Heather Marano
- Heather Marano
- June 16, 2026
- 9:00 am
One of the most common problems we see for businesses interested in entering business awards is that they start out incredibly strong, but never quite make it to the finish line.
Teams get excited about their strategy, spend valuable time researching programs, and successfully compile a targeted list of awards to enter. And then… nothing happens. The momentum just stalls.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Let’s break down exactly why awards strategies fail to launch, the true cost of missing out, and how you can get your submissions back on track.
Key takeaways:
- Identify the bottleneck: Awards usually stall due to a lack of resources, shifting internal priorities, or missed deadlines.
- The cost of inaction: Missing a deadline means waiting a full 12 months to try again, giving competitors the spotlight.
- Outsource for success: You do not have to choose between “doing it all” or “doing nothing.” Expert agencies can manage the execution for you.
The 3 Reasons Your Awards Strategy is Stuck in Purgatory
When an awards strategy stalls after the initial research phase, it is almost always due to one of these three distinct roadblocks:
1. You are resource poor
Award submissions require dedicated time, specialised writing skills, and project management. Often, no single person is explicitly assigned to lead the initiative. Alternatively, the person who is assigned is already under the pump with their regular day-to-day duties. When internal resources are stretched thin, complex tasks like award entries are the first to slip through the cracks.
2. The project gets deprioritised
In a fast-paced business environment, revenue-generating tasks and client emergencies will always take precedence. Award entries consistently get pushed aside for urgent operational tasks. Before long, the submission ends up stuck in “to-do list purgatory,” perpetually rolling over to next week’s agenda until it is too late.
3. You miss the deadline (and lose motivation)
Missing that very first application deadline is demoralising. Once a team realises they have missed the cut-off for an award they were excited about, the wind goes out of their sails. Most businesses never quite recover their motivation after that initial failure, causing them to abandon the rest of their meticulously researched awards list.
The True Cost of Missing the Boat
The biggest problem with a stalled awards strategy is the timeline. Award programs operate on strict annual cycles. If you miss the boat, you cannot just try again next month.
The business cost of inaction is highly measurable. When you fail to submit, you actively hand opportunities over to your competitors.
Here is what it actually costs your business when an award strategy fails to make it off the page:
| The Consequence | The Business Impact |
| The 12-Month Waiting Game | You are forced to wait a full calendar year before you can enter that specific program again. |
| Lost Credibility & Exposure | You miss out entirely on the free marketing, PR buzz, and third-party validation that comes with a win. |
| Competitor Dominance | You are forced to sit on the sidelines and watch your direct competitors pick up the trophies that should have been yours. |
Make Your Awards Strategy a Reality
It does not have to be a choice between “doing it all internally” or “doing nothing at all.”
At Green Door Co, our mission is to ensure your awards strategy actually makes it off the page and across the finish line. We take the heavy lifting off your team’s shoulders, managing the process from initial research to compelling copywriting and final submission.
Reach out to Green Door Co today to ensure your next great award entry doesn’t end up stuck in purgatory.
