There is no shortage of studies that point to the value of a business doing good in its community or for the environment. Studies into the working behaviours of Millennials and Gen-Zs often show that young professionals want to work for employers who contribute to the environment or society in a positive way. From the corporate perspective, ensuring a company is operating with a purpose reaps benefits from the investment community, sees positive financials and ensures a sustainable business model.

For nine years, the Corporate Engagement Awards has celebrated businesses that have taken the lead in corporate social responsibility, community engagement and collaborative partnerships. This year’s shortlisted companies represent the best in communications around partnerships, sponsorships and CSR activities.

Some, like UBS and the Battersea Power Station Development Company, sponsorships are an outlet for engagement with students and their local communities, working to build better relationships and fill crucial gaps in school curricula. Others have worked in partnership with museums or charities – like Samsung or Debenhams – to achieve a positive impact on the communities in which they operate.

Of the commonalities among this year’s entrants one was that the partnership, sponsorship and CSR activities pursed are closely tied to the core operations and purposes of the businesses. For one, Disney worked with the Great Ormond Street Hospital to make the children’s hospital a more welcoming, comforting place to be through play – an objective that suits both Disney and the hospital itself.

Brittany Golob, publishing editor of Communicate magazine, says, “In a challenging landscape, it is always a joy to examine the journeys of entrants into the Corporate Engagement Awards. The contributions these businesses make to the environment, their communities and society prove that there is good in business and that it serves a clear strategic purpose. I’m pleased to announce the shortlist of the 2019 Corporate Engagement Awards and wish everyone shortlisted the best of luck at the awards.”

The awards will be presented at a sparkling ceremony at London’s Brewery on 12 June. Tables can be booked here. For more information or to book a table, email Lauren or call +44 (0)20 3950 5356.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Partnerships

Best arts and culture programme
Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Gin
HighTide and Lansons
Warner Bros. Entertainment & AMPAS, BAFTA, BFI, Chickenshed, Glasgow Caledonian University, IADT, Into Film, NFTS, RADA, Ravensbourne, ScreenSkills & University of Hertfordshire

Best charity, NGO or NFP programme
The Daily Mile and Media Zoo
KPMG, National Numeracy and Forster Communications
My Peak Challenge and Bloodwise

Best educational programme
Battersea Power Station Development Company and EdComs Ltd
Jazz Pakistan and VEON
UBS and the Bridge Academy
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and HSBC
Young Citizens Charity and FTI Consulting

Best environmental or sustainable programme
Barratt Developments plc and RSPB
DP World FZE
Smart Energy GB and Hill+Knowlton Strategies
WWF UK and Coca-Cola Foundation

Best pro-bono work for a charitable, social or ethical cause
Dulux and AidCamps
Fujitsu and Macmillan Cancer Support
Publicis Sapient

Best sports and leisure programme
DP World FZE
Dulux and Threshold Sports
Enable Sweden, Sweden’s top 32 football clubs, Swedish Police Authority, Swedish football supporters’ federation (SFSU), Gålö Foundation and Lundquist
Heineken, UEFA and Edelman

Corporate social responsibility

Best CSR activity/programme to support or develop a corporate reputation
AstraZeneca UK Ltd and Ashfield Meetings & Events
Battersea Power Station Development Company and EdComs Ltd
Debenhams and Help for Heroes
O2 (Telefónica UK)
Pakistan Ministry of Information and VEON

Best alignment of brand values during a CSR programme
AstraZeneca UK Ltd and Ashfield Meetings & Events
Dulux Academy and Outward Bound Trust
Samsung, in collaboration with the Science Museum and Cheil UK
Young Citizens Charity and FTI Consulting

Best community involvement during a CSR programme
Coca-Cola European Partners GB and UK Youth
Coca-Cola Great Britain, UKactive, Dundee, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Birmingham, Swansea, London Newham, Southampton Local Authorities and StreetGames
Debenhams and Help for Heroes
The Liza Alert Foundation and VEON

Best engagement of an internal audience in a CSR programme.
AstraZeneca UK Ltd and Ashfield Meetings & Events
BT 
Dixons Carphone and Threshold Sports
Internet Matters, BT Group, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Google, BBC, Huawei, Facebook, Instagram, Three and Samsung

Best collaboration for a single event
Barclays and Unreasonable Group

Most innovative collaboration
HighTide and Lansons
Samsung, in collaboration with the Science Museum and Cheil UK

Best foundation
Moto in the Community and Help for Heroes
SITA, Computer Aid, PEAS and Wits Foundation
Wheatley Group and Wheatley Foundation

Sponsorship

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and Royal Bank of Canada
Heineken, UEFA Champions League and Edelman
Samsung, in collaboration with the Science Museum and Cheil UK
Simplyhealth
UBS and the Bridge Academy

Time

Most effective one-off campaign
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), Harry's, adam&eveDDB and ITV plc
O2 and NSPCC

Most effective long-term commitment
Coca-Cola Great Britain, UKactive, Dundee, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Birmingham, Swansea, London Newham, Southampton Local Authorities and StreetGames
Cotton Traders and Help for Heroes
Internet Matters, BT Group, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Google, BBC, Huawei, Facebook, Instagram, Three, Samsung and Goldbug
Moto in the Community and Help for Heroes
NatWest MoneySense

Communication

Best stakeholder communications
Anglian Water and Spring

Best PR and external communications
Dulux, Community RePaint and Resource Futures
Goldbug, Internet Matters, BT Group, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Google and BBC
Simplyhealth

Process

Best collaborative approach
HighTide and Lansons
NSPCC and O2
The Walt Disney Company, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

Best execution
The Daily Mile and Media Zoo
Hepsiburada and Laurel Strategies

The 'Grand prix' award has no shortlist and will be announced at the ceremony on 12 June 2019.