Thank you for participating: ten contest email templates and the two checks before you send

The competition closes on Friday. The winner is announced on Monday. Everyone else hears nothing at all, and quietly decides not to bother next time.

This article gives ten thank you for participating email templates for a workplace contest, challenge or prize draw, short versions for chat, and the two checks worth making before you send. The templates are ours, so use and adapt them freely.

A contest is a one-off; noticing good work is not. See how New Dynamics recognition makes thanks for real work visible rather than private.

The five parts

1. Thank them for entering, specifically, in the first line.
2. Say what happened: how many entries, what the standard was like, anything that made you smile.
3. Name the result plainly, including who won and how it was judged.
4. Say what happens next, or that nothing does. Both are fine; silence is not.
5. Keep it short. Six sentences. Nobody reads a long email about a quiz.

Ten templates

1. Everyone who entered

Subject: Thank you for entering the [name] challenge

Hello everyone,

Thank you for taking part in the [name] challenge. We had [number] entries from [number] teams, which is more than last time and made the judging genuinely difficult.

[Winner] took first place with [entry], chosen by [judges] against [criteria]. You can see all the entries at [link].

Thank you for the time you put in. We will run the next one in [period].

[Name]

2. Entrants who did not win

Subject: Thank you, and well played

Hello [name],

Thank you for entering [contest]. You did not win this time, and I wanted to say that your [entry] was [specific, honest comment].

The winner was [winner], for [reason]. If you would like to know more about how entries were judged, just ask.

I hope you will enter the next one.

[Name]

3. The winner

Subject: You won the [name] competition

Hello [name],

Congratulations, you won [contest] with [entry]. The judges picked it for [reason], which is worth repeating because it was not luck.

Your prize is [prize]. [Person] will be in touch about arranging it.

Thank you for entering, and for letting us share [entry] with the team.

[Name]

4. A runner-up

Subject: Second place, and very close

Hello [name],

You came second in [contest], and it was close enough that the judges took [time] to decide. Your [entry] stood out for [reason].

[Winner] took first place with [entry]. Thank you for entering, it was a strong field and you were near the top of it.

[Name]

5. A team entry

Subject: Thank you from the [contest] judges

Hello [team],

Thank you for entering [contest] as a team. Getting [number] people to agree on anything is an achievement; getting them to produce [entry] while doing the day job is a bigger one.

The result: [outcome]. Please pass my thanks to everyone who worked on it, including whoever did the parts nobody sees.

[Name]

6. A wellbeing or step challenge

Subject: Thank you for joining the [name] challenge

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who took part in the [name] challenge, and to those who cheered from the sidelines. Between us we [total], which is a number I did not expect.

[Winner or team] finished first. More usefully, [number] people took part for the first time.

Taking part was always optional, and it stays that way. If any part of it did not work for you, tell me and we will change it next time.

[Name]

7. An idea or innovation scheme

Subject: Thank you for your idea

Hello [name],

Thank you for submitting [idea] to [scheme]. We received [number] ideas, and yours was [selected / not selected this round] because [reason].

[If not selected:] That is not the end of it. [What happens to unselected ideas.]

[If selected:] Next step is [action], with [owner], by [date]. You will be involved.

Thank you for taking the time to write it down.

[Name]

8. A charity fundraiser

Subject: Thank you, we raised [amount]

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone who entered, donated, baked, ran or simply put a pound in the tin for [cause]. Together we raised [amount].

[Winner] won [contest], and [person] deserves a mention for [specific thing].

[Cause] have asked me to pass on their thanks, which I am glad to do.

[Name]

9. A quiz or social event

Subject: Thank you for coming on [day]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for coming to [event]. [Winning team] won by [margin], and the [round] question defeated almost everybody, including the person who wrote it.

Photos are at [link]. If you would rather not appear in them, tell me and I will take them down.

Same again in [period]?

[Name]

10. A contest that did not take off

Subject: Thank you to the [number] of you who entered

Hello everyone,

[Contest] closed yesterday with [number] entries. That is fewer than we hoped, and thank you to everyone who did take part, especially [names], who entered early.

[Winner] won with [entry]. Before we run anything like it again, I would like to know what got in the way: timing, the prize, the effort involved, or the idea itself. Reply to this email and tell me honestly.

