Adult Learning Awards 2025 nominations guidance notes

The Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards celebrate and recognise Londoners who have achieved or made a commitment to learning and progression in life or work.

We want to hear from individuals who progressed into employment, further education or training as a result of learning they have undertaken. We are particularly interested in hearing about Londoners who have overcome barriers or challenges in entering work.

We also want to celebrate Londoners who have made exceptional personal progression because of learning to achieve non-employment outcomes. This can include health and wellbeing, social outcomes and overcoming personal challenges.

Individual eligibility criteria 

• Awards are open to Londoners who have studied at a London-based learning organisation which is funded by the Mayor of London.
• Learners must be aged 19 and over.
• There is no limit to the number of nominations that one nominator can make.
• Nominations for individuals who have won awards as part of other award initiatives will be accepted.

Who can nominate an individual for an award? 

Anyone who is familiar with the individual’s learning and development journey, for example staff at a learning organisation or community-based organisation. Personal and self-nominations are also welcome. 

The Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards celebrate employers offering good work (including paying the London Living Wage) who have invested in or supported outstanding staff training and development to help Londoners into good-work and progression. The workplace must be based in London, and nominations are particularly welcomed from organisations accredited by the Mayor’s Good Work Standard or actively working towards this.

We want to hear from employers offering good work (including paying the London Living Wage) that have used learning to develop the skills of their workforce to improve productivity, raise morale, increase staff retention and grow their business. We also want to hear from employers offering good work (including paying the London Living Wage) who have gone above and beyond to help Londoners get into high quality apprenticeships and supported them throughout.

Winners in this category will demonstrate that their employees have made significant progress and that the organisation has been enhanced by the training and development on offer. The impact of the learning is the essential part of all our winners’ stories, and it is the outcomes from the learning (on the employees, on the business and on the local community) that makes the employer eligible for an award.

Your nomination will give the employer recognition for the outstanding support it shows to its employees, celebrate the positive impact of learning on people’s lives, and boost the self-confidence of the learners.

Employer eligibility criteria 

• Awards are open to employers who are demonstrably offering good work (e.g. must be paying the London Living Wage), and who are based in London. Nominations are particularly welcomed from organisations accredited by the Mayor’s Good Work Standard or actively working towards this.
• We are looking for employers who have gone above and beyond to help Londoners get into good work. We want to hear from employers who have supported training or initiatives to help Londoners gain skills or advance their progression.
• Awards are open to employers based in London and the employer must provide learning opportunities and opportunities for adults who are aged 19 and over.
• There is no limit to the number of nominations that one nominator can make. However, we do not accept nominations for one nominee from multiple nominators.
• Nominations for employers who have won awards as part of other award initiatives, will be accepted.

Who can nominate an employer for an award? 

Anyone who is familiar with the employer’s staff training and development activity, for example staff who are involved in the delivery of the workplace learning, staff who are recipients of/benefiting from the training, or representatives from partner organisations.

What is the process for being nominated? 

The nominator will need to complete a nomination form which tells us about the staff training and development activity and the impacts on the learners and the business. The nomination should also include a statement from one or more of the learners about the difference the learning has made to them at work and why they think the employer deserves an award.

Once the nomination form has been completed, the nominator should submit it. The final deadline for this is Tuesday 29 July at 11:59pm. All nominations are then reviewed and winners for a range of awards are selected.

The Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards recognise tutors and practitioners in the further education sector who have demonstrated inspirational commitment to providing high-quality education and support to Londoners, that goes above and beyond what would normally be expected.

We want to recognise tutors, practitioners, non-teaching professionals and support staff that have supported adult learners in and outside of academic settings and have demonstrated inclusive approaches to supporting learners, beyond legal requirements.

Winners of this category will be tutors, practitioners, non-teaching professionals and support staff will be able to demonstrate how that they have impacted the learning experience of Londoners and the communities they serve.

Tutors, practitioners and non-teaching professionals eligibility criteria

• Awards are open to tutors and practitioners who teach or work at a London-based learning organisation.
• The tutors and practitioners/non-teaching professionals work with adults aged 19 and over.
• Tutors and practitioners must be currently employed or have been employed at a London-based learning organisation within the last two years.
• There is no limit to the number of nominations that one nominator can make.
• Nominations for tutors and practitioners/non-teaching professionals who have won awards as part of other award initiatives, will be accepted.

Who can nominate tutors and practitioners for an award? 

Anyone who is familiar with the tutor, non-teaching professional or practitioners’ contribution to adult learning, i.e. learners and staff at a learning organisation or community-based organisation, or employers familiar with the work of the individual. Self-nominations are also welcome.

What is the process for being nominated? 

Your nominator will need to complete a nomination form which tells us a bit about you, your contribution to adult learning and the impact you have had on your learners. If you are self-nominating, your nomination will include a statement from one or more of your learners about why they think you deserve an award.

Once the nomination form has been completed, your nominator will submit it. The final deadline for nominations is Tuesday 29 July at 11:59pm. All nominations are then reviewed and winners for a range of awards are selected.

The Mayor of London Adult Learning Awards celebrates providers and community-based organisations who have demonstrated a strong commitment to Londoners, tutors and the communities in which they serve.

We want to hear from organisations who have demonstrated inclusive teaching and accommodations for their learners and users beyond those legally required, including those who have demonstrated exceptional support to those requiring additional language and educational support.

Winners of this category will be providers and organisations who are able to demonstrate how they are helping Londoners to gain the essential skills they need for life and work. They will be meeting or working towards the Mayor’s Good Work standard, are inclusive and represent the communities they serve or are located in and are fulfilling their commitments as Anchor institutions in their communities, including setting out plans to achieve net zero carbon estates by 2030.

Winners of this category will be able to demonstrate the impact their provision has had on learners, their organisation and the local community, including social outcomes.

Learning providers and community-based organisations eligibility criteria 

• Nominations are open to any adult learning organisations based in London and funded by the Mayor of London.
• The learning organisation must provide learning opportunities for Londoners who are aged 19 or over.
• Learning providers must be funded by the Mayor of London.
• There is no limit to the number of nominations that one nominator can make.
• Nominations for organisations who have won awards as part of other award initiatives, will be accepted.  

Who can nominate an organisation for an award? 

Anyone who is familiar with the organisation, for example; staff members, learners, volunteers or representatives from partner organisations. Organisations are welcome to self-nominate. If the organisation is self-nominating, your nomination must include a supporting statement from one or more of the Londoners you work with.

What is the process for being nominated? 

The nominator will need to complete a nomination form which tells us about the organisation. The nomination should include the impacts on the learners or users, and how and why the organisation stands out.

Once the nomination form has been completed, the nominator should submit it. The final deadline for nominations is Tuesday 29 July at 11:59pm. All nominations are then reviewed and winners for a range of awards are selected.