The Taqdeer Award is a unique strategic government initiative launched in Dubai in 2016 that recognizes and honors companies in target industries that demonstrate a profound commitment to workforce care, employee happiness, and prosperity.
Receive independent recognition as a workforce-care organization with the professional assessment and feedback report; award trophies, recognition boards, and gold benefit cards for winning companies; recognition and travel tickets for nominated distinguished workers, supervisors, and engineers by the winning companies; and blue benefit cards for their employees; use the Taqdeer Award trophy and recognition board for marketing and publicity; opportunities for filming success stories; participation in key award initiatives; and a prize of AED 1 million will be rewarded to the highest-scoring 7-star award winner.
The Taqdeer award-winning companies in Dubai are recipients of 35 government incentives offered by various Dubai government departments, including RTA, DEWA, DM, GDRFA, and more. This comprehensive incentives package encompasses discounts on services offered by these entities to both companies and their employees. Additionally, it extends substantial annual financial support to winning companies and their staff, resulting in millions of dirhams.
1.From simi-skilled and skilled laborers to a talent-based workforce with competent job holders focused.
2.From law and regulation compliance to industry expectations and aspirations focused.
3.From limited labor-intensive, focused industries to much wider, targeted sectors.
4.From 5-stars to 7-stars rating system.
5.From local participation to regional and global participation.
6.Complete upgrading of the award framework, assessment, and scoring criteria.
Level 1: non-skilled and semi-skilled workers, cleaners, helpers, laborers, etc.
Level 2: skilled workers, operators, service, sales, and support employees, etc.
Level 3: technicians, controllers, associate professionals, specialists, etc.
Level 4: engineers, professionals, experts, supervisors, etc.
No, Taqdeer Award participation is free of charge for all qualified companies.
Review the Taqdeer Award registration requirements and guidelines, and appoint one authorized official representative to complete the initial award application form and company profile online at www.taqdeeraward.ae
Yes, the new 2024 Taqdeer Award cycle is open to qualified companies from Dubai, the UAE, and all other countries throughout the world .
The workforce shall be directly employed by the company and on its direct payroll, not subcontractors' employees.
Participating companies shall employ at least 50 full-time elementary or skilled occupations (simi-skilled, skilled workers, operators, service and support employees, etc.).
Yes, all previous participating companies can apply again in the new award cycle; only companies that have already won 7 stars can not reapply.
All criteria should be addressed, and each sub-criterion element should not exceed 250 words supported by a maximum of 2-3 evidences.
The official award submission documents and supporting evidence will be in English. However, the company may also include documented evidence, such as sample memos or survey questionnaires, in its official communication language to its employees.
All applications and supporting documents should be submitted online through the online Taqdeer Award web system.
Each sub-criteria element shall be supported by a maximum of 2-3 evidence. Only evidence directly supporting the specific sub-criteria element shall be attached with the criteria element reference number and a clear and relevant file name.
Valid business license, company logo, high resolution (JPEG), latest organizational structure, company leadership team members and titles. The company profile, a brief presentation or description of key projects or initiatives, the name and contact details of an authorized representative, the address and location map of the main office, and company accommodation or labor camp.
Documents (strategy, plans, policies, handbook, guidelines, etc.), Processes, procedures, flow charts, Forms, templates, memos, Tables, graphs, and charts, Survey questionnaires and reports, Records (awards, certificates, appraisals, training attendance, suggestions, complaints, audit reports, etc.), Pictures (facilities, events, etc.)
All assessment documents submitted will be kept confidential, and all assessors will sign a non-disclosure and confidential agreement prior to the assessment. Therefore, it is advisable to include all evidence in the official submission. However, in very rare cases, if the company has specific confidential financial documents or trade secrets, please mention the document name in the submission, and detailed information can be shared with the assessors during the site visit.
It will depend on the company's readiness and data availability. Past participating companies usually start their award preparation after completing the award awareness session and around 30-45 days prior to the submission deadline.
Award submission documents received after the submission deadline will not be accepted. If a submission extension is required due to unforeseen circumstances, the authorized company representative shall notify the award office in writing at least 10 days before the submission deadline.
1.Obtain leadership commitment and management support
2.Form a cross-functional award submission team
3.Study the latest award framework, criteria, and requirements carefully.
1. Ensure team members complete the award awareness session and study the latest award framework, criteria, requirements, and FAQs.
