Be a winner with Bacs
Top five reasons to enter 2007 Bacs Local Authority Direct Debit Challenge Awards

With just under four weeks to go before the final entry deadline of 3 August, Bacs is urging any councils that have not yet entered its 2007 Local Authority Direct Debit Challenge Awards, to consider the benefits of submitting an entry and becoming a winner.

Bacs hosts its annual awards to recognise local authorities that have successfully increased the number of residents paying council tax or business rates by Direct Debit. This year, there is also a category to reward the success of associated marketing campaigns and an award for new entrants to the programme. Over the last sixteen years, Bacs has rewarded over 110 local authority winners at its glittering champagne awards ceremony held at the annual Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV) Conference.

Top benefits for winners include:

1. Industry kudos - previous winners have been cited in Audit Commission reports as a good example of best practice in collection rates*
2. Reward staff - recognise and reawrd the achievements of your team to other colleagues and a nationwide audience
3. PR opportunity - your status as a winner in these prestigious national awards can be featured in all communications. Bacs' own PR activity surrounding the event includes developing a case study detailing each winner's success plus support to achieve local PR coverage
4. Enhances reputation among residents - in addition to a sign of quality, the awards demonstrate your commitment to satisfying residents' needs. Direct Debit is the preferred, regular payment method for over half of the UK bill paying population, with almost three quarters of UK adults positively disposed to it over traditional methods like cash and cheques.
5. And if that's not enough there are prizes! Each winner receives £500 to donate to a charity of their choice and all entries submitted before the closing date will automatically be entered into a prize draw, with an additional £500 up for grabs for a worthy cause.

Michael Chambers, Managing Director at Bacs, said: "We are continually impressed by the hard work of council revenues teams in encouraging residents to pay for council tax by Direct Debit. Enabling councils to make enormous savings in terms of back office efficiences. Direct Debit is preferred by residents too: 35 million adults now have at least one Direct Debit commitment. 87% of this number believe Direct Debit is a more convenient way to pay and 76% agree it can help make life easier. By encouraging uptake of automated, regular payments. Councils can make significant savings in terms of time and money, which can then be spent on other, worthwhile causes."

Authorities interested in participating can download a Bacs 2007 Local Authority Direct Debit Challenge Awards entry form. The final closing date for submissions is 3 August 2007. For further information, please contact Dawneth Perry by email: d.perry@bacsservices.co.uk or call 0870 9208624.

Award categories:

Council tax award
There are six council tax awards. Local authorities with similar wealth indices have been grouped into six categories (red, blue, green, yellow, purple and orange) to ensure each one is measured against others with a similar customer profile. The winners for each category are the local authorities that achieve the highest increase in Direct Debit penetration for council tax over the preceding 12 months.

Business rates award
This award will go to the local authority that achieves the highest increase in Direct Debit penetration for business rates over the preceding 12 months.

New entrant award
This award is presented to the local authority that has not previously entered the Challenge, and that achieves the highest percentage increase in Direct Debit penetration in council tax.

Marketing campaign achievement award
This will be awarded to the local authority that ran the most effective Direct Debit marketing campaign. This award is judged on information and examples of relevant marketing evidence and literature submitted with the entry.

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* Winners of a 2006 council tax award, Wolverhampton, have since been highlighted in an Audit Commission report as, "delivering significant benefits in priority services"

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