ENTRIES & NOMINATIONS INFORMATION
The 2021 Westpac Champion Business Awards recognise the excellence, innovation, and success of businesses and not-for-profit organisations in the Canterbury region for the 2019/2020 calendar year.
The following information provides further details on the award categories, how to enter, entry process, criteria and helpful tips.
HOW TO ENTER
To start your entry you will be directed to our online entry platform and asked to create an account. This account will allow you to complete your entry, save it, edit it along the way and then submit it when you're ready.
*Please note if you entered the awards previously (2016 onwards) you will already have an account and just need to login with the details used to setup your account.
TO ENTER
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you have any questions please contact [email protected].
Entries close 5pm on Friday 23 July 2021.
Entries open Monday 14 June 2021- click here to enter.
*Please note if you entered the awards previously (2016 onwards) you will already have an account and just need to login with the details used to setup your account.
TO ENTER
- Create an account - create a user name and password then log in to start your entry. You will then be asked to enter your contact details.
- Select the Category you want to enter and choose your User Name. Use your Business Name so we can easily identify you (unless you are entering the Emerging Leader award).
- Select the size of your business and the number of FTE's.
- Complete your entry questions.
- When you have finished submit your entry. (You can go back to edit your entry at any time before you submit).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Individual businesses and not-for-profit organisations are entitled to enter any two categories.
- It is Free to enter.
- If you have already started your entry you can access this and continue at any time.
If you have any questions please contact [email protected].
Entries close 5pm on Friday 23 July 2021.
Entries open Monday 14 June 2021- click here to enter.
NOMINATE A BUSINESS
If you know of a champion business who you would love to see recognised for the great work that they do, nominate them for a Champion Business Award.
MAKING A NOMINATION
To make a nomination you simply need to complete the nomination form found via the 'Click here' button below.
You will be asked to provide:
Once we receive your nomination we will get in touch with them to encourage their entry. You don't need to nominate them for a specific category - that's up to them when they enter. Any business or not-for-profit organisation can be nominated for the awards.
Nominations close 5pm on 2nd July 2021.
Nominations are completely confidential however letting the business know of your nomination often boosts their confidence to enter so we encourage nominees to inform the business of their nomination and encourage them to enter.
MAKING A NOMINATION
To make a nomination you simply need to complete the nomination form found via the 'Click here' button below.
You will be asked to provide:
- Your name
- Your email address
- Name of the business you are nominating
- Their contact name
- Their contact phone number and email
- Why you are nominating this business - you may like to include what category they should enter.
Once we receive your nomination we will get in touch with them to encourage their entry. You don't need to nominate them for a specific category - that's up to them when they enter. Any business or not-for-profit organisation can be nominated for the awards.
Nominations close 5pm on 2nd July 2021.
Nominations are completely confidential however letting the business know of your nomination often boosts their confidence to enter so we encourage nominees to inform the business of their nomination and encourage them to enter.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR ENTERING
PRIOR TO ENTRY
ENTRY DO'S & DON'TS
COMMUNITY IMPACT CATEGORIES
The process for consideration in the Champion Community Impact category differs from our other Awards, recognising that Community Impact organisations work differently than commercial businesses. The entry process will include providing background to your programme, project and service. Rātā Foundation has offered to support this process by reviewing your entry before you submit it. You are able to preview your entry before you submit it, but we suggest preparing your answers in a separate document before entering them online. Before you submit your final entry, please contact Tanya Bethell, Communications Manager at Rātā Foundation [email protected] to review your entry.
- Make a list of all the things that went well within your company in the past 12 - 24 months. This will help you determine who or what you want to nominate, and in which categories.
- Underneath each one, write a short paragraph outlining what you did, and how you got there. This will get you thinking about your efforts and crafting your entry.
- The entry will take you a lot longer than you think to fill out. Start now!
ENTRY DO'S & DON'TS
- Prepare your answers in advance in a separate document so that you can simply copy and paste them into the online submission form. Whilst the online forms have a save feature, having all the answers ready will make it easier for you to quickly submit your entry.
- Pleaze chekk for speling. It’s nevr a good lok if you’re entry is ful of mistaikes.
- The word limit is not a goal. If you can portray what you need to in fewer words, even better.
- Keep it simple, short and to the point.
- Answer ALL the questions.
- If entering more than one category, don’t assume that you will be able to cut and paste your answers from one to the other.
- Focus more on keeping the content positive and highlight the most important achievements.
- Do not criticise the competition.
- Don’t exaggerate. Just state the facts and evidence them well.
- Most of the judges are not familiar with your market, so answers and results need context.
- Don’t assume the judges will know your industry or your business.
- Please submit your answers in the first person ie. using “I” and “we”.