2. Draft, review, and submit Taqdeer Award submission documents and supporting evidence before the deadline.
3. Plan, prepare, and ensure criteria owners actively participate in the site visit.
Award submission team members collect data and documented evidence across the organization and organize data and supporting evidence as per sub-criteria elements with a clear reference number. The award submission team then drafts, refines, approves, and submits the award submission document online before the deadline.
Criteria 3 shall include all applicable KPIs and perception elements, covering key sub-criteria elements of Criteria 1 and 2 relevant to the participating company. If a small number of measures are submitted, the company will receive a lower score from the 300 points; therefore, more efforts will be put into the results section.
Data shall be presented in visual charts or table formats, including relevant workforce perception and performance measures (covering Taqdeer Award key criteria elements) showing current and past results achieved (2–3 years) in comparison to predefined targets and with meaningful segmented results.
Depending on your performance reporting cycle and frequency, you can submit the relevant and latest perception and performance results up to the latest reported quarter for the past 3 years.
Benchmarking is a good business management practice. However, it only applies to the few relevant Taqdeer sub-criteria elements, such as fair wages, benefits, incentives, etc. Benchmarks are not a must for all Taqdeer results or criteria elements.
The Taqdeer award framework covers three key criteria: corporate systems and resources, culture and labor relations, and results and impact, with 12 sub-criteria and over 40 sub-criteria elements.
Company-documented, updated, and approved policies, procedures, agreements, action plans, rules, regulations, guidelines, and processes.
Each award has its own framework, criteria, and requirements. Please make sure the data and evidence submitted are specific to support Taqdeer award sub-criteria elements with relevant file names and reference numbers that can be easily reviewed by assessors.
Information stated in the award submission document needs to be backed up by documented evidence, which the assessor's team will verify during the site visit. The assessors’ team will consider good business practice if such a practice can be observed or proven during the site visit.
Depending on the company policy and practice, the assessors' team will evaluate the relevant sub-criteria on housing and accommodation based on the adequate allowance provided (will the allowance enable the staff to find their own housing with equal or better living standards than the company accommodation?)
3 years of workforce surveys and business results shall be provided. For companies established for less than 3 years, a minimum of 2 years of results will be expected.
The number of completed survey responses received depends on the population size, sample size, confidence level, and margin of error.
The survey sample shall have a good representation of all targeted workforce levels and categories across departments, branches, projects, and locations.
It is always advisable to segment the survey results by focusing on the targeted workforce levels and categories. Assessors will be more interested in the perception of elementary and skilled occupation categories based on the key criteria elements of the award.
Yes, pre-defined targets are important. Companies shall include predefined targets for Criteria 3 to achieve higher scores.
The assessment team may carry out site visits via any of the following three methods: physical site visits, virtual site visits, or hybrid.
Site visit date options will be proposed by the assessor's team, and notifications will be automatically sent to company representatives via the online assessment system. The site visit agenda will be shared with the company via the Taqdeer online system prior to the site visit.
Normally, the site visit will last a full day, depending on the number of locations to be covered. During the site visit, the assessment team may visit the company’s head office, work sites, and company accommodation. The assessors will meet the company management team, field supervisors, and staff from work sites. They will request and review relevant supporting evidence and conduct focus groups and interviews with randomly selected employees.
Identify management team members required to attend site visit meetings; distribute submission documents for study and preparation; make available supporting data and evidence categorized by award sub-criteria; and carry out site visit rehearsal.
Plan and arrange the required offline or virtual session logistics, equipment, and system.
No. Assessors are not allowed to collect evidence or accept additional documents after site visit.
Based on the award submission, evidence, and site visit findings, the assessment team will evaluate and score the performance achievement at the following 6 levels: crisis, survival, accepted, expected, exceptional, and aspirational.
Based on the submitted results, evidence, and site visit findings, the assessment team will assess and score the workforce engagement and happiness perception achievement related to scope and relevance, targets, trends, segmentation, and reliability at the following 6 levels: crisis, survival, accepted, expected, exceptional, and aspirational.
Based on the submitted set of key measures, evidence, and site visit findings, the assessment team will assess and score the workforce performance achievement and impact related to scope and relevance, targets, trends, segmentation, and reliability at the following 6 levels: crisis, survival, acceptance, expectation, exceptional, and aspirational.
Yes. After thoroughly reviewing company award submission documents and evidence, each assessor shall complete the online individual assessment scoresheet independently (identifying key strengths and areas for improvement prior to deciding on the score level for each element).
