KAIROS-KProfessional CompetitionApplication journey

Official competition document

Competition Terms and Conditions

Version 1.2Effective from publicationUpdated 29 September 2026Organiser KAIROS-K LTD

These Terms govern entry to UK Accountant of the Year 2026. Entry is free and based on professional skill. By submitting an application, an entrant accepts these Terms and the stage instructions issued under them.

1 Organiser and key dates

The organiser is KAIROS-K LTD, company number 14481271, registered office 48 Railway Street, Llanhilleth, Abertillery, Wales, NP13 2JB. Contact: office@kairos-k-practice.com. Entries are open from the date these Terms are published on the competition website and close at 12:00 GMT on 13 November 2026. Late applications are not accepted. Stage 1 is on 14 November (the test is open from 10:00 to 11:00 GMT), Stage 2 on 21 November, Stage 3 on 29 November, public voting runs from 5 to 11 December, and winners are announced on 12 December 2026.

2 Eligibility

3 Entry and participation

Applications are made through the online application form linked from the competition website, which is currently hosted on Google Forms. An entrant who cannot use the form may apply by emailing the organiser, who will arrange an accessible alternative. Entry is completed only when the application is received before the deadline and all mandatory declarations are accepted. The organiser normally emails a confirmation after an application is received; an entrant who has not received it within two working days should contact the organiser. The organiser may request proportionate evidence of identity, age, territorial connection or eligibility. Stage 1 is held on Google Forms, Stage 2 video responses are recorded on Sintegrum, and Stage 3 is a live consultation held and recorded on Zoom. Publicity and marketing choices are separate and optional.

4 Competition stages

  1. Knowledge Assessment: a timed online test on Google Forms, open on 14 November 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00 GMT. Candidates sign in with a Google account and must use the email address given in their application. Each candidate may submit once; if more than one submission is received, only the first counts. Submissions received after 11:00 GMT are not scored. A candidate who cannot use a Google account, or who needs a reasonable adjustment such as extra time, should contact the organiser before entries close. The ten highest-ranked candidates who score at least 80% progress to Stage 2. If fewer than ten candidates score at least 80%, only those candidates progress.
  2. Professional Challenge: controlled video responses to realistic cases, recorded on Sintegrum. The five highest-ranked eligible candidates progress to the final.
  3. Client Challenge: a live consultation on Zoom with a professional actor playing the client, testing fact-finding, accuracy, judgement and communication. The consultation is recorded for judging, moderation and complaint handling.

The final ranking combines 40% of the Stage 2 score and 60% of the Stage 3 score.

Stage 1 ranking and ties. Candidates are ranked by Stage 1 score, highest first. Where scores are equal, the candidate whose assessment was submitted earlier, as recorded by the competition platform, ranks higher. Where both the score and the recorded submission time are equal, every candidate tied for tenth place progresses, so more than ten candidates may progress.

Stage 2 ties. Where candidates are tied for fifth place, the candidate with the higher score for the “professional judgement” criterion ranks higher. If they are still tied, all of them progress, so there may be more than five finalists.

Ties for the main award. Where finalists have the same final ranking score, the finalist with the higher Stage 3 score wins. If still tied, the higher score for the “client communication” criterion decides. If still tied, the finalists concerned are joint winners of UK Accountant of the Year 2026 and share the £1,000 gross cash prize equally.

5 Judging

Judges apply published criteria and record reasons. Conflicts must be declared. The panel includes at least one independent member where judging is subjective. Popularity, employer, status, professional membership and personal familiarity are not scoring criteria.

6 Awards publicity and public vote

The main professional award includes a gross cash prize of £1,000. Five finalists receive finalist recognition. With each finalist’s separate recorded permission, the organiser may publish and promote finalist videos on the official KAIROS-K YouTube channel and in organic or paid competition advertising. People’s Choice Accountant 2026 is a separate audience award based on verified YouTube likes and never changes professional scores.

After the awards ceremony the organiser will publish, or make available on request, the surname and county of the winners of the main award and the People’s Choice award. A winner may object to publication; if they do, the organiser may still provide this information to the Advertising Standards Authority if asked.

7 Integrity and artificial intelligence

8 Intellectual property and recordings

Each entrant retains copyright in original work and grants the organiser a non-exclusive licence to assess, moderate, audit and retain it for competition administration. Publication of a name, biography, image, voice or performance requires the separate publicity permission except where limited processing is otherwise necessary to administer or defend the competition.

9 Data protection and platforms

Personal data is handled under the Competition Privacy Notice. Google Forms is used for applications and the Stage 1 test, Sintegrum for Stage 2 video responses, and Zoom for the recorded Stage 3 consultation. YouTube is used to host finalist videos and the public audience element. A platform-generated score or AI-assisted output does not replace the judging process.

10 Technical incidents reasonable adjustments and complaints

Technical incidents should be reported promptly with available evidence. Requests for reasonable adjustments are confidential and should be made as early as possible. Complaints and reviews follow the published Complaints Reviews and Appeals Procedure.

11 Changes liability and governing law

The organiser will not make an unfair material change after entry. Necessary changes may be made because of law, safety, security, platform failure or an event outside reasonable control. Nothing excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales without removing mandatory rights applying in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

12 Platforms and social media