Business Awards Guidelines

To enter the North Canterbury Business Awards you must be a North Canterbury Business (or a North Canterbury based not-for-profit – see below). This means that:

• You must have your centre of operations or headquarters in the Waimakariri, Hurunui or Kaikōura district.
• If you are a franchise or local agent of a larger operation, you must have a high level of responsibility at the local level and operate separately, e.g. market your own business, set your own targets, control your own accounts, appoint your own staff, and the person in charge of the local business should be located in North Canterbury.
• If you are a contractor to a larger organisation you must be independent and free to work for other organisations if you choose to do so, including competitors.

Not-for-profit organisations are able to enter, but you must be able to demonstrate that you operate in a business-like manner.

You must have been trading for a minimum of one year. Entrants for the Emerging Business category must be commercial businesses that have been operating for up to three years and have fewer than 10 staff and contractors (not including owners). You are no longer eligible for this category when you celebrate your 3rd anniversary of trading.

You must disclose any issues that may compromise the integrity of the awards or may cause the business to discontinue in the next year. Issues may include legal action, law changes, possible loss of funding or other risks.

You agree to Enterprise North Canterbury and the sponsor of a category you choose to enter profiling your business as part of the business awards. This will include photos and your logo that you will provide and may include written, recorded or filmed interviews.

Each business may only enter under one category. However, all successful entrants may choose to also enter the People’s Choice award and all successful commercial entrants are in the running to win the Supreme Award.

Winners of the Supreme Award cannot enter the next two North Canterbury Business Awards (e.g. if you were the Supreme Award winner in 2021 you cannot enter the 2023 or the 2025 awards).

Any business that has won a category award at two consecutive Business Awards cannot enter the next two North Canterbury Business Awards (e.g. if you won a category award in 2018 and another in 2021 you cannot enter the 2023 or 2025 Business Awards).

You agree that the judges’ decision is final and that no correspondence will be entered into.

ENC reserves the right to decline or withdraw any application to ensure that the overall objectives and standards of the North Canterbury Business Awards are maintained.

Entries can be made through the online application form only (available from June 13th). Emailed or paper applications will not be accepted unless pre-arranged with Guy Graham at Enterprise North Canterbury.

You must provide at least two high quality publicity photos and at least one high quality logo as separate files. These must be attached as part of your entry.

ENC staff are available to look through your draft application and give feedback in order to help you maximise your ability to tell your story successfully.

Each successful entrant will have an opportunity to talk through their application with the judges and to clarify any questions the judges may have.

To discuss further please contact Guy Graham at Enterprise North Canterbury.

All Business Awards entrants can choose to also enter the North Canterbury News People’s Choice Award. You don’t need to submit an entry for the People’s Choice Award; simply tick the box on your entry form and you are in the running. Then it’s up to you to garner votes however you like.

The People’s Choice Award is a popularity contest where the public vote on their favourite business competing in the North Canterbury Business Awards. This is a great opportunity for you to promote yourself, an excuse to make contact with clients (old and new), and an opportunity for you to grow awareness of your business by encouraging the general public to vote for you. Or, in other words, this is your opportunity to shamelessly self-promote! Seriously, make the most of it. Even if you don’t win this will grow your profile.

The North Canterbury News People’s Choice Award voting opens on September 8th and closes on October 10th. Voting is conducted on the ENC website, where all competing businesses will be listed. The winner of the North Canterbury News People’s Choice Award will be announced at the Business Awards Gala Evening on October 31st.

What are the rules:

• Anyone can vote. They do not have to be North Canterbury locals.
• Everyone who votes must provide their name and email address.
• Only one vote per person is permitted (and we do check!).
• Play fair. If we have a hint of foul play we will disqualify you.
• Do not vote on behalf of other people – not even your own staff.
• No farming votes. If you pay a company to create fake votes you will be disqualified.
• Play nice. Please respect other businesses you are competing against.
• Bribery is fine. Feel free to have prize draws or give product away if you think the cost is worth the benefit.
• Don’t do anything that might bring the awards or ENC into disrepute.

Other than that, pretty much anything goes. Here are some promotions we have seen in the past:

• Tons of advertising – particularly on Facebook.
• An i-pad on your front counter for customers to vote as they wait for their order.
• A parade on Williams Street in Kaiapoi (seriously).
• Giving away product in return for votes (whether it be samples or a prize draw).

If you are worried that you might be going too far, then ask us before doing it and we will let you know whether it is a clever idea or a step too far.

Carefully review the categories and select which one best applies to your business.

Even after you submit your entry you can return and continue to make changes until the closing day of 15th August 2025.

You do not need to fill in the online entry form all at once. Feel free to save as you go, review the pdf we send you and go back to do some more.

Read through each tab of the entry form before answering any questions. That will give you an idea of what questions are coming up and help you to tell your story better.

Use the entry process as a chance to highlight what is amazing about your business.

Do not include web links unless absolutely necessary. Try and include all relevant information within the application.

The form provides a lot of spaces to upload supporting information. We do not expect you to use them all, and some businesses may use very few.

Brevity is appreciated, but make sure you give enough information for the judges to understand your business.

Don’t assume that the judges know anything about your business; give enough information that they can form a good understanding of what you do.

Don’t use industry jargon or information that requires specialist knowledge to understand.

Make sure that you answer the question asked; entrants often tell the judges a lot without actually addressing what the judges need to know.

All information provided to us is treated as confidential by the organising team and judges, who have all signed non-disclosure agreements.

Applicants are not expected to provide or reveal proprietary information regarding products, processes or services. Judges are asked to declare any conflicts of interest, and a system is in place to manage conflicts if they arise.

Judges will be available to meet with all finalists. This gives the judges an opportunity to ask any questions they have, and you an opportunity to talk through your entry and elaborate where necessary.

The judges’ decisions are final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding disagreements with placements. If you have any other questions about the judging process, please contact Guy Graham at Enterprise North Canterbury

All entries are destroyed after the awards are concluded.