The Intelligent Instructor Awards 2025 has now been launched and is regarded as the driver training industry’s most important recognition of the best our profession has to offer.

Perhaps the most important category for you is the ‘Driving Instructor of the Year’.

This year, a new award is also up for grabs: the ‘Rising Star’ award.

Stamp of quality

The Intelligent Instructor Awards, established in 2019, are the most trusted and recognised awards for our industry.

They seek to recognise excellence within the driver training industry, rewarding key industry suppliers, regional and national driving schools, and, perhaps most importantly, individual driving instructors from across the country.

These awards for ADIs have been split into 11 regions, with Winners and Highly Commended awards per area.

Then there is the top award for one instructor – to be crowned ‘Intelligent Instructor’s Driving Instructor of the Year 2024’.

Help yourself

What really gives credibility to these individual winners is the fact that nominations come directly from pupils.

Intelligent Instructor’s close ally, FirstCar, encourages nominations from its learner audience via an online nomination form.

With this in mind, it is essential that you, the hard-working ADIs, encourage your pupils and recent students to nominate and vote for them online.

If you believe you should be considered for one of these salubrious awards, share this link with your own pupils: https://bit.ly/adiawards25.

It really means something

At the end of the voting period, the judging panel will select 11 Regional Driving Instructor of the Year winners, with one being crowned the Intelligent Instructor ‘Driving Instructor of the Year 2025’.

Our winners will be decided by combining the public’s votes and the independent judging panel.

So, the more of your current and recent pupils you can encourage to vote, the better your chance of sealing success.

Intelligent Instructor award winners will be officially announced at The Intelligent Instructor Gala Dinner at Kents Hill Park, Milton Keynes, on Saturday, 22nd March ’25, on the eve of The Driving Instructor Convention.

Gold, Silver and Bronze winners trophies for each category will be presented.

The top gong of ‘National Driving Instructor of the Year 2025’ will be chosen solely by our judging panel.

All shiny and new

If you are new to this industry, you may believe it’s too early for you to be considered.

But no, this year, we have introduced the ‘Rising Star’ award.

This is open to any ADI who has qualified since January 2024 or to any current PDI in training.

You can be self-nominated or nominated by others, whether you are an independent or working within a franchise.

So, what do you need to be a winning contender?

Demonstrate great enthusiasm, energy, and positivity for the role and provide a clear view of the bright future ahead!

Rising Star of the Year sponsored by the ADINJC, download the entry form here.

The full monty

There are 17 award categories this year, including four new ones: Special Educational Needs Provider, Marketing Campaign, Content Creator, and Rising Star of the Year.

Entry is free, so get involved and get your pupils to nominate you.

Intelligent Instructor Awards ’25 categories

  1. Driving Instructor Insurer of the Year, download entry form here
  2. Product of the Year sponsored by the ADINJC, download entry form here
  3. Training Provider of the Year, download entry form here
  4. Professional Support Provider of the Year, download entry form here
  5. Car Supplier of the Year, download entry form here
  6. Driving Instructor Car of the Year
  7. Local Driving Instructor Association of the Year sponsored by AcciDON’T, download entry form here
  8. Community Champion of the Year sponsored by the ADINJC, download entry form here
  9. Green Driving School/Instructor of the Year, download entry form here
  10. Special Educational Needs Provider of the Year sponsored by Dash Claims, download entry form here
  11. Marketing Campaign of the Year, download entry form here
  12. Content Creator of the Year sponsored by AcciDON’T, download entry form here
  13. Rising Star of the Year sponsored by the ADINJC, download entry form here
  14. Regional Driving School of the Year sponsored by Dash Claims, download entry form here
  15. National Driving School of the Year sponsored by AcciDON’T, download entry form here
  16. Driving Instructor of the Year, England & Wales sponsored by AcciDON’T & Scotland sponsored by Dash Claims (11 regional awards, one overall winner, share this link with your learners https://bit.ly/adiawards25
  17. Services to Driver Training Industry Award sponsored by AcciDON’T, download nomination form here

For more details please, click here.