Celebrating retail excellence: Applications open for the Princess Royal Training Awards 2026!
The Princess Royal Training Awards proudly invite applications for 2026, encouraging innovative organisations to gain royal recognition for outstanding commitment to workplace learning and people development. Backed by HRH The Princess Royal, a passionate advocate for skills development, the Awards have become synonymous with excellence and leadership in learning and development.
Recognising all organisations regardless of size or sector
Launched in 2016 with the support of employers, learning experts, and assessors, the Awards celebrate organisations committed to developing their people. In 2025, a record 57 training programmes received recognition, reflecting the growing impact and high standards upheld by applicants.
Entirely free to enter and open to organisations of all sectors and sizes across the UK and Ireland, the Awards now recognise international training programmes delivered by these organisations. All applicants gain access to unparalleled support, through workshops, informal ‘tea and chat’ sessions, detailed Assessor feedback, webchat, and a new Applicant Coaching offer, all designed to guide applicants on their journey and help them to continuously improve.
Achieving the standard in the retail sector
Many organisations in the retail sector have achieved this prestigious Award, including notable past recipients such as Specsavers, Cox London, The Co-op, Halfords Group Plc, Itsu, John Lewis & Partners, Mercedes Benz, Pets At Home, River Island, Waitrose, among others.
In 2025, the Awards celebrated even more retail organisations excelling in workplace learning and development. Costa Coffee’s Core Coffee Programme successfully rebuilt barista confidence and brand connection after the pandemic, training 1,400 staff, improving Costa Check scores, raising NPS levels, and cutting voluntary turnover from 51% to 35%. This hands-on learning drove stronger engagement and business performance.
Domino’s bespoke Leadership Development Programme, developed with franchisees, has equipped 520 new managers over nine months to lead high-performing stores post-pandemic. This training improved rack times by 14% and customer satisfaction scores by 2%. Demonstrating strong ROI and franchise-wide impact, the programme is being expanded through a Manager Academy.
These inspiring examples represent just some of the organisations honoured in 2025 by the Princess Royal Training Awards. Discover more about this year’s recipients here.
A supportive community with lasting benefits
Beyond the prestigious accolade, to apply for these Awards is to become part of an active community of over 700 training leaders, benefiting from exclusive networking opportunities. What’s more, one previous recipient stated:
“It immediately attracted interest from overseas. It is a mark of excellence, and I think people recognise that both in the UK and internationally.”
Award recipients also consistently report on the benefits of investment in learning, including enhanced employee engagement, improved wellbeing, and strengthened organisational culture, with many citing increased ability to demonstrate the social value of skilled workforces.
How to apply
If your organisation is looking to be recognised for a training programme which has positively impacted your organisation, why not register your interest? This is a unique opportunity to showcase your commitment to training and development and be recognised for your achievements.
Applications open on 1 December 2025 and close on 20 March 2026. You can find out more via the website or contact the Princess Royal Training Awards team at: [email protected].
