Sponge’s delivery of customer training, custom content and compliance projects all celebrated in this year’s competition.
Sponge and several of its clients have been recognised in the annual Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards.
Among the Gold Award recipients was Sponge’s long-term client Philip Morris International, recognised in the Best Use of Blended Learning category. The award was for the organisation’s internal professional development programme, the CX Academy: a learning experience combining e-learning, expert-led webinars, peer masterclasses and real-world application. The programme develops the capabilities to create more relevant, data-driven consumer experiences that support PMI's transformation towards a smoke-free future.
Sponge’s development of Bain’s internal, non-mandatory cybersecurity training won a Silver Award in the Best Custom Content category. This gamified module uses a fictional hacker group to frame real-world cyber threats. The project showcases Sponge’s creative approach and achieved a learner satisfaction score of 9/10.
Also receiving a Silver Award, in the Best Compliance Training category, was Sponge’s ongoing work with Allwyn. This relates to the lottery provider’s Retail Training Centre, which supports compliance across a diverse retail portfolio of more than 40,000 stores. This recognition follows an earlier iteration of the project receiving a Silver Award in Brandon Hall Group’s Technology Programme in 2024.
Finally, Sponge and Australian technology company Atlassian received a Bronze Award in the Best Customer Training category for Atlassian Learning – a platform that helps the organisation’s 20 million software users get to grips with its suite of products. This recognition follows Atlassian Learning’s success in several other competitions, including the 2025 Intellum Growth Makers Award.
These awards mark the fifth year running that Sponge has been recognised in the Brandon Hall HCM programme, and they reflect the diversity of our offering, both in terms of the clients we serve and the solutions we provide. Yet they also reflect a consistency in terms of creativity, innovation and being solutions-focused.
Josh Cardoz
Chief Creative and Learning Officer, Sponge
The Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards recognise organisations that deliver measurable results across Human Capital Management and are among the most prestigious awards programmes in the industry. Entries are assessed by panels of independent senior industry experts and practitioners, with judging criteria including programme design, innovation and measurable benefits.
About Sponge.
Sponge has been a pioneer in enterprise learning and enablement for 20+ years, helping the world’s leading organisations strategise, design, and deliver unforgettable experiences that unlock shifts in behaviour, culture, and capability, at scale.