Defra contacts BALI for Queen's 2019 Birthday nominations

Defra has contacted BALI to invite our members to make nominations on behalf of your company for the Queen's Birthday 2019. BALI is keen to ensure that members put forward suggested names for consideration based on an individual's contribution to the industry, which would be recognised in the national honours list. Download the official form below:

An honour recognises and celebrates individual achievement, and highlights the contribution of the sector as a whole. There are undoubtedly many people working across our shared areas of interest, often behind the scenes, who would be worthy recipients of an award. With BALI's help, you and your colleagues can identify these individuals and ensure that their contribution is recognised in this very public way.

Merit remains the over-arching criterion for judging whether an individual deserves an honour, but Defra also wants the honours system to recognise those that contribute to society. This includes those who go beyond their paid job, and this can take a number of forms: volunteering in the community; voluntary and private provision of public services; philanthropy – both the giving of time and money; growing the economy through entrepreneurship; and those who benefit society through the application of technology  If you are aware of someone, at any level, who has made a significant contribution, Defra would encourage you to nominate them using the attached form. Nominees do not have to have completed a lengthy service, someone may be nominated for an outstanding contribution to a particular project or area of work. 

Defra would prefer the formal nomination form submitted to the stated timeline below, but if in doubt, do submit just names and ideas on their own in good time and do not hold back, as Defra can decide the appropriate follow up action.  

Defra is committed to broadening the range of nominations that they put forward. They are particularly keen to see more women and black and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates from our sectors who meet the criteria, together with good regional representation. There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit.

All Departments tend to have more candidates than there are places on the list and Defra are unable to guarantee that any nomination will lead to an honour. Once your nomination is received it will be considered by the Defra Honours Sub-Committee and strong candidates will then be put forward to the Permanent Secretary’s Defra Honours Committee for consideration. Defra Candidates who are recommended at this stage will then be put forward to the relevant Cabinet Office Honours Committee for a decision.

More information about the honours process is available online www.gov.uk/honours. Please bear in mind that nominating someone for an honour is a highly confidential process and the person being nominated must not be informed of their nomination.

Please send the completed form to the Defra Honours Team by Wednesday, 26 September 2018. This date is important as there may be extra steps to be taken to ensure external stakeholders’ nominations are submitted for this Queen’s Birthday 2019 honours round if not nominations may be submitted for future rounds. Any questions please email the Defra Honours Team or contact the Defra Honours Secretary - Tim Dice.