Enter the Professional Driver QSI Awards

Small but mighty — your business deserves recognition

Run an independent taxi or private-hire business? The Professional Driver QSi Awards recognise quality, service and innovation across businesses of different sizes. Show the judges what your team has achieved, with clear examples of the difference you make to passengers, drivers and your community.

You can enter your own business. Entries close on Friday 20 November 2026.

Read our advice for smaller operators, then choose your category and complete the entry form below.

How to enter

QSi stands for Quality, Service and Innovation – and that’s what our judges will be looking for, whichever category you enter. There are 11 categories in the QSi Awards, so there’s bound to be something that fits your achievements.

Your main entry should consist of up to 1,000 words of text, and this should include all information you feel is necessary to support your entry in each category.

The information can be inputted directly on the form below, or if you prefer, uploaded as an attachment in Word or PDF form.

Supporting material may be supplied in addition to your main entry. Additional information can be uploaded in Word, PDF or for photographs, in JPG form.

All the information that you need to enter can be found within the category descriptions, as well as in our Entry Guide. View the entry guide here.

An entry is defined as one submission to one category. There is no limit to the number of categories you can enter. Please note the judges reserve the right to transfer your entry to another category.

Email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Company name(Required)

Name(Required)

First Last

Job title(Required)

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City County Post code Country

Company Twitter username

Phone(Required)

IMPORTANT: Please confirm your phone number so that we can contact you about your entry if necessary

Email(Required)

Enter Email Confirm Email

IMPORTANT: Please enter your email address, we will use this for all future correspondence regarding your entry

Your entry

Please select the category in which you want to make an entry. Please submit separate supporting text for each category.

The judges reserve the right to move entries to different categories where appropriate.

Categories entered(Required)

Each category entry must be no longer than 1,000 words. You can type the entry directly into the box, or cut and paste from a Word document or similar.

Entry for Private Hire Group(Required)

Entry for Private Hire Operator, 1-80 cars(Required)

Entry for Private Hire Operator, 81+ cars(Required)

Entry for New-Start Operator Award(Required)

Entry for Community Award(Required)

Entry for Marketing Award(Required)

Entry for Environmental Award(Required)

Entry for Chauffeur Operator, 1-10 cars(Required)

Entry for Chauffeur Operator, 10+ cars(Required)

Entry for Business Diversification Award(Required)

Entry for Professional Driver of the Year(Required)

If required, please upload supporting documentation here You can upload Microsoft Word, PDF or JPG documents

File upload

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 4.

Name of person receiving award(Required)

Who from the company will collect an award at the QSi Awards Dinner if the entry should be successful? If you do not know at this stage please input TBC.

Table reservation - Register your interest

If you are shortlisted by the judges, you will be required to attend the awards ceremony in January 2027 - so make it worthwhile by registering your interest now.

Each table seats 10 - you and your guests will join hundreds to share in the success of the industry. Please register your interest below if you would like to attend. A member of our team will then get in touch to discuss your options.

Interested in booking a table

Yes, I am interested in booking a table or individual tickets for the Professional Driver QSi Awards

Award Entry Terms and Conditions (“Terms”)(Required)

Tick to confirm you accept the terms and conditions

The organiser of the QSi Awards (“Awards”) is Pro Driver Media Ltd (“PD”). Registration No: 07086172 and registered address Unit 6 Buckingham Court, Rectory Lane, Loughton, Essex, United Kingdom, IG10 2QZ.

Participating companies entering our Awards (“entrants, you, your”) will be deemed to have read and understood these Terms and to be bound by them.

By entering the Awards, all award and category entrants have agreed to allow the details of their entry to be shared with the judges and representatives of PD. All entrants will be deemed to have consented to the transfer and sharing of their personal, company and project data and information for the purpose of administration and judging of the awards and any other purposes to which the entrant has consented. Your data will be handled in accordance with PD privacy policy.

There is no restriction on the number of entries or the number of categories for which entries may be submitted. Each entry needs to be completed separately and be tailored for each individual category.

All entries must be submitted via the official event website no later than the stated entry deadline or by the date of extension if this is permitted. Any entry received by any other means including via email, post or hand delivered will not be accepted. For the purpose of doubt, proof of dispatch shall not be accepted as proof of entry.

The Awards are free to enter.

PD will not accept responsibility for entries that are lost, mislaid or delayed in transit, regardless of cause, including, for example, as a result of equipment failure, technical malfunction, entrant’s SPAM blockers, network, server, computer hardware or software failure of any kind.

