BMW, BT Fleet, EDF Energy, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Route Monkey have all been announced as sponsors for the Energy Saving Trust’s 2013 Fleet Hero Awards which will take place on November 28.

There is still time for any public or private sector organisations based in England to enter the awards following an extension of the deadline to Friday August 23.

Established in 2006, the Fleet Hero Awards celebrate England’s green fleet champions, recognising organisations that are achieving environmental best practice by implementing innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions and operate efficient and environmentally friendly fleets.

The awards also recognise companies that supply cost and fuel saving products or services to fleets and vehicle operators. Last year the awards attracted over 100 entries from all sectors of industry.

• There are 13 award categories, with five already being sponsored which are the following:
• Best public sector fleet; sponsored by BT Fleet
• Smarter Driving; sponsored by BMW
• Plugged-in fleets award (new in 2013); sponsored by EDF Energy
• Grey fleet management; sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Business mileage management; sponsored by Route Monkey.

The awards are free to enter and the application process is straightforward, initially requiring only a 250 word entry outlining why the organisation should win. The criteria for each award is available to view on the Energy Saving Trust website. 

Previous winners include Willmott Dixon, Northamptonshire Police Force, Eddie Stobart, Lake District National Park Authority, and Addison Lee. Last year’s award ceremony was attended by Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, along with other prominent business leaders and government representatives.

Successful first round applicants will be notified by August 30 and invited to submit a second, more detailed application by September 27. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 28 November.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: "We are delighted to have secured sponsorship from such high profile organisations this year. This truly demonstrates the value and significance of the awards across many different sectors. We invite applications from organisations of all sizes and across all sectors operating fleets in England to help showcase their and the industry’s commitment to reducing emissions." 

The judges for this year include Peter Cakebread, chairman of BVRLA; Glen Davies, delivery planning manager (freight), Transport for London; and, Ian Featherstone, knowledge manager, Energy Saving Trust.

Application forms can be found on the EST website.