FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

It is free to enter the awards. We invite you and your team to attend the Awards Presentation Gala Event. Tickets for this exclusive event, including dinner and drinks package, can be purchased via on our Events page at a later date.

The rewards associated with being shortlisted as a finalist or winning awards far surpass the value of mere accolades. You will receive a trophy and certificate recognising your successes, while your status as a finalist and/or winner helps raise brand awareness that will help drive your business forward. Being an award-winning business often helps attract the best talent to your business as well.

Entering the Tweed Business Awards is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the achievements and successes of your business, how you’ve overcome challenges and grown in the process. It also provides valuable materials that can be reused in business plans, marketing campaigns, pitches, tenders, grants applications or even other award submissions.

Read the category descriptions carefully to decide which category or categories are best suited to your business and your achievements to date. If the judging panel believes strongly that you are better suited to a different category, they will contact you to discuss

You can enter as many categories as you wish. However, you must comply with the eligibility criteria for every category that you enter. 

Each business can only submit one entry per category. For example, while you may have an amazing team, you can only enter one person in the Outstanding Employee category or Apprentice of the Year category. If you have multiple employees who would be eligible, you could conduct an internal vote to decide who is the best nominee.

There are 18 categories in the Tweed Business Awards, including Excellence in Micro Business, for those with less than 5 employees, Excellence in Small Business for 5-20 employees and Excellence in Business for 21+ employees.

You don’t know who you will be competing against. The questions have been written and are weighted to ensure the impact and engagement your business has can be recognised and celebrated, as opposed to sheer revenue. So, it’s worth entering.

Congratulations! Your nomination demonstrates that your nominator believes you are worthy of recognition. Being nominated does not automatically qualify you for entry into the awards. You’ll need to put in a submission to be in the running. It’s entirely up to you to decide whether you wish to enter.

We encourage you to nominate your own business for the awards. While third-party nominations are welcomed, self-nomination is quite normal for business awards. After all, who knows better than you and your team how much recognition you truly deserve?

Yes. Membership or lack of membership in a Chamber of Commerce or other community groups does not prevent or promote nominees’ prospects for an award. Any business operating in the Tweed Shire can enter the Tweed Business Awards.

The awards process requires planning, writing and reviewing your submission, which does require an investment of time. The amount of time varies between businesses and individuals.

The awards are designed with you in mind. The information available on our website includes the categories, questions, question weightings, word count and a hints and tips guide to assist you in completing the questions. However, to ensure the highest standards of credibility, a degree of effort is required in your submission.

There is no requirement to design and format your submission, it is simply uploaded as text into the Business NSW portal.

Unfortunately, you cannot attach supporting documents. 

No. The submission deadline is final and will not be extended. After the closing date and time passes, the system will automatically stop any further submissions.

Our panel of category judges are carefully chosen for their credentials, successful career history and industry expertise. All judges are required to sign non-disclosure agreements and maintain complete confidentiality. Judges are also required to abstain from assessing any submissions where a conflict of interest may arise.

The criteria questions have been carefully crafted to ensure that all submissions can be assessed and evaluated in accordance with industry best practice.

All judges serve on a volunteer basis with no compensation, except for an invitation to participate in the Gala Awards Presentation Event.

In the Tweed Business Awards, there is no set number of finalists in any given category. Finalists are determined on the merit of their entry. Applicants will only make it to the finalist stage if they submit outstanding applications that address the selection criteria.

A panel of judges has been assigned to evaluate each competitor, and a robust process is in place to assist and support them with their judging.

The winner of each category is appointed based on achieving the highest score for their written submission.

The winner of the Hall of Fame Award will be voted by the Board of the Tweed Chamber of Commerce.

Yes. All businesses trading within the Tweed Shire and individuals employed by those businesses are eligible to enter.