This year marks the 22nd anniversary of affiliate title Private Equity International‘s PEI Awards, the only honours in the industry decided solely by those in the industry, who vote in their thousands.
From 18 Europe-focused categories, these annual awards have grown to 74 categories across all geographies and strategies, and have built an unrivalled reputation for recognising the industry’s greatest achievements.
There are 12 secondaries categories again this year. Click HERE to remind us of your firm’s achievements over the past 12 months – the deadline is Friday 10 November 2023.
The shortlists are drawn up in November by our global editorial team, which canvasses the views of colleagues and contacts in the market to find out which firms, funds and deals stood out during the year.
These reminders are, of course, no guarantee of success – but they help to ensure we have a fully rounded picture as we begin the process of deciding who will appear on our shortlists.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need to submit information?
The deadline for submissions is Friday, 10 November 2023. Entries must be submitted by 23:59 ET.
How much information should I submit?
There is a 5,000 character (roughly 500 words) limit on submissions via the text box, or a one-page PDF limit if uploading a document.
What information is useful?
This is an annual awards process, so information relating to your organisation’s activity over the past 12 months – from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023 – is key. Think about useful metrics: if you are an adviser or law firm, how many transactions have you advised on and how much capital was involved? Which GPs or LPs have you worked with? If you are a GP, how active have you been in terms of exits and investments, what returns have exits generated and have you had some fundraising success?
Avoid unsupported general statements (“we have had another busy year/we are a leading firm”).
Brief and to the point is probably the best piece of advice we can offer. We also require you to send us individual submissions for each category.
Where do I submit?
Here.
Can I submit confidential information?
You can; please mark it as strictly confidential. It will then be taken into consideration and not published.
What are the categories?
Please see the full list below. Please note all secondaries awards are grouped together under their own section.
What goes into the categories?
All award nominations are inherently subjective. Our choices take into account a mixture of qualitative and quantitative criteria, including non-financial considerations, when selecting what goes into each category. We are looking for evidence of how active, but also how innovative, a firm has been. To use a deal example, we don’t just nominate the biggest deals of the year – though these may well feature – we also look for transactions that are unique in some fashion.
Our award categories are generally organised by region and strategy. We believe these labels are mostly self-explanatory, but don’t hesitate to get in touch if you want to learn more about what comprises each.
Can I submit multiple entries?
Yes. Please create a separate entry for each category entered. If the information supplied is applicable to two or more categories, then please duplicate the same entry.
How do you draw up your shortlists?
Our shortlists are based on two main factors: submissions from the industry, which we call for every year; and the editorial team’s expertise, drawn from our coverage and conversations with sources.
The end of our call for submissions is the hard deadline to consider eligible entries. That means that if a deal or a fund closes after our call for submissions deadline, it will not be eligible for that year’s PEI Awards.
The shortlist are independently compiled and nominated by our editorial team – we don’t rely on judges’ panels.
When will I find out if we are shortlisted?
The voting will open in early December, at which point you can see who has been short-listed in each category. Please visit www.secondariesinvestor.com and www.privateequityinternational.com to check.
How are the winners decided?
The winners are decided by your votes, not by PEI or Secondaries Investor editorial staff.
Is there a cost for submitting?
There are no costs associated with submitting for the PEI Awards.
What are the key dates?
- Wednesday, 25 October: call for submissions
- Friday, 10 November: deadline for submissions
- First week of December: voting begins
- Friday, 5 January 2024: voting ends
- Friday, 1 March 2024: award winners and runners up announced online
The secondaries categories are:
- Secondaries Deal of the Year in Europe
- Secondaries Firm of the Year in Europe
- Secondaries Adviser of the Year in Europe
- Secondaries Law Firm of the Year in Europe
- Secondaries Deal of the Year in the Americas
- Secondaries Firm of the Year in the Americas
- Secondaries Adviser of the Year in the Americas
- Secondaries Law Firm of the Year in North America
- Secondaries Deal of the Year in Asia
- Secondaries Firm of the Year in Asia
- Secondaries Adviser of the Year in Asia
- Secondaries Law Firm of the Year in Asia
CLICK HERE to access the submission form.
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