We’re pleased to announce that the UK Data Service has been shortlisted in the “Data Partnership of the Year” and “Not-For-Profit of the Year” categories for the British Data Awards 2026! The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Brewery in London on 20 May.
Our nomination in the “Data Partnership of the Year” category reflects the long-standing, multi-institution collaboration that lies at the heart of our work. The UK Data Service is a strategic partnership between the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex, the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research at the University of Manchester, Jisc, EDINA at the University of Edinburgh, and the Department of Information Studies and Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at University College London.
Being shortlisted for “Not-For-Profit of the Year” also highlights the important role we play in ensuring data delivers real and lasting benefits for society. This year, the UK Data Service supported a growing and diverse user community, reaching over 54,000 registered users and providing access to over 10,000 nationally and internationally significant data collections. These datasets enable research into some of the most pressing issues facing society, including poverty, climate change, health, education and inequality.
The British Data Awards
The British Data Awards were established to discover and celebrate the UK’s data success stories. This year’s event will give awards across 30 categories to help celebrate the achievements of a wide range of organisations and people working with data.
The judging panel for the 2026 awards includes:
- Helen Blaikie: Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Aston University
- Neil Carden: President, EMEA, Blend
- Caroline Carruthers: CEO, Carruthers and Jackson
- Chasey Davies-Wrigley: Head of Data and AI, Made Tech
- Rob Holtom: Executive Director, Digital, Data & Tech, Information Commissioner’s Office
- Asheeka Hyde: Technology Director – Data, Analytics & AI, SSP Group
- Jason Johnson: Managing Director, Predatech
- Matt Lovell: Group Director of Data & AI, JD Sports Fashion
- Di Mayze: Chief Data & AI Officer, Marks & Spencer
- Roisin McCarthy: CEO, Women in Data
- Catarina Runa Miranda: Global AI Director, Pandora
- Jonathan Moxham: Director of Data & Insight, British Red Cross
- Sami Rahman: Head of AI Strategy & Solutions, DataArt
- Professor Ed Rochead: Chair, Alliance for Data Science Professionals
- Romit Sen: Chief Data & AI Officer, Allwyn UK
- Sandra Stanley: Chief Data Science Officer, dunnhumby
- Niresh Rajah: Chief Data & AI Officer, DLA Piper
- Hannah Tipney: Senior Director, Precision Medicine Data & Analytics, GSK
- Lucy Vickers: Chief Data Officer and Chief Statistician, Department of Health & Social Care
- James Wright: Senior Director, Bioscript Group
You can read more about the awards and view the full list of finalists at the British Data Awards website.