Excellence Awards

Excellence Awards

Fleet Innovation Award

Applications for the 2027 IPWEA Fleet Excellence Awards are now open! This year, we're introducing two new exciting awards for the fleet community which recognise different aspects of professional fleet management. We’re looking forward to presenting the following awards:

  • Fleet Innovation Award
  • Fleet Maturity Award
  • Emerging Fleet Leader Award

Each award celebrates a different area of excellence fleet management: practical innovation, development of the next generation of fleet practitioners, and organisational fleet management maturity.

We invite you to spotlight innovators and leaders who are shaping the industry through their dedication, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities and submit your nominations for the IPWEA Fleet Excellence Awards.

 

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Key Dates

 

Applications Open

 

7 September 2026

Applications Close

 

16 December 2026

Winners Announced

 

22 to 24 February 2027

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How to Apply

  • Submit a written application describing a completed project implemented in the workplace.
  • The project may relate directly to fleet management or to an organisational process that improves fleet outcomes.
  • Applications should explain the problem or pain point, the approach taken, how the change was implemented and the results achieved.
  • Suppliers may nominate a customer with the customer's approval.
  • Current award rules require a representative of the entering organisation to attend the IPWEA Fleet Conference to accept the award.

The Fleet Innovation Award represents a significant step forward in recognising and promoting excellence in fleet management. We look forward to celebrating and honouring the industry's innovators and leaders, and to a future of continuous improvement.

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Judging Criteria

How Applications Will Be Assessed

  1. Written submissions will be reviewed by members of the IPWEA Fleet Council.
  2. The Fleet Council will select a shortlist of the strongest applications.
  3. Shortlisted entrants will participate in an online interview with Fleet Council members.
  4. The interview will allow judges to explore the problem, the thinking behind the solution, implementation challenges, measurable outcomes and lessons that can be shared with others.

What Judges Will Be Looking For

  • An innovative approach to solving a problem or addressing an operational issue.
  • Measurable improvements in effectiveness, productivity, client service or service delivery.
  • A response to an identified community, workplace or industry need.
  • A best-practice operating model or process that could be transferred or replicated elsewhere.
  • A clear return on investment or demonstrable value from the project.
  • Practical innovation: streamlining administration, removing pain points, simplifying processes or improving ways of working can be as valuable as introducing new technology.
  • Evidence that the project reflects continuous improvement and a mature approach to fleet or asset management.

Attributes of a Strong Finalist

  • Can clearly articulate the original problem and why it mattered.
  • Can demonstrate what was genuinely different about the approach.
  • Has evidence of implementation and measurable results, not just an idea or proposal.
  • Can explain what others in the fleet community could learn from the project.

A representative from the organisation entering the Fleet Innovation Award must be present at the IPWEA Fleet Conference to accept the award.

Registration Instructions

Please note that we are using a partner event registration website (Currinda) to capture new registrations and fleet innovation award submissions for this conference. To ensure a smooth login process, please keep your IPWEA ID handy as you will need it to complete the registration process. If you don't have an IPWEA Account, please create one by clicking here.

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Award Categories

Award How to enter How it is assessed How the winner is determined
Fleet Innovation Award
 Written application or nomination describing a completed project. Fleet Council reviews submissions, selects a shortlist and conducts online interviews. Judges select the entry that best demonstrates practical innovation, measurable outcomes and transferable improvement.
Emerging Fleet Leader Award
 Application or nomination outlining the candidate's career, contribution and commitment to fleet management. Fleet Council reviews submissions, selects a shortlist and conducts online interviews. Judges select the candidate who best demonstrates career commitment, lifecycle thinking, leadership potential and contribution to the fleet community.
Fleet Maturity Award
 Complete an IPWEA Fleet Management Maturity Assessment during the calendar year. No separate award entry is required. The organisation's maturity assessment score is used. The organisation with the highest Fleet Management Maturity Assessment score for the calendar year wins.
Fleet Innovation Award

2026 Fleet Innovation Award Winner

New Zealand Police

New Zealand Police has been named the winner of the 2026 IPWEA Fleet Innovation Award for its Donor Vehicle Programme, an initiative that transforms written-off vehicles into a strategic parts supply chain supporting frontline fleet operations.

Rather than disposing of total-loss vehicles through auction or scrap, NZ Police recover usable components, catalogue them and redeploy them across the national fleet. This circular approach has reduced repair turnaround times, improved vehicle availability and delivered significant financial results, including $1.18 million in verified savings in FY25, with savings in FY26 projected to reach around $1.3 million. The programme also diverts hundreds of components from landfill each year and reduces the environmental impact associated with manufacturing replacement parts.

2025 Fleet Innovation Award Winner

Victoria State Emergency Service

The winner of the inaugural IPWEA Fleet Innovation Award for 2025 was the Victoria State Emergency Services (VICSES) for their submission Next Generation Heavy Rescue Truck — a state-of-the-art vehicle packed with features that demonstrate innovation and practicality. From Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to 3D scanning and multi-phase durability testing, VICSES ensured every part of the truck was ready for the real world.

VICSES’ innovative approach has set a new benchmark for emergency fleet management. Their ownership of the design process allows them to continually adapt and improve, staying ahead of evolving operational needs. And their willingness to collaborate, consult widely, and test thoroughly ensures that each vehicle is built not just for today but for the future.

The ripple effect of this project is already being felt, with other emergency services looking to VICSES as a leader in best practice fleet management.

2024 Winner – Dubbo Regional Council

Dubbo Regional Council

The winner of the inaugural IPWEA Fleet Innovation Award was Dubbo Regional Council for their submission which demonstrated how they have taken different approach to implementing telematics. 

Daniel Peterson, Manager Fleet and Depot Services at Dubbo Regional Council, accepted the award which was announced at the 2024 IPWEA Fleet Conference.

“Our innovation is not a new technology but how that technology is utilised,” said Peterson. “Telematics have been around for many years, most councils have either dabbled in it, or considered implementing telematics but very few have implemented a system and manage it effectively.”

“Implementing and installing a system is only one of the steps. The most difficult part is gaining Executive buy-in by developing a bullet proof business case. But the most important part of the process is understanding the potential benefits and implementing a policy, systems and processes to capitalise on those benefits.”