BICS How To Enter for an award

Step By Step: How to Enter for a BICS Awards
All the details are on http://bics.ie/home/bics-awards/
*** Please note that there are strict deadlines for several of the application
steps. Please read this document fully before you begin! ***
Step 1, Qualifying: To enter for a BICS award, you must be chosen by your
college, which must be a member of BICS.
Step 2, Register for the BICS Event and Gala Ball in the Sheraton Hotel,
Athlone:
Everyone attending the BICS event, including nominees, supporters and judges,
must register by completing the form at http://bics.ie/3476-2/
This form helps us compile a list of all the people attending, allergies, etc.
Please check that all the people attending from your institution, including judges,
have registered by the closing date. Your societies’ administrator has viewing
access to this file. If you need to make a name change when you register you will
need the name, what they are studying, home town and local papers for the new
person. Please note only one person per college registers everyone at the main
desk in the foyer on the ground floor of the hotel from 10am – 11.30am. From
11.30am the info desk will be in the Seige Suite.
You must have finalised numbers attending by Noon April 10th (this is the
number of tickets your college will be billed for.) Tickets for the Gala Ball are
€30.00.
Payment may be made on the day by cheque, or you can e-mail
treasurer@bics.ie to arrange a different payment. Once you confirm numbers, an
invoice will be issued.
Please note that lunch will be provided on April 16th for up to 4 people per award
application. If more people will be attending with you, lunch vouchers may be
bought at €11.00 per person.
Registration form for the BICS Event and Gala Ball
Step 3, Complete the Short Nomination Form: Complete the short nomination
form (excluding the last question) at http://awards.bics.ie/ by noon on April 8th.
The information in the short nomination form will be used in the BICS Awards
Programme. Your society administrator will have your username and password, or
e-mail info@bics.ie. Note: use Firefox!
(a) Go to http://awards.bics.ie and log in using the username and password from
your Society Administrator.
(b) Click on “Apply for an Award”
(c) Choose the award you are entering for (pick either Small or Large College as
appropriate.)
(d) Click on the “Yes, Make a Nomination for This Award” button to start a
nomination.
Save regularly, and send your nomination by the final deadline, April 8th at 12
noon.
The questions on the short nomination form are:
1-3: Award & Contact Details etc.
4: 50 word description of your nomination for inclusion in the programme for the
awards. (Please spell-check!)
5: Upload a photo that will be used in the event of you winning the award.
6: Are your society or any representatives of your society entering any other
categories as part of BICS this year? If so, what categories?
7: Please upload your completed application form (this has a later deadline.)
Step 4, Upload your completed Application Form:
Complete the application form for your award (downloadable from
bics.ie/home/bics-awards/), and upload your completed application form using the
button on Question 7 of your nomination form, by noon on April 13th. (The
deadline is April 10th for Best Poster and Best Photo, as these are needed for the
BICS Awards Programme.)
Downloadable application forms at bics.ie/home/bics-awards/
Upload button for completed application forms.
(Please note you must have filled in questions 1-6 before April 8th.)
Step 5, Provide Printed Application Form and Portfolio:
Provide 3 printed copies of your completed application form and one copy of
your portfolio (for each category entered) for use by the adjudication panel.
These must be in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, by noon on April 15th.
(Please note: not all categories require a portfolio. Best Photo, Best Video and
Best Poster do not require a portfolio.)
Step 6, Interview on April 16th in Athlone: If an interview is part of your
nomination, it is compulsory to attend that interview on April 16th in Athlone. The
timetable for the interviews will be distributed to nominees and interviews will take
place between 11:45 and 15:00. Please make sure you have indicated if you need
to attend more than one interview, to avoid clashes.
If you are unsure on any aspects of your eligibility to enter a specific category,
please consult the BICS Rules below, and at http://bics.ie/home/bics-awards/bicsaward-rules/
BICS National Society Awards Rules
1. Check with your college society officer as to your society’s eligibility to enter the BICS awards. If
in doubt e-mail chairperson@bics.ie.
2. Your college must be a member of BICS. You must be nominated by your college and there can
be only one nomination in each category from each member college.
3. You must meet all the award nomination criteria and meet all deadlines; see nominee information
booklet.
4. It is very important if you are representing more than one category that you inform BICS at the
time of submitting your nomination, so that we can ensure that your interview times do not clash.
5. If your category has an interview, you must attend the interview.
6. A maximum of four people are permitted to attend each interview.
7. Nominees in the best Individual and Best Fresher category may attend alone or may bring
someone to the interview with them.
8. You must fill in your brief description for the awards booklet by the date and time specified.
9. Each nominee must provide just one portfolio, which includes all back up material. If you are
nominated in more than one category you must have one portfolio for each category.
10. To be eligible to enter Best Society (in a Cultural or Social Field), Best Society (in a Charity or
Civic Field) and Most Improved Society categories, your society must have been set up for
minimum two years from March 12th. (ie for the 2015 awards, set up before March 12th 2013)
11. A society may not be nominated for more than one of the following awards: Best Society (in a
Cultural or Social Field), Best Society (in a Charity or Civic Field), Most Improved Society or
Best New Society.
12. To be eligible a new society must be in its first two academic years from March 12th (ie for the
2015 awards set up after March 12th 2013)
13. Events that take place earlier than March 12th of the previous year (ie for the 2015 after March 12th
2014) and after the deadline for submitting the current awards may not enter.
14. A Best Fresher is deemed to be a society member who is in their first year in a third level
institution – it is up to each college to nominate an individual who adheres to this criterion.
15. A group whose main activity is recognised by Student Sports Ireland as a sports club and/or is an
Olympic Sport may not enter for an award at BICS.
Key Dates
3pm March 16th 2015:
Complete application for Best Intervarsity and e-mail as PDF to info@bics.ie, your event must be on the
BICS Calendar on bics.ie.
Noon, April 8th 2015
Programme details for the BICS Awards must be filled in by all entrants via the short nomination form.
Noon April 10th
Final numbers for Awards banquet tickets must be submitted and individual attendees’ registration
completed. Complete Best Poster & Best Photo Applications must be uploaded
Noon, April 13th 2015
Completed application forms must be uploaded to the BICS portal.
Noon, April 15th 2015
Three printed copies of the application form, as well as a copy of the portfolio, must be presented in The
Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.
11 am, April 15th 2015
Adjudicators arrive, training and judging of application forms and portfolios commences.
11 am, April 16th 2015
Nominees arrive and interviews take place in The Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.
7pm, April 16th 2015
Awards take place in The Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.
Good Luck!
This could be you!
Best Society Cultural/ Academic/ Social: UCC Economics
See all past winners on http://bics.ie/past-winners/
Large College Best Society Civic/ Charity LYIT Gaisce