By entering the Awards, you warrant that all information submitted is true, accurate and complete.

All entries are treated with the upmost confidentiality. Only the chair of judges, the awards auditor and the category judges can see your application.

The judges reserve the right to move your entry into another category, add to another entry or reject an entry without explanation or notice.

The judges’ decision will be final and no explanation, correspondence or discussion will be offered or entered into before or following the judges’ decision. Additionally, feedback will not be given on any successful or unsuccessful entry before or following the judges’ decision.

PD reserve the right to disqualify an entrant if it has reasonable grounds to believe that an entrant has breached any of the rules, any applicable law or has otherwise infringed the intellectual property of any third party.

Short-listed entrants will be notified as soon as practicable prior to the announcement of the shortlist on www.prodrivermags.com in mid-December 2026. Due to the high volume of entries received, entries which are not announced as a finalist will not be notified in advance via email or other correspondence.

Category winners, runners-up and finalists are not provided with complimentary tickets to the awards dinner. All finalists wishing to attend the dinner must purchase tickets to attend on the night via the event website.

Award winners will be announced on the night of the QSi Awards. The winners’ names and company names will be published online at www.prodrivermags.com after the ceremony.
PD reserves the right to change the categories and the judging panel without prior notice to entrants.

All award entrants, winners, runners-up and finalists grant PD the exclusive right to use and reproduce their name, trademark and company logo for pre-event, onsite and post-event marketing of the awards, and for the commercial promotion of PD and any PD event.

All award entrants agree to indemnify PD against all costs, claims, damages and expenses that any award entrant and / or award attendee incurs as a result of, or in connection with; any breach of this agreement by PD; or any complaint or claim made or brought against PD in respect of any act or omission on the part of any award entrant, and/or its representatives.

These terms shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Awards Ticket/Table Purchase Terms and Conditions (“Terms”)(Required)

Tick to confirm you accept the terms and conditions

The organiser of the QSi Awards (“Awards”) is Pro Driver Media Ltd (“PD”). Registration No: 07086172 and registered address Unit 6 Buckingham Court, Rectory Lane, Loughton, Essex, United Kingdom, IG10 2QZ.

Participating companies attend our Awards will be deemed to have read and understood these Terms and to be bound by them.

All Awards ticket/table bookings are to be made via the official awards website.

By purchasing a ticket you will be deemed to have consented to the transfer and sharing of your personal and company information for the purpose of administration the award ceremony (”Ceremony”), and any other purposes to which you has consented. Your data will be handled in accordance with PD privacy policy.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing in advance, all attendees must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the Ceremony.

Payment may be made via a credit/debit card at point of purchase, or an invoice may be requested. Payment by invoice must be made prior to the Ceremony being held.

Should you be unable to attend the Ceremony, substitute guests are always welcome at no extra charge. Alternatively, if you confirm your cancellation in writing before 30th December 2026, you will receive a refund (less a 15% administration charge).

No refunds will be made or invoices cancelled after the 30th December 2026 and the full rate will become payable.

Once booking have been received, confirmation will be sent. • If the Ceremony is postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, any ticket or table bookings will be transferred to a rescheduled date.

PD will not be liable for any death, injury, financial loss or damage sustained by an award attendee as a result of, or arising from any circumstances, including but not limited to financial losses arising from the rescheduling or the cancellation of the awards or awards dinner by PD, which right PD hereby reserves where in its opinion it thinks such action necessary, or appropriate under such circumstances which is deemed to be outside the control of PD. For the purposes of these Terms, non-exhaustive illustrations of those matters which are hereby agreed to be outside PD’s reasonable control include fire, storm, tempest, lightning, other abnormal weather conditions, national emergency, labour disputes, strikes, lockouts, civil disturbances, explosion, inevitable accident, threatened or actual war, armed conflict, terrorist attack or nuclear, chemical or biological contamination or the withdrawal or non-appearance of key presenters of the awards dinner. Should PD cancel the Ceremony, this agreement shall automatically terminate.

PD will not be held responsible for the security of any award attendee nor for any attendee’s personal belongings. All award attendees accept and acknowledge that neither PD nor the venue maintains insurance covering any attendees’ property and / or liability, and it is the sole responsibility of the award attendee to obtain such insurance.

All award attendees agree to indemnify PD against all costs, claims, damages and expenses that any award entrant and / or award attendee incurs as a result of, or in connection with; any breach of this agreement by PD; or any complaint or claim made or brought against PD in respect of any act or omission on the part of any award entrant, its representatives, award dinner guests or any award attendee.

