as well as possible controversies made as transparent as possible. More materials can be added optionally. The scope of the profile is based on the size and branche of the business: SMEs will be given smaller profiles, bigger businesses and companies larger and more detailed ones.
Uniform Scoring System
The business profiles are evaluated through a uniform evaluation logic. An overall score is derived from single applications, possible controversies will be made as transparent as possible.
During the first part of the competition the scoring is also used to decide on the group of businesses which will be presented to the jury for the national award. This way, the selection stays focussed, comparable and professionally reliable.
The Jury
The jury procedure has several stages and facets. In the stage concerning countries and regions, an expert jury makes the decisions; in contrast, the European leaders will likely be chosen by a pan-european jury.
The German jury will likely be split into several work groups, each focussed on SMEs, Large Companies and Corporations respectively. Each jury is made up of experts from different sectors, for example industry practice, associations, business consultants, science and finance.
Transparent Decision Criteria
The basis of every jury decision are the business profiles. They combine all relevant information from the application process - including the Scorings - as well as adding openly available materials and the expertise of the jury members. This ensures objective measures are combined with contextual knowledge.
The expert jurys choose the finalists and the winner in a two stage procedure. The winners of the German Sustainability Award Businesses will continue on as National Champions Germany for the european award in 2027. Important are:
- Transformation and Effect: measurable contributions in relevant fields of action
- Pioneer role and Visibility: leading role and impact effect
- Strength of Innovation and Signal Effect: new solutions with transformation potential
- Scaleability and Leverage: transferabiity of possible solutions
- Develpomental dynamics and Progress: provable improvements
- Longterm Impact and Responsibility: sustainable value chains and societal engagement
- European Connectivity: contribution to the implementation of european goals, rules and strategies, as well as strengthening european paths of transformation
- Relevance and Cooperation Abilities that transcend borders: to render Potential, Solutions, Standards or Businessmodels effectively across national contexts and promote cooperation within Europe
The goal is a believable, balanced and representative image of business transformation. It will show: the future develops in all regions, in all size categories and through varied approaches.
In a first round of voting, the jury decides on the finalists in the three size categories. In a second round, the jury chooses the winner of the German Sustainability Award Businesses in each size category. The winners then have the opportunity to take part in the European sustanability Award (ESA) 2027 as German National Champions. The pan-european jury then chooses the European leaders from those Champions.