Following your initial online entry submission, the Judging Facilitator will contact you with confirmation of your entry and send you a Business Information Form to complete. The information you provide will be included in the judges’ packs that they receive before you attend the interview.
This includes your organisational structure, history of the business and key products and services. You can choose to write as much or as little as you wish. However it is preferable that you give enough background and information to the judges, as they may not be familiar with your business and what you do. Your interview duration is only 60 minutes and the judges need to cover off all their questions to be able to make a decision.
FOR ALL CATEGORY A AWARD ENTRANTS – Large Business Excellence, Medium Business Excellence, Small Business Excellence (judged on Overall Business Excellence)
You are required to provide proof and documentation to support the questions asked by the judges. These will include the areas of:
- HR
- Strategic Planning
- Marketing
- Quality Assurance/Systems
- Financial (see note below)
- Management
- Best Business Practice
Please ensure that you bring either on paper or in electronic form, evidence/proof that can be submitted for perusal and judging at the interview. e.g Business Plans, Marketing Plans.
Financial Measurement
If you do not wish the judges to have access to your financial details you need to provide a Professional Accountant’s supporting letter that covers the following:
- Frequency of annual reporting
- Confirmation of sustained profitability and growth fact (by%) for the last 3 year period
- Confirmation of sufficient working capital
- Confirmation of appropriate funds for growth if required
FOR ALL CATEGORY B AWARD ENTRANTS – Manufacturing, Engineering or Trades Excellence, Technology Excellence, Service Excellence (judged on Excellence within the specific Industry Sector)
You are required to provide proof and documentation to support the questions asked by the judges. These will include the areas of:
- HR
- Strategic Planning
- Marketing
- Quality Assurance/Systems
- Financial (see note below)
- Management
- Best Business Practice
- Specific Industry-related questions
Please ensure that you bring either on paper or in electronic form, evidence/proof that can be submitted for perusal and judging at the interview. e.g Business Plans, Marketing Plans.
Financial Measurement
If you do not wish the judges to have access to your financial details you need to provide a Professional Accountant’s supporting letter that covers the following:
- Frequency of annual reporting
- Confirmation of sustained profitability and growth fact (by%) for the last 3 year period
- Confirmation of sufficient working capital
- Confirmation of appropriate funds for growth if required
FOR CATEGORY C – NEW AND EMERGING BUSINESS AND FOR PURPOSE ENTRANTS ONLY – (judged on Overall Excellence)
You are required to provide proof and documentation to support the questions asked by the judges. These will include the areas of:
- HR
- Strategic Planning
- Marketing
- Quality Assurance/Systems
- Financial (see note below)
- Management
- Best Business Practice
Please ensure that you bring either on paper or in electronic form, evidence/proof that can be submitted for perusal and judging at the interview. e.g Business Plans, Marketing Plans.
Financial Measurement
If you do not wish the judges to have access to your financial details you need to provide a Professional Accountant’s supporting letter that covers the following:
- Frequency of annual reporting
- Confirmation of sustained profitability and growth fact (by%) for the last 3 year period
- Confirmation of sufficient working capital
- Confirmation of appropriate funds for growth if required
FOR CATEGORY C – ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH AND SAFETY ENTRANTS ONLY (judged on Excellence within the specific category entered)
Only these two awards are judged at the entrant’s business location.
You are required to provide proof and documentation to support the judges’ questions that will deal specifically with the award entered into.
FOR ALL OTHER CATEGORY C AWARDS – Innovation, Hospitality, Brand and Marketing, Employer of Choice, Business Continuity, Visitor Experience (judged on Excellence within the specific category entered)
You are required to provide proof and documentation to support the judges’ questions that will deal specifically with the award entered into.
Please ensure that you bring either on paper or in electronic form, evidence/proof that can be submitted for perusal and judging at the interview. e.g If you are entering the Brand and Marketing Excellence Award, we suggest you bring a Marketing Plan.
You do not need to provide financial information to the judges but a supporting letter from a Professional Accountant would be advantageous.
You may bring laptops, i-Pads, Tablets or other small electronic devices to assist you at the judging as we recognise you may have information stored electronically. You may also wish to show the judges examples of apps, websites etc. However please note that PowerPoint presentations are not permitted.
You may bring other staff to the interview if they have knowledge about specific areas of the business that will be looked at in the judging process.
There are no finalists announced for any of the Awards and no one is advised of results prior to the Awards Evening.
Yes – a condition of entry into the Awards is that the business purchases a minimum of two tickets to the Awards Evening. However we encourage you to purchase additional tickets for your staff, clients or family. It is preferred that the business owners/managers attend but you may send others to represent you and accept an award if required.