We might be a little late writing about this one, but some achievements deserve more than a quick announcement.

Back in June, Answer Digital had a pretty special night at the Employee Ownership Awards 2026. We walked away as double award winners, including the biggest accolade of the evening: Employee Owned Business of the Year.

After six years of being employee owned, being recognised amongst more than 750 employee-owned businesses is a significant moment in Answer’s story. But perhaps more importantly, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on what employee ownership actually means to us, not just on awards night, but every day.

Employee Owned Business of the Year 2026

Six years ago, Answer became an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).

Since then, employee ownership has become much more than a structure sitting behind the business. It shapes how we make decisions, how we invest, how we grow and, ultimately, the type of company we want Answer to be.

Everyone has a stake in our success. We talk a lot about having an owner’s mindset, because our people aren't simply employees delivering work for Answer, they're helping shape where Answer goes next.

So, being named Employee Owned Business of the Year 2026 feels like recognition of something much bigger than business performance. It's recognition of the culture our people have created together.

And while an award is a brilliant marker of that success, the months since have probably demonstrated employee ownership even better.

Investing back into our people

One of the things we're proudest of about employee ownership is being able to continually ask: how can we make Answer a better place for the people who own it?

Sometimes that means investing in careers, learning and opportunities. Sometimes it means improving the environment we spend our working week in. And sometimes it means giving everyone an afternoon to race around Leeds completing challenges.

This summer, our team took on our very own version of Race Across the World for our summer away day.

Teams headed out across the city, tackling challenges, navigating their way between checkpoints and competing for the all-important Answer bragging rights. It was competitive, occasionally chaotic and, most importantly, an opportunity to step away from laptops and projects and spend time together.

We've also continued investing in our offices, upgrading the spaces our teams work, meet and collaborate in.

They're very different investments, but they're driven by the same philosophy: when the people working within a business own it, investing in the business means investing in them too.

Celebrating our very own award winner

The night also brought another achievement that we're incredibly proud of.

Our very own Tessa May was named Trustee Director of the Year, a brand-new category at this year's awards.

As our EOT Director, Tess plays an incredibly important role in representing our employee owners and ensuring their voices remain at the heart of Answer.

Employee ownership doesn't happen simply because a company becomes an EOT. It needs people who champion it, challenge the business, encourage participation and make sure ownership continues to mean something as the organisation evolves.

Tess has done exactly that.

Her commitment has helped set an exemplary standard not only within Answer but amongst her peers across the wider employee ownership community, and we're incredibly fortunate to have her on our Trust Board.

Six years of #Ownin’It

A lot has changed at Answer over the past six years.

We've grown our team, expanded into new sectors, delivered increasingly ambitious programmes and continued investing in the capabilities that will shape our future.

But throughout that growth, we've worked hard to protect the things that make Answer, Answer.

Our people have a voice. They can challenge decisions. They can influence where we invest. They share in our successes. And there's a collective understanding that making Answer stronger benefits everyone.

That ownership mentality stretches beyond commercial performance, too. It's visible in how our teams support one another, share knowledge, develop the next generation of talent and contribute to the communities around us.

It means we're building Answer with our people, not simply for them.

What comes next?

Winning Employee Owned Business of the Year isn't the finish line.

If anything, it gives us an even bigger responsibility to keep raising the bar.

We'll continue investing in our people, our working environment and the opportunities available across Answer. We'll keep finding new ways for employee owners to influence the future of the business. And we'll continue asking ourselves what being a genuinely great employee-owned organisation should look like as we grow.

Six years into our EOT journey, we're incredibly proud of what we've built.

So, slightly belatedly, congratulations to Tess, congratulations to Team Answer, and thank you to every person who has played a part in getting us here!