During the award dinner, alcoholic beverages will be served for the enjoyment of attendees. PD strongly advise all award attendees to keep within the UK legal drink driving alcohol limits. By agreeing to these Terms, all award attendees accept full responsibility for their own actions and acknowledge and agree that Bauer, the event suppliers, the venue and event sponsors will not be held responsible for any attendees actions following the consumption of alcohol, or from any related or non-related circumstance which may occur prior, during or following the awards dinner.

While peanuts or other tree nuts may not be an ingredient in the food served at the awards dinner, menu items may be produced in the same area as food containing various nuts. PD, the event caters, suppliers and the venue wish to advise sufferers of nut allergies, that although best practices are used in the preparation of food served by the venue, inadvertent cross-contamination of nuts and nut traces may occur.

Prior and following the Ceremony, PD will produce a comprehensive media / publicity campaign highlighting the awards, award categories, winners, runners-up and finalists. All award entrants, winners, runners-up and finalists agree to offer PD the exclusive right to use content, images and film for the promotion of the awards, and for the commercial promotion of PD and any PD event.

All award entrants, winners, runners-up and finalists grant PD the exclusive right to use and reproduce their name, trademark and company logo for pre-event, onsite and post-event marketing of the awards, and for the commercial promotion of PD and any PD event.

Photography and filming by PD’s approved photographers and film crews will take place during the awards evening and dinner. As photographs and film footage may include images of award winners, runners-up, finalists and attendees, all award winners, runners-up, finalists and attendees acknowledge and accept that PD may record, photograph, film and broadcast (via print, electronic means and internet) any image or film footage taken during the awards evening and dinner. All winners, runners-up, finalists and attendees agree to offer PD the exclusive right to use any image or film footage taken during the awards evening and dinner for the promotion of the awards, and for the commercial promotion of PD and any PD event.

These terms shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Rules for entry

Companies can submit entries for as many categories as they wish, as long as they are eligible.
The editor decides whether an entry is valid for a particular category.
The judging panel (chaired by Mark Bursa) has the right to withhold any award if, in its opinion, no entry is of a high enough standard.
Every care will be taken with material submitted but none can be returned and no responsibility will be accepted for any loss or damage.
Decisions by the judging panel are final.
Prodriver Media Ltd, the judges and sponsors of the QSi Awards 2027 shall not be held responsible for any legal proceedings arising from the entries or the statements made therein; nor can they accept responsibility for the veracity of statements made by entrants, although every care will be taken to check entries.

NB - The awards that do not require entry forms are decided by the judging panel.

Please support answers with marketing material, graphs and tables where appropriate and relevant facts/figures.

ALL ENTRIES MUST REACH US BY FRIDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, 2026

If you have any queries regarding the entry process please email editor@prodrivermags.com

Professional Driver QSI Awards: Entry guidelines

This does NOT constitute a full entry to the awards. This must comprise a written submission of not more than 1,000 words, plus supporting materials including photographs or videos that back up the claims made in the entry.

Entries may be submitted in either digital format or with hard copies submitted via post. The entry should attempt to explain clearly why the company should win an award. For guidance, the following points should be addressed:

All chauffeur and private hire company categories

QUALITY: Describe standards applied to your business that are designed to make it stand out from your local competitors. This could apply to vehicles, drivers, promotional materials and any other aspect of the business, including training and staff retention. Explain your formal training programs for drivers and support staff. Show examples of quality within the business with your supporting materials.

SERVICE: What successful approaches are used to improve customer service? Are your drivers delivering exceptional standards of customer care? Demonstrate high levels of satisfaction and customer loyalty with testimonials and customer surveys.

INNOVATION: What innovative ways do you employ to improve your business? This could include creative uses of new technology, fresh and different approaches to marketing or presentation of the business, or customer-driven ideas and initiatives that give your company a competitive edge.

Professional Driver of the Year

This category is open to all Chauffeur and Private Hire operators, irrespective of size. This award is for an individual driver or chauffeur, to be nominated by the operator or employer, who in the employer’s opinion provides the absolute highest standard of service, in terms of driving skills, customer service, personality, ability to represent the company and any other way. The winners will be recognised as “the best of the best” in the professional driving business.

Marketing award

This category is open to all Chauffeur and Private Hire operators, irrespective of size. What are the creative ways you promote and market your company? How do you make use of the Internet, digital media, social media, and advertising? What are some examples of media coverage your company has attracted?