The Taqdeer Award is a merit-based star rating award. The final assessment score for participating companies will be converted into the following star ratings:
1 star (200–299) as the Basic Awareness level,
2 stars (300–399) as the Needs Compliance level,
3 stars (400–499) as the Operational Compliance level,
4 stars (500–599) as the Meeting Expectations level,
5 stars (600–699) as the Exceeding Expectations,
6 stars (700–799) as the National Aspirations, and
7 stars (800+) as the Global Aspirations level.
The Taqdeer Award is a score- and merit-based star rating award. The award office adopted a new 7-star rating system to recognize participating companies' workforce care based on their performance and total scores achieved against the Taqdeer award framework and criteria. Therefore, there is no specific number of winners in each star category; the number of winners will be determined based on the scores achieved by each participating company.
Companies achieving 5-stars, 6-stars, and 7-stars will receive special benefits and recognition.
The Taqdeer Award Assessment Feedback Report covers the following key sections:
•Total consensus score and star rating achieved
•The assessment process
•Executive summary
•Scoring table and charts
•Key Strengths and Areas for Improvement for each sub-criteria
No, the assessment feedback will identify strengths and areas for improvement within each sub-criteria element. This allows participating companies to develop their own enhancement actions and plans in accordance with their individual business strategies, priorities, and available resources.
The detailed assessment report will be distributed to all participating companies around 2 weeks after the award ceremony. Once official assessment feedback reports are released, the companies can download them from the Taqdeer Award online system.
The feedback report is aimed primarily at continuous improvement. Every effort has been made to ensure the feedback is based on objective evidence and the independent assessment team’s consensus. The score will not be changed. The award office will be more than happy to receive company-specific feedback for future award cycle improvements.
Yes. The award assessment scores and findings are based on the company's current submission documents, evidence, and site visit performance compared with the latest Taqdeer award framework, criteria, assessment, and scoring method. Therefore, past award performance may not automatically guarantee similar scores in the current cycle.
No. Each award cycle is unique, and previous cycle assessment reports may influence the judgment of the current assessment. Each award cycle assesses the company's current practices and performance level against the latest Taqdeer Award criteria and requirements.
If there is a major drop or increase in the star ratings and total scores achieved, the award office or the judging committee may request that the assessment team put extra effort into highlighting the performance gaps and providing evidence to justify the assigned scores in the final assessment feedback report.
The award office shall announce winners during the official award ceremony. Participating companies are prohibited from contacting the assessment team to inquire about the assessment results.
No. According to the Professional Code of Conduct for Taqdeer award assessors, in order to maintain professional integrity, assessors are prohibited from accepting any gifts or benefits from award participating companies.
In accordance with the Professional Code of Conduct and Confidentiality Agreement, Taqdeer award assessors are prohibited from taking on employment, consulting, or training roles (whether paid or unpaid) with the company being assessed for a period of two years following the completion of the Award Ceremony.
To prevent conflicts of interest and adhere to the Taqdeer Award professional code of conduct, assessors and team leaders are prohibited from exchanging business cards or engaging in self-promotion during site visits.
Team leaders should only coordinate with official company representatives for site visit planning and logistical arrangements
The award office is welcoming strategic partners and contributors to join the Taqdeer journey. Potential strategic partners, suppliers, and sponsors from award-targeted industries, global and local media communities, public and private sectors, etc. can get in touch with the Taqdeer award office for more information. (Info@taqdeeraward.ae)
Taqdeer Award offers various sponsorship packages for potential sponsors (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Co-sponsor). Please check the sponsorship details at https://taqdeeraward.ae/our-partners; or contact the Taqdeer Award office for more details. (Info@taqdeeraward.ae)
Identify and select a list of rewards for corporate or individual beneficiaries; contact and coordinate with the Taqdeer award office to agree on the final rewards provided; update internal processes and systems for smooth delivery of agreed benefits; encourage other stakeholders to support the Taqdeer Rewards card program.
This blue card holders can receive special discounts from more than 70 shops and commercial establishments in Dubai, valued at millions of dirhams annually. Kindly download the app https://app.taqdeeraward.ae/web/register.aspx and follow the user instructions
Please visit webpage www. https://taqdeeraward.ae/blue-card Or Contact our technical support : Tel: +971 50 3233425 or via email: info@taqdeeraward.ae
The Taqdeer award office can be reached via the following channels:
Tel: +971 50 323 3425
Info@taqdeeraward.ae
www.taqdeeraward.ae