Introducing the new Direct Lending Deal of the Year Awards 2024!

• Direct lending deal of the year – Large-cap
  ($/€200m of total debt / $/€50m EBITDA)
  
  
• Direct lending deal of the year – Mid-market
  ($/€40m-$/€200m of debt / $/€10m-50m EBITDA)
  
  
• Direct lending deal of the year – Small-cap
  ($/€40m of debt / $/€10m EBITDA)

These three new categories are self-nominated by you – the direct lenders.

Everyone who submits a pitch is then considered for shortlisting by our judging panel. If you make the final cut, you’ll be able to attend the awards ceremony in London on 23 May and potentially win the top prize (subject to the judges' final decisions).

Criteria for the direct lending deal of the year awards:

• Must be a direct-lending deal
• Cannot include add-ons; must be a new deployment
• Transaction executed between 1 January and 31 December 2023
• Can be sponsored or non-sponsor-backed direct-lending deal

What we need from you:

Using up to 300 words, your pitch needs to tell the story behind the deal.

The judges want to know why you deserve to win. An ideal pitch will show how you added value to deal processes, supported clients and offered creative solutions to complex situations. Explain why the deal(s) were so important and what you did as a direct lender to get them across the line.

The pitch is then handed to a panel of private credit experts and veterans who will review all the entries received, compare it with our league table data and debate who deserves to be shortlisted and ultimately win.

What the judges are asked to ignore:

• Any reference to non-Debtwire awards and rankings
• Deals that don’t meet our criteria for inclusion in Debtwire database
  
  

Some other useful notes:

• The pitches are treated as confidential documents. However, please clearly mark any previously undisclosed information as “confidential.”
• There’s no need for a presentation, illustrations or pitchbooks; just a single page will do fine. Check out our tips for pitching here. 
• We only take into consideration deals completed within the time period from January 1st 2023 – December 31st 2023.  
• Deadline for submissions is the week of 15 April.
• Send your submissions via email to Jennifer.Ghoni@iongroup.com
• The winners will announced at the Debtwire Direct Lending Awards in London on 23 May.  

And don’t forget…if you make a pitch, you’re in with a chance of winning.