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National Grid wins Best Intranet at this year’s IoIC National Awards

National Grid has beaten a record number of entrants in this year’s IoIC National Award to win Best Intranet.

National Grid employees standing in front of wind turbines

The awards success continues

The 2021 Institute of Internal Communications (IoIC) National Awards ceremony took place on Sep 24 and saw National Grid win the award for Best Intranet with its Unily platform, Grid:home. Over 330 internal communication professionals attended the IoIC’s first in-person awards dinner in two years, which boasted a record-breaking number of high-standard entries.

The awards are dedicated to championing the impact that internal communication has on organizations, society, and people at work, and are held in high prestige within the IC community. More than 50 organizations submitted entries for the category of ‘Best Intranet’, with 10 shortlisted for the prize on the night, so it’s no small feat that National Grid came away with the gold.

What makes an award-winning intranet?

National Grid is an electricity and gas utility company operating in the UK and US. The organization worked with Unily to implement its intranet, Grid:home, which acts as a digital space to connect and engage its global workforce of 26k+ employees – anytime, anywhere, on any device. The intranet is specifically targeted for each employee, is driven by audience needs, and is a key channel for communication.

In particular, the judges praised Grid:home’s audience-centric approach, and its determination to provide the best possible user experience. Of course, we also wanted to give a huge thanks and shout out to the team – both at National Grid and at Unily – that work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the award-winning intranet software ticking.

Andrew Hubbard - Group Head of Internal Channels and Content at National Grid also gave comment on the win:

"Although the award was collected in person by a few members of the Colleague Communications and Engagement and IT and Digital teams, this award belongs to everyone who has given time and energy to this important channel. Without them, Grid:home wouldn’t be here, let alone winning awards. Thank you all and congratulations."

Andrew Hubbard - National Grid
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National Grid demo a living, breathing intranet at Gartner summit

When National Grid set out on a mission to transform employee experience with a new intranet, the events of 2020 were yet to unfold. Now, more than six months post-launch, GRID:Home is empowering more than 20k people to work in new, more efficient, and collaborative ways - saving the equivalent of 140 days across the business weekly. Discover how a major energy company is empowering its people with an audience-focused intranet.

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Awards season has only just begun

The following awards are coming up for the rest of the year, so if you are interested in putting your intranet forwards for a trophy of recognition, please reach out to the marketing team today.

Nielsen Norman Group Awards

Deadline: Nov 12, 2021

About: One of the most prestigious awards, a win at Nielsen Norman signifies excellence in user experience. Nielsen Norman handpicks their top ten best intranets from a global pool and winners are featured in a design annual.

Past winners: This year, Unily became the first to win four NN/g awards in a single year with CCA, Baker Hughes, Cathay Pacific and Johnson & Johnson.

NN/g award 2021

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Unily first to win four Nielsen Norman Group best intranet awards

Four intranet solutions built on Unily's employee experience platform have been selected by the Nielsen Norman Group as the world's best intranets of 2021. Johnson & Johnson, Baker Hughes, Cathay Pacific, and Commonwealth Care Alliance have all been recognized by the global UX institute for delivering world-class digital employee experiences.

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