The M&A Deal of the Year award will be awarded to the company (ies) behind an M&A deal solely centred around energy storage which has been instrumental in driving M&A activity in the power sector in 2025/26.

The Debt/ Equity Deal of the Year category aims to highlight commercially significant standalone or co-located energy storage deals that demonstrate how the industry has evolved over the past 12 months. We can accept submissions from various industry stakeholders for the same deal, as long as the party submitting the entry has clearly stated their role in it.

Outstanding Contribution to Energy Storage award will go to an individual that has dedicated significant time and effort to advancing the role of energy storage in the energy sector, and helped others to progress in the field either by direct tutorage or assistance, or through setting an example for others to follow.

The Rising Star of the Year award is aimed at recognising those individuals under the age of 30 who have made a significant impact on the energy storage industry through professional achievements, entrepreneurship and influence. Nominees must be under the age of 30 at the time the nomination window closes.

The Diversity and Inclusion award celebrates outstanding efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the energy storage sector. Entries should demonstrate initiatives that create opportunities, promote representation, and drive positive change. Open to businesses, organisations, and individuals championing inclusivity.

The System Integrator of the Year category will evaluate the companies that offer the most efficient, effective and innovative integration of battery energy storage into the wider system. Particular consideration will be given to those utilising new technologies to tackle core challenges such as grid capacity.

The EPC Firm of the Year will highlight the most innovative companies delivering Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services for Battery Energy Storage assets. We’d love to hear from companies who play a critical role in the design and construction of new battery energy storage projects, for both grid-scale and behind the meter solutions.

The Developer of the Year category is designed to recognise companies that have been exemplary in their development of utility-scale battery energy storage systems over the past year. Companies should be sure to include examples of key projects they have developed, highlighting particular successes and innovative approaches to challenges.

The Battery OEM of the Year category will focus on the Original Equipment Manufacturers supporting the energy storage sector by supplying the most battery cell capacity through manufacturing. The companies that are considered for this category will supply containerised battery systems made up of battery cells and other equipment to the supply chain.

The LDES Company of the Year award will go to an organisation which has long-duration energy storage at its heart, and whose main focus is aiming to advance the uptake of non-lithium ion technologies across the energy storage sector.

Following a particularly volatile period in power prices, the Trading and Optimisation Team of the Year award will look to reward companies that have made the most of growing markets and record high prices through effective strategies. This will include a broad look at revenue stacking and use of software for optimal management of battery energy storage assets.

Newcomer/Start-up of the Year award is for individuals or companies, including pre-revenue startups, making a significant contribution to the sector. We are looking for new entrants who entered energy storage and hit the ground running, very quickly built a significant position among peers, gained a foothold in a new market, or who identified a niche with potential. This award celebrates market participants with fresh ideas, likely to shape the energy storage space.

Breakthrough R&D/Innovation of the Year award celebrates new thinking, technology, technical solutions, approaches to business that shook up the sector. This could be disruptive battery designs, smart responses to co-location challenges, scientific developments, innovative product and process designs or other such events. The award could be given to development teams at companies, individuals, university departments or similar.

This BESS Solution of the Year award recognises a complete battery energy storage system solution that delivers exceptional performance, reliability, and value across design, integration, and operation.

This Balance of Plant / Hardware Product of the Year category celebrates excellence in physical components or infrastructure, including power conversion systems, transformers, switchgear, enclosures, thermal management, or other critical hardware enabling energy storage projects.

The Software Product of the Year awards to the most innovative and impactful software platform or digital solution, including EMS, asset management, optimisation, forecasting, or control systems that enhance the operation and value of energy storage.

The Safety Product of the Year award recognises a product that significantly improves the safety, resilience, or risk management of energy storage systems, whether through monitoring, prevention, mitigation, or emergency response solutions.

The Grid-scale Standalone Energy Storage Project of the Year award recognises a standalone energy storage system (ESS) project of over 1MW/1MWh which stands out in a sea of high-quality projects. Criteria are broad and entries will be judged across a variety of metrics: notable aspects could include being the first project in a new market, it could be the largest project in a region, a new application of energy storage technology and a smart business model to back it up. We welcome entries from diverse regions, companies and technologies.

Grid-scale Co-located or Hybrid Energy Storage Project of the Year award will go to a project that demonstrates the perfect pairing of energy storage technology with generation. Whether that is solar PV, wind, another renewable energy technology or even ‘conventional’ power generation, judges want to see the best mix of technologies that exemplifies being even greater than the sum of its parts.

Distributed Energy Storage Project of the Year award is an opportunity to gain recognition for projects that are smaller than 1MW and that connect behind-the-meter rather than in front-of-the-meter. This could be an industrial battery storage project at a factory for example, or an aggregated residential virtual power plant or even vehicle-to-grid project. The key is to display project characteristics that are not only notable within the scope of the project, but also demonstrate potential for replicability at scale.

Best Overall European Energy Storage Project of the Year award will highlight an energy storage system (ESS) project of any size that stands out in a sea of high-quality projects across Europe specifically (excluding the UK). Projects can be standalone, co-located, hybrid or distributed. Notable aspects could include being the first project in a new market, the largest project in the region, a new application of energy storage technology, and a smart business model to back it up.