Community award

This category is open to all Chauffeur and Private Hire operators, irrespective of size. The award is to recognise initiatives that have made the wining companies real “local heroes”, working with local community organisations and giving their business a local profile above and beyond that of a mere transport provider. Describe how you work with local councils, organisations, community groups and charities to “go the extra mile” in your local area.

Environmental award

This category is open to all Chauffeur and Private Hire operators, irrespective of size. “Green” initiatives are an increasingly important aspect of all companies’ activities Describe the environmentally-friendly policies adopted by your company that have made it especially eco-friendly, and explain the positive impact this has had on your overall business.

New start operator award

If your business began trading after January 1st 2021 why not enter this award and receive recognition for your hard work and determination? Our winner will be an entrepreneur who may have brought a fantastic new perspective to the market, found a niche area to focus on or overcome all odds to achieve success. Tell us about your business, your performance and your future plans to win the recognition you deserve.

What you need to do now

Please submit your entries via our interactive website www.prodrivermags.com/qsi-enter. Just click on the categories you want to enter and write or paste your entry text into the text panel. You can upload supporting material via the website too.

Alternatively, you can email your entries to editor@prodrivermags.com by November 20, 2026.

If you would prefer to send hard copy entries by post, please send them to:

Professional Driver QSi Awards
50 Beechcroft Manor
Oatlands
Weybridge
Surrey
KT13 9NZ

For more information, and details of how to secure a place or a table at the Professional Driver QSi Awards dinner in January, please call 07807133527.

Small but mighty

Why your taxi or private-hire business deserves to be recognised

The Professional Driver QSi Awards return to the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton on Friday 22 January 2027. If you run an independent taxi or private-hire business, do not assume the awards are only for national brands and large fleets. Judges need strong evidence of service, improvement and impact - and smaller operators often have exactly that story to tell.

Entries are now open. You may enter your own business. Entries close on Friday 20 November 2026.

What makes a strong entry

Fleet size is not the story. The story is what you have achieved with the people and resources available to you. A convincing entry gives the judges specific examples rather than broad claims about being reliable, innovative or customer-focused.

Your entry might show how you have:

helped vulnerable passengers or supported an essential local service;
reduced cancellations, waiting times, complaints or empty mileage;
supported drivers through a difficult period or improved recruitment and retention;
introduced useful technology despite limited time or resources;
created local employment or opportunities for new drivers;
built trusted relationships with schools, hospitals, councils or community organisations; or
grown the business while protecting service standards and its original values.

Independent operators can win

The 2026 winners demonstrate that there is no single formula for success.

Gold - Tick Taxi, Bristol. The airport-transfer specialist achieved 200% growth in 12 months. It impressed the judges with its technology and practical support for drivers, including interest-free loans.

Silver - Castle Cars, Tonbridge. A familiar presence in its community for more than 30 years, Castle Cars combined safe and reliable service with investment in cleaner vehicles and a solar battery storage facility, reducing both costs and carbon emissions.

Bronze - SP Taxi, Saffron Walden. The smallest and newest operator on the shortlist was established in 2025. It adapted the high customer-service standards of a leading London chauffeur operation to provide a personalised and sustainable local private-hire service.

These businesses succeeded for different reasons: rapid growth, driver support, community commitment, sustainability and exceptional customer service. What united them was clear evidence of the difference they had made. That is what judges want to see - not simply the number of vehicles in a fleet.

Make it easy for the judges to understand

Assume the judges know nothing about your business. Explain where you operate, when the company began, who you serve and the size of your operation. Then focus on one or two achievements that best demonstrate why your team deserves recognition.

For each achievement, answer four questions:

What was the challenge? Describe the problem or opportunity clearly.
What did you do? Explain the action taken and name the people involved.
What changed? Include numbers, customer feedback or another result wherever possible.
Why did it matter? Show the benefit to passengers, drivers, staff or the community.

Do not imitate the language of a large corporate business. Direct, specific evidence is far more persuasive than marketing language. Your close knowledge of passengers, drivers and the local area is an advantage when you demonstrate the difference it makes.

What recognition can do for your business

Reaching the shortlist or winning can give your team something concrete to celebrate and provide credible material for recruitment, customer communications and conversations with local partners. It is not a substitute for strong service, but it can help more people notice the work you are already doing well.

Put your business forward

Entering your own business is not boasting. It is an opportunity to recognise your team and document the results they have achieved. Choose your strongest example, support it with evidence and tell the story plainly.

Enter the Professional Driver QSi Awards using the form on this page.