ENTRY CRITERIA & CATEGORY QUESTIONS

1. BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD Micro Business 

The Business Excellence Award Micro Business Award recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success.  

Entry criteria 

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of business excellence.  This category is open to businesses with less than 5 employees at the time of entry, who have been trading for a period of over 24 months. 

Award eligibility check box 

• This business has been trading for a continuous period of two years or more and is not bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry. 
• This business has less than 5 employees on the payroll in Australia at the time of entry.  
• This business has not entered the categories of Outstanding Community Organisation, Outstanding Start-up, Business Excellence Small Business

 Questions 

1. Tell us briefly what your business does. Maximum word count: 50
2. Provide an overview of the key features of your business plan including goals, strategies and projected outcomes for the future.  Maximum word count: 300
3. Tell us the outstanding achievements your business made over the past 12 months against your business plan, explain why they are significant and what they mean for the future of the business  .  Maximum word count: 300 
4. Describe how your product or service offering differentiates your business from its competitors and how your clients benefit.  Maximum word count: 400 
5. Demonstrate how your business contributes to the Lithgow LGA economy. Maximum word count: 400 
6. Outline the key challenges your business has faced over the past 12 months and explain how you have managed the impact of these challenges -, as well as the impact they have had on your strategic direction.  Maximum word count: 400 

2. BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD Small business 

The Business Excellence Award Small Business recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success.

Entry criteria 

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of business excellence.  This category is open to businesses with 5 to 20 employees at the time of entry, who have been trading for a period of over 24 months. 

Award eligibility check box 

• This business has been trading for a continuous period of two years or more and is not bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry. 
• This business has 5 to 20 employees on the payroll in Australia at the time of entry. 
• This business has not entered the categories of Outstanding Community Organisation, Outstanding Start-up, Business Excellence Micro Business or Business Excellence Large Business Awards.  

Questions 

1. Tell us briefly what your business does. Maximum word count: 50
2. 2. Provide an overview of the key features of your business plan including goals, strategies and projected outcomes for the future.  Maximum word count: 300
3. Tell us the outstanding achievements your business made over the past 12 months against your business plan, explain why they are significant and what they mean for the future of the business.  Maximum word count: 300 
4. Describe how your product or service offering differentiates your business from its competitors and how your clients benefit.  Maximum word count: 400 
5. Demonstrate how your business contributes to the Lithgow LGA economy. Maximum word count: 400 
6. Outline the key challenges your business has faced over the past 12 months and explain how you have managed the impact of these challenges -, as well as the impact they have had on your strategic direction.  Maximum word count: 400 

3. BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD Large Business 

The Excellence in Large Business Award recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success and/or resilience. 

Entry criteria 

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of business excellence.  This category is open to businesses with 21 or more employees at the time of entry, who have been trading for a period of over 24 months. 

Award eligibility check box 

• This business has been trading for a continuous period of two years or more and is not bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry. 
• This business has 21 or more employees on the payroll in Australia at the time of entry. 
• This business has not entered the categories of Outstanding Community Organisation, Outstanding Start-up, Business Excellence Micro or Small Business Awards

Questions 

• Tell us briefly what your business does. Maximum word count: 50
• Provide an overview of the key features of your business plan including goals, strategies and projected outcomes for the future.  Maximum word count: 300
• Tell us the outstanding achievements your business made over the past 12 months against your business plan, explain why they are significant and what they mean for the future of the business.  Maximum word count: 300 
• Describe how your product or service offering differentiates your business from its competitors and how your clients benefit.  Maximum word count: 400 
• Demonstrate how your business contributes to the Lithgow LGA economy. Maximum word count: 400 
• Outline the key challenges your business has faced over the past 12 months and explain how you have managed the impact of these challenges -, as well as the impact they have had on your strategic direction.  Maximum word count: 400 

4. OUTSTANDING START UP AWARD  

The Outstanding Start-up Award recognises a start-up business that has effectively driven growth, is competitive, innovative, scalable and with high potential. 

Entry criteria 

Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12 months to being an outstanding start-up.  This category is open to new businesses trading for a period of less than 24 months.  

• This business has been trading for a period of less than two years and is not bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry. 
• This business has not been purchased or acquired and is not part of a franchise. 
• The business has not entered the categories of Outstanding Community Organisation, Business Excellence Awards Micro or Small Business. 

