The 2025 CUBO Awards took place on the final evening of the CUBO Summer Conference at Northumbria University on 11 June, bringing together sector leaders to celebrate outstanding achievement and innovation across HE campus and commercial services.
Held at Northumbria University, this year’s ceremony was hosted by the brilliant Geordie comedian Carl Hutchinson and honoured the exceptional projects and work happening at institutions across the UK and Ireland.
A total of eight universities received awards, reflecting the breadth and depth of creativity and commitment across the sector.
New for 2025, a brand-new Judges Choice Award was introduced to recognise a standout nomination from the winners in each category that demonstrated exceptional impact across multiple areas. This year’s award went to the University of Nottingham, in recognition of their sector-leading work to advance inclusion and student wellbeing.
Nysa Pradhan, Executive Director of CUBO, said: “The CUBO Awards are a reminder of just how much dedication and creativity goes into running university services. The standard this year was incredibly high, and the atmosphere in the room was fantastic – it was a true celebration of the people and teams working tirelessly behind the scenes to create exceptional campus experiences.”
The CUBO Awards 2025 winners were:
- Creativity in Conferencing, Events and Hospitality – Loughborough University
Loughborough University transformed open day catering with their creative “Feed a Family of Four for £20” initiative. - Creativity in Catering and Retail – King’s College London
The Root-to-Tip initiative reduces food waste and improves nutritional value through using more parts of edible plants, and generates insights to influence sustainable dining across the public sector. - Best Residence Life Experience – University of London
The University of London’s Residential Life Programme has dramatically improved student living with 471 wellness-focused events, common room upgrades, and sustainability-led initiatives. - Excellence in Student Sport Experience – Swansea University
Swansea’s Get ACTIVE programme offers inclusive, non-competitive sport that boosts student wellbeing and makes the most of their stunning coastal landscape. - Innovation in Student Housing – University of Limerick
University of Limerick’s ‘Waste Race’ transformed student housing into a hub of sustainability and engagement. - Innovation in Student Experience – Queen’s University Belfast
Queen’s launched the Reboot Gaming Café - the first university-led gaming café of its kind in the UK and Ireland. - Business Partnership of the Year – Lancaster University & Howden
Lancaster partnered with Howden and Health Assured to transform student mental health support through a 24/7 Student Assistance Programme, leading to a 65% reduction in internal waiting times. - Best Marketing Campaign – Loughborough University
Loughborough University’s rebranded RentSMART campaign empowered students to make informed housing decisions. - Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Spotlight – University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham Sport’s targeted initiatives for Black, Disabled and LGBTQIA+ students jave dramatically increased participation and wellbeing. - Judges Choice Award – University of Nottingham
In addition, Gillian Almond was recognised for her outstanding contribution to CUBO and higher education commercial services with the CUBO Honorary member award.
To read more about this year’s winners and their achievements, visit the CUBO Awards webpage.
25 June 2025 
Bethany Hancock, CUBO Communications Officer
