Recognising excellent collaboration in project delivery.
The Team of the Year Award recognises excellent collaboration in project delivery.
Team collaboration can span the boundaries between teams, groups, departments, professions, agencies, and administrations, building strong and trusted relationships and multi-disciplinary teams in order to successfully deliver the benefits of a project.
The Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) addresses decades of pension system fragmentation by giving individuals a real-time view of all their pensions in one place. Launched in 2019 by the Money and Pensions Service, PDP is connecting over 70 million pension records through innovative digital architecture, including the State Pension.
Following a 2023 red rating, the team underwent a transformative reset, dismantling silos and creating an inclusive, learning-focused culture. The programme now holds amber status with high ministerial confidence. Within 12 months, PDP onboarded over 400 pension schemes representing 50 million records – an unprecedented integration scale.
Benefits include empowering citizens to make informed retirement decisions, reducing lost pensions, and creating a connected provider ecosystem. The programme sets global benchmarks for digital pensions infrastructure whilst building cross-organisational capability through collaborative working between government, regulators, industry, and suppliers.
The Pre-recorded Evidence (PRE) team operates in a highly sensitive, multi‑agency environment, supporting vulnerable witnesses to give their best evidence in critical court hearings. Delivery required close coordination across HM Courts and Tribunals Service operational and corporate teams, the wider Ministry of Justice, suppliers, judiciary, and external users. Open engagement and monthly operational meetings built trusted relationships, while early adopter testing created regional champions and strengthened courtroom readiness. Engagement with senior judiciary through project boards ensured alignment with listing and evidential requirements, and partnerships with digital support officers and cloud video platform teams maintained technical assurance across suppliers.
Work with GOV.UK delivered dedicated external resources for counsel and Crown Prosecution Service, reducing reliance on HM Courts and Tribunals Service colleagues and improving user preparedness. Interactive webinars demonstrated the system and enabled real-time questions and answers across professional groups. A phased pilot approach created rapid feedback loops with judiciary, counsel, and staff, driving continuous improvement.
Initial challenges around limited delivery capacity and changing technology were addressed through upskilling, mentoring, continuity planning, and clear cross‑stakeholder communication. Early adopter working groups shaped national standards, while regular reflection sessions embedded lessons learned into ongoing delivery and the transition to live services.
The School-based Nurseries (SBN) programme was established to deliver thousands of new and expanded nurseries in primary schools by 2029, with a £400 million lifecycle cost supporting the Best Start in Life strategy. Formed in July 2024, the 20-strong multidisciplinary team launched phase 1 with over 200 nurseries opening by September 2025, creating over 5,000 early years places, exceeding forecasts.
The team adopted agile practices including daily stand-ups, enabling rapid problem-solving and decision-making. Innovation replaced manual processes with digital tools, whilst collaboration with Ofsted helped projects to progress. Schools praised clear guidance and regular engagement through webinars and advisory groups.
Operating under compressed timelines whilst developing substantial capital bids required psychological safety and shared ownership. Team members stepped outside comfort zones, transitioning between policy and delivery roles. Structured lesson-learning workshops identified improvements including revised application processes and holistic bid reviews, directly informing phases 2 and 3 planning.
Judges look at how the team:
Judges look at how collaborative working:
Judges look at:
Winner added.