Questions  

1. Provide an overview of your start-up business including the product or service delivered to the market, how you identified it as a market need and who your target customer is.  Maximum word count: 200 
2. Provide an overview of the key features of your business development strategy and projected outcomes for the future.  Maximum word count: 300  
3. Describe why your product or service offering is unique within your industry and differentiates your business from competitors.  Maximum word count: 300 
4. Detail the measurable growth and key milestones you have achieved since launching your business.  Maximum word count: 400 
5. Describe the key challenges your business has faced as a start-up and how you overcame them. Maximum word count: 400 

5. EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION AWARD

The Excellence in Innovation Award recognises a business that has implemented innovative solutions  through the introduction or improvement of an idea, product, method, technology, process or application. 

Entry criteria 

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of innovation. 

• The business has been trading for a continuous period of two or more years and is not bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry. 

Questions 

1. Outline the innovation implemented in your business and how it has addressed a new or existing business need.  Maximum word count: 200 
2. Describe why the innovation is unique within your industry and how it differentiates your business from its competitors.  Maximum word count: 300 
3. Describe how the innovation was received by the market, your workforce and external stakeholders.  Maximum word count: 300 
4. Demonstrate how the innovation has  positively impacted your clients or the general community Maximum word count: 400  
5. Provide measurable evidence of how the innovation has improved business operations, driven growth and contributed to the success of your business.  Maximum word count: 400 

6. EXCELLENCE IN RESILIENCE AWARD (not aligned with State Awards)

The Excellence in Resilience Award recognises a business or not for profit organisation that  demonstrates commitment to resilience since the bushfires of 2019/2020, floods and Covid and can illustrate that it has put into place resilience practises to maintain and where possible grow their business.

Entry criteria 

Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 2.5 years across the key areas of resilience. 

• The organisation has been trading for a continuous period of two years or more and is not bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry. 

Questions 

1. -Describe how the fires, floods and /or COVID affected your organisation in terms patronage, sales, production, property loss, staffing levels and/or access to supplies. Maximum word count: 200 

2.  Outline the initiatives you have implemented to achieve resilience practices within your business.  Maximum word count: 300 

3.  Describe how you involved your workforce and/or external parties  in your resilience initiatives.  Maximum word count: 400

4.  Explain the success of your resilience practises to your overall business operations and how they will better sustain your organisation into the future.  Maximum word count: 400 

7.  OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY ORGANISATION AWARD 

The Outstanding Community Organisation Award recognises an organisation based in the Lithgow LGA that improves the social, cultural and/or environmental wellbeing of the local community.

Purpose and Entry criteria 

This category is open to community based, not for profit organisations that have been active in the local community and providing services for at least the past 2 years. We want to recognise the community impact that not for profits have and their past and future commitment to our region.  

Award eligibility check box 

• The organisation has been operating for a continuous period of 2 or more years
• It is financially sound  
• Its primary base of operations is within the Lithgow LGA 

Questions

1. Provide an overview of your organisation, including its purpose, how long it has been in existence, how it operates and the service which it delivers to the local community.  Maximum word count: 200 
2. Explain the purpose of your organisation and how it fosters the social, cultural or environmental wellbeing of the local community.  Maximum word count: 300 
3. Demonstrate how your organisation contributes to the local economy and in making our community a better place.  Maximum word count: 400 
4. Outline the key challenges your organisation has faced over the past 12 months and explain how you have managed the impact of these challenges.  Maximum word count: 400 
5.  Tell us about your strategy of how you will continue to enhance the wellbeing of the local community, what it means to the local community and the outcomes you envisage being achieved.  Maximum word count: 300 

8.   BEST APPRENTICE /TRAINEE AWARD (not aligned with State Awards)

Awarded to an Apprentice or Trainee who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and made a valuable contribution to the success of the business they work for. 

Employer Questions 

1. What is the name of your nominated apprentice or trainee and when did they join your organisation.  Maximum word count: 100

• What has been the employee’s most outstanding contribution to your organisation? 

Maximum word count: 200

3. How does the employee benefit your business and your customers? Maximum word count: 200 

4. Describe the employee’s attitude and commitment to his or her profession, including examples that display initiative in the workplace. 

Maximum word count: 500 

Questions to be answered by the Apprentice or Trainee. 

1. Describe your apprenticeship or traineeship and outline the reasons for choosing your field of specialisation?  

Maximum word count: 300 

• What are your goals after completing your apprenticeship or traineeship? 

Maximum word count: 200 

• Briefly describe the most significant contribution you’ve made to your employer and how can you contribute further in the future. Maximum word count: 200

Maximum word count: 700 

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