- Be passionate! This is your business and chance to showcase yourself. Get someone else to read what you’ve written. If they don’t get excited, how can you expect the judges to?
- Each question includes ‘things to consider’. These are a guideline for you to answer the question and are also what the judges will look for in your answers.
COMMUNITY IMPACT CATEGORIES
The process for consideration in the Champion Community Impact category differs from our other Awards, recognising that Community Impact organisations work differently than commercial businesses. The entry process will include providing background to your programme, project and service. Rātā Foundation has offered to support this process by reviewing your entry before you submit it. You are able to preview your entry before you submit it, but we suggest preparing your answers in a separate document before entering them online. Before you submit your final entry, please contact Tanya Bethell, Communications Manager at Rātā Foundation [email protected] to review your entry.
ENTRY CRITERIA, PROCESS & RULES
The 2021 Westpac Champion Business Awards recognise the excellence, innovation, and success of businesses and not-for-profit organisations in the Canterbury region for the 2019 and 2020 calendar years.
The following information has been established to provide you with helpful tips for answering the questions being asked on the entry form.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
All entrants will be asked:
CATEGORIES AND SCORING
BUSINESS INFORMATION
All entrants will be asked to include the following information through the entry process which will be used in the Awards related communications should you become a finalist.:
BUSINESS SIZE
Businesses are asked to select the size of their business, based on the employee numbers that apply to the organisation for the 2019/2020 calendar year.
Full-time contractors are also considered as full-time employees (FTEs). If you are a national or international organisation, the size you select should be based on your Canterbury staffing levels.
The following information has been established to provide you with helpful tips for answering the questions being asked on the entry form.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
All entrants will be asked:
- To confirm you are registered with the New Zealand companies office or be a registered Charity
- To confirm you are answering these questions openly and honestly and to the best of your ability.
- Not be under investigation by any New Zealand or international statutory body (e.g. ACC, New Zealand Police, Health and Disability Commission, Inland Revenue)
CATEGORIES AND SCORING
- Each category has a different set of questions that follow a similar structure
- You are eligible to enter up to TWO categories
- To view the categories, questions and scoring click here.
BUSINESS INFORMATION
All entrants will be asked to include the following information through the entry process which will be used in the Awards related communications should you become a finalist.:
- Activity Summary: 20-word summary of your key business activity or purpose.
- Business Description:100 word summary describing the purpose of your business. This description should reflect how your business fits into the category you have chosen.
BUSINESS SIZE
Businesses are asked to select the size of their business, based on the employee numbers that apply to the organisation for the 2019/2020 calendar year.
- Small Enterprise [under 15 FTEs or an annual charitable turnover of under $700,000]
- Medium/Large Enterprise [15 or more FTEs or an annual charitable turnover of more than $700,000]
Full-time contractors are also considered as full-time employees (FTEs). If you are a national or international organisation, the size you select should be based on your Canterbury staffing levels.
JUDGING
Up to 35 business and community leaders judge the awards independently. Judges are asked to identify any potential conflict of interest from an entrant list, if a judge has a conflict with an entrant in a particular category they will be removed from judging that category.
There are two rounds of judging – one to determine finalists from all entries, and one to determine winners from finalists. Judging is completed online, judges are asked to score each question.
Scoring – each category has different questions. To see the scoring refer to the entry questions here .
Once judges have completed scoring all scores are then tallied by the online system, this will then identify in round 1 who the finalists are and then in round 2 who the winners are. Judges scores are based solely on the information submitted in the official entry form submitted by the business.
Final results are then audited to verify the impartiality and accuracy of the judging process. Once the winners have been confirmed at the end of the judging for round 2, the judges will be notified of the winners and will be asked to vote for the overall 'Westpac Champion Supreme' winner for the Small Enterprise and Medium/Large Enterprise businesses. Please note you must win your category to be eligible for the Westpac Champion Supreme Award.
There are two rounds of judging – one to determine finalists from all entries, and one to determine winners from finalists. Judging is completed online, judges are asked to score each question.
Scoring – each category has different questions. To see the scoring refer to the entry questions here .
Once judges have completed scoring all scores are then tallied by the online system, this will then identify in round 1 who the finalists are and then in round 2 who the winners are. Judges scores are based solely on the information submitted in the official entry form submitted by the business.
Final results are then audited to verify the impartiality and accuracy of the judging process. Once the winners have been confirmed at the end of the judging for round 2, the judges will be notified of the winners and will be asked to vote for the overall 'Westpac Champion Supreme' winner for the Small Enterprise and Medium/Large Enterprise businesses. Please note you must win your category to be eligible for the Westpac Champion Supreme Award.
