Awards Rules

Eligibility & Submissions

Check with your college society officer as to your society’s eligibility to enter the BICS awards. If in doubt, email info@bics.ie

Your college must be a member of BICS. Your college must nominate you and there can be only one nomination in each category from each member college.

You must meet all the award nomination criteria and meet all deadlines, see nominee information booklet and website.

It is very important that 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.

A group whose main activity is recognized by Student Sports Ireland as a sports club and/or is an Olympic Sport may not enter for an award at BICS

Portfolios

If a portfolio is required for your category the nominee must provide just one portfolio, which includes all back up material. You cna also submit a virtual portfolio. Portfolios will be required to be at the hotel for judging on Wednesday 9th April. If you are nominated in more than one category, you must have one portfolio for each category.

Awards Specific Rules

To be eligible to enter Best Society (Cultural/Social), Best Society (Charity/Civic ) Best Society (Academic/Departmental) and Most Improved Society categories your society must have been set up for a minimum of two years from March 11th 2025

A society may not be nominated for more than one of the following awards in the one year:

Best Society (Cultural/Social)

Best Society (Charity/Civic)

Best Society (Academic/Departmental)

A society which any of the above 3 categories two years in a row may not enter this category for the third year in a row. They can enter another category.

Best New Society

To be eligible a New Society must be in its first two academic years from March 11th (i.e. for the 2025 awards, set up after March 11th 2023) The exception is if you were nominated and won for ‘Best new Society’ at BICS last year and attended BICS, in this instance you may not enter for Best New Society again but may enter for Best Society (either Academic/Departmental, Cultural/Social or Charity/Civic).

A society entering Most Improved Award must in existence for a minimum of 2 years and be able to demonstrate their improvement year on year for this period. They cannot enter this award two years in a row.

Events must have taken place since March 11th 2024 and not have entered for their own or a BICS award last year.

Best Individual You cannot win this categor two years in a row at BICS

A Best Fresher is deemed a society member who is in their first year at their first HEI ie: a student in the first year of a graduate course is not deemed a Fresher. – it is up to each college to nominate an individual who adheres to this criterion.

Best Intervarsity must have taken place after 3rd April 2024. One entry per college is allowed for this award, unless you are hosting one of the major established intervarsities with alternating hosts, i.e ISDA, Dance Inters, Musical Inters, sim Wars, in this instance you can enter two applications. If in doubt check with your societies officer.
If you are applying for the Award you must have hosted the Inter Varsity.
The event must be organised by at least one society in a member college.
In addition to the host college at least 2 other Irish colleges must have participated (they do not all have to be members of BICS)
The event must be open to all colleges on the island of Ireland (not all
colleges must attend but there must be no restrictions imposed by the host college)The event may be open to non-students but in an audience capacity only.

Please check individual applications for rules specific to each category.

Back