Projects & Programmes

Your guide to the categories celebrating the initiatives driving organisational, customer and societal impact

As the role of compliance, risk and governance teams continues to evolve, the 2027 ICA Compliance Awards Europe place greater emphasis on the work that has delivered measurable value for organisations, customers and society.

The initiative categories recognise the programmes, projects and transformations that have really made a difference.

Whether you've responded to regulatory change, strengthened controls, improved customer outcomes, prevented financial crime or led organisational transformation, these categories provide an opportunity to showcase the work, impact and achievements of your team.

Not sure which initiative category is right for you?

Many projects could fit more than one category. The key is to focus on the primary achievement of your initiative and the story you want to tell.

  • New regulation? → Adapting to Regulatory Change
  • Better customer outcomes? → Customer Outcomes Initiative of the Year
  • Stronger controls? → Operational Risk & Controls Initiative of the Year
  • Business transformation? → Strategic Initiative of the Year
  • Reduced financial crime? → Financial Crime Prevention Initiative of the Year
  • Improved skills and awareness? → Training Initiative of the Year
  • Changed behaviours and culture? → Compliance Culture & Ethics Initiative of the Year

Adapting to Regulatory Change

Question: How did you respond to a new regulation, legislative requirement or policy change?

Best suited to initiatives focused on implementing and embedding regulatory change, such as AI governance, ESG reporting, data privacy, conduct and accountability frameworks, cyber regulation or other significant legislative developments.

Customer Outcomes Initiative of the Year

Question: How did you improve outcomes for customers, clients or end users?

Best suited to initiatives that improved customer experience, accessibility, vulnerability support, trust, communications, fraud prevention, digital journeys, complaints handling or other customer-focused outcomes.

Operational Risk & Controls Initiative of the Year

Question: How did you strengthen controls, resilience or risk management?

Best suited to initiatives focused on operational resilience, control frameworks, governance, third-party risk, cyber resilience, risk oversight, process improvements or control effectiveness.

Strategic Initiative of the Year

Question: How did compliance, governance or risk help achieve a major organisational objective?

Best suited to initiatives that supported growth, transformation, innovation, market expansion, AI adoption, capability development, cultural change or other strategic business priorities.

Financial Crime Prevention Initiative of the Year

Question: How did you prevent, detect or mitigate financial crime?

Best suited to initiatives focused on anti-money laundering, sanctions compliance, fraud prevention, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, intelligence sharing, investigations or financial crime technology and transformation.

Training Initiative of the Year

Question: How did you build knowledge, skills or awareness?

Best suited to learning and development programmes that improved compliance, risk, ethics, governance or financial crime awareness through innovative training, education, engagement or capability-building initiatives.

Compliance Culture & Ethics Initiative of the Year

Question: How did you influence behaviours, decision-making or organisational culture?

Best suited to initiatives that strengthened ethical conduct, accountability, speak-up cultures, values-based decision making, leadership engagement, employee behaviours or broader compliance culture.

Still undecided?

Reach out to our team who can help discuss your entry and choose the right categories with you!