The Cabinet Office has confirmed it will support the Payroll Giving Awards for two more years.

The awards, which were launched in 2006 by the Institute of Fundraising, recognises organisations where staff use payroll giving to donate to charity. To qualify for the lowest of the awards – the Bronze Award – an employer needs only to have 1 per cent of its workforce signed up to payroll giving. The highest award, Platinum, requires that 20 per cent have signed up. The average participation rate in payroll giving in companies where payroll giving is offered is about 6 per cent.

The government has supported previous years, but only last week confirmed it would be supporting this year and 2014’s awards, freeing the Institute up to plan for an awards evening later this year.

Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd said: “I’m delighted that we are continuing to support these important awards which celebrate the outstanding work that is being done to increase payroll  giving and inspire others to do the same.”

Of 15 government department whose payroll giving take up was released last week, none would qualify for a platinum award and just two would achieve a gold. Given that the bar for a Bronze award is so low, all would qualify for this.