[Name]

Short versions for chat

• "Thanks to everyone who entered [contest], [number] entries, and [winner] took it with [entry]. Full results here: [link]."
• "Thanks for entering [contest], [name]. You did not win this time, but [specific comment]. Hope you go again."
• "[Winner] won [contest] for [reason]. Thanks to all [number] of you who took part."

Before you send: the prize and tax check

A prize to an employee is usually a benefit, and benefits have a tax position. GOV.UK's guidance on tax on trivial benefits states that you do not have to pay tax on a benefit only if all of the following apply: "it cost you £50 or less to provide", "it's not cash or a cash voucher", "it's not a reward for their work or performance" and "it's not in the terms of their contract". It adds plainly: "you have to pay tax on any benefits that do not meet all these criteria." Trivial benefits given as part of a salary sacrifice arrangement are not exempt, and directors of a "close" company cannot receive trivial benefits worth more than £300 in a tax year.

Read the third condition again before buying a prize for a sales competition. GOV.UK's guidance on bonuses is equally direct: "as an employer providing bonus payments to your employees, you have certain tax, National Insurance and reporting obligations. This includes both cash and non-cash bonuses."

None of that stops you running a contest. It means the prize should be agreed with payroll before it is announced, rather than explained to someone afterwards. This is general information rather than tax advice.

This article does not cover the rules on prize draws and lotteries, which are a separate area of law. If money changes hands to enter, take advice before running it.

Before you run it: voluntary, and genuinely so

Acas's guidance on health and wellbeing at work puts it simply: "employers and workers should work together to promote positive wellbeing at work", and "employers must do all they reasonably can to protect workers' health, safety and wellbeing at work".

For competitions, that has three practical consequences:

• Entry stays optional, including when a manager is enthusiastic and everyone else has noticed.
• Physical challenges need alternatives. Step counts exclude some people by design; offer another way to take part or another thing to do.
• Nobody's non-participation is announced. A leaderboard of teams is fine. A list of who did not join is not.

Say in the thank-you email that taking part was voluntary, because it reminds everyone that it was.

Mistakes to avoid

• Thanking only the winner. The other ninety per cent of entrants are the audience for the next contest.
• Announcing photos or names without asking. Offer an opt-out in the same message.
• Judging criteria invented afterwards. State them when you launch, repeat them when you announce.
• Turning it into an appraisal. A contest is not evidence of performance, and a thank-you email that hints otherwise makes the next one political.

Frequently asked questions

How do you thank someone for participating in a contest?

Thank them in the first line, say something specific about their entry, name the result and how it was judged, and say what happens next. Six sentences is enough. Send it to everyone who entered rather than only to the winner.

What should a thank you for participating email say?

Four things: thanks for entering, what happened including how many entries there were, the result and the judging criteria, and whether there will be another one. Add an opt-out if you are publishing photos or names.

Should you email people who did not win?

Yes, and it matters more than the winner's email. People who hear nothing after entering rarely enter again. A short note naming something specific about their entry costs two minutes and keeps the next contest alive.

Are workplace contest prizes taxable in the UK?

Often, yes. GOV.UK's trivial benefits exemption applies only where the benefit cost £50 or less, is not cash or a cash voucher, is not a reward for work or performance, and is not in the contract. Bonuses, cash and non-cash, carry tax, National Insurance and reporting obligations. Agree the prize with payroll before announcing it, and take proper advice.

How do you announce a contest winner fairly?

State the criteria when you launch, use the same criteria to judge, name who judged, and explain the decision in one sentence when you announce. If entries are published, ask entrants first and give them a way to decline.

What if hardly anyone entered?

Say so, thank the people who did, announce the result anyway, and ask what got in the way, timing, prize, effort or the idea. A short honest email about a flop earns more goodwill than pretending it went well.

Your next step: write the email before the contest closes

1. Draft the thank-you email at launch, while the criteria are fresh.
2. Agree the prize with payroll before it is announced.
3. Make entry optional and offer an alternative for physical challenges.
4. Send to everyone who entered, on the day the result is decided.

For building recognition that does not depend on a competition, read and download our employee recognition guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.

Want thanks for everyday work to be visible rather than trapped in one person's inbox? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current recognition process. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.