2023 Awards Categories

With Belfast being renowned as a hub of innovation across industry, this award aims to celebrate businesses who have demonstrated innovative approaches in products, processes, technology, or campaigns to enable significant advancements to their business and/or the end-user.

CRITERIA: Entrants must be able to clearly demonstrate how science, research and innovation has helped develop their product or service and had a positive impact on their business.

 

---

The Customer Service Excellence Award will be presented to a company that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to improving its standards of customer service. The winner will have implemented successful customer service strategies and recognised opportunities that have had a significant impact on customer experience.

CRITERIA: Entrants will be able to demonstrate employee engagement, ongoing training and good internal communication. Examples of how the company has listened to its customers and used the knowledge gleaned will be of particular interest.

---

This category will recognise those businesses that are reaching out beyond their day-to-day business activities to make a positive impact to the community in Belfast.  The Contribution to the Community Award is open to companies which have run either one-off projects or long-term, ongoing initiatives aimed at engaging business with the local community and bringing about great social benefit.

Criteria: Judges will be looking for demonstrable, positive outcomes which show how a company's CSR activities have delivered clear, tangible and lasting benefits.

---

Open to all businesses that have been founded or are new to Belfast since 1^st November 2021.

CRITERIA: Entrants will be asked to explain their business and to demonstrate how they have translated a great idea into a viable and successful business venture. They will also be asked to explain their plans for the future.

---

This award will recognise Belfast’s most dynamic and inspiring successful social enterprise. If your organisation strives for business excellence, contributes to society by bringing about economic, technological, social or environmental changes, then this category is for you.

CRITERIA: Entrants must be able to clearly demonstrate how their social enterprise makes a positive impact on a community or the environment in which they operate.

---

This award is open to all businesses who have exhibited exceptional good practice and exemplary contributions towards improving diversity and inclusion in their business and/or industry. A demonstration of a commitment to equality and ability to show progress towards a genuinely inclusive workplace is also key.

Criteria

The winner of this award will provide evidence of its achievements in moving their business towards being diverse and inclusive. Highlighting the benefits, it has brought to your organisation, customers, communities of interest and the environment.

---

This category is open to all family owned and run businesses in Belfast.

CRITERIA: Your business must be managed by family members and you must be able to demonstrate the involvement of at least two generations of family members who are currently working in the business.

---

Open to all businesses which, since 1^st November 2021, can demonstrate growth in a challenging business environment. This may be new markets, products or services.

CRITERIA: Entrants must be able to explain how the growth of the business has impacted on it, be that with new staff, increased turnover or other. You will need to provide facts and figures as part of the answers to the online questions.

---

This award seeks to find those businesses which provide an excellent, supportive, inclusive, secure and nurturing environment for their employees.

CRITERIA: Entrants will be asked to explain their HR policies and the benefits, support structure and other incentives that they provide for their key asset, their employees.

---

Aimed at those who have successfully developed and implemented a marketing or communication strategy or campaign that has delivered measurable benefits.

CRITERIA: Have you effectively communicated key messages to your target audience whether they be internal or external? Tell us how these have impacted your business.

---

This award will seek to reward a business premises’ design that is fit for purpose, exhibits all-round design and layout excellence and suits the needs and requirements of both staff and customers.

CRITERIA: Entrants will need to explain the ethos behind the design and functionality of the premises, interpret the innovation of design, use of materials and colours. Shortlisted finalists will be visited by appointment to look at further aspects of the premises.

---

Open to Belfast’s young entrepreneurs (35 years or under on 31st March 2023) who will have achieved commercial success in building their business or, who hold a strategic and influential position within an existing company.

CRITERIA: Entrants must be able to demonstrate their business prowess and give examples of their successes to date and future plans.

---

The Team of the Year Award has been designed for businesses that can demonstrate and show real life examples of how teamwork has led to their success and their consistent, high levels of customer care and service.

CRITERIA: Will include business strategy and performance, mission statements, customer care policies and values, staff development plans, together with how the team delivers over and above that which is expected by stakeholders both internally and externally.

---

Open to an individual within a Belfast business. The person will have played a significant role in the development and success of the business.  They may also be influential or involved in the wider community or with civic duties. They may or may not be the owner of a business.

CRITERIA: Entrants should be able to demonstrate how the nominee has made a contribution to the wider business community. The winner will demonstrate energy, ambition, skill and vision.

---

This is a business that exists purely in the digital marketplace, either as an online business or the provision and support of online and digital services to other businesses.

CRITERIA: The business must be able to explain its position within the digital market and provide a clear description of it services and how this translates to a successful and sustainable business in Belfast.

---

Entrants will be asked to select if they are entering (i) Eatery or (ii) Coffee Shop and can only enter one option.

CRITERIA: Entrants must be able to demonstrate how they support local producers, provide excellent and consistent customer service, provide innovative offerings in the food and beverage market and display excellent levels of house-keeping. Short-listed finalists will undergo thorough mystery visits over a number of weeks.

---

A creative business in Belfast might be a design house, radio / television, production etc. or you might be an artist, make-up, props for the film industry, fashion designer, music studio or something else entirely!

CRITERIA: Your business must be able to demonstrate how it is ‘Creative’ and explain the impact and benefits to its clients and customers.

---

Open to an individual within a business who is not the boss. Someone who plays an integral part and contributes to the success of the business; that valued employee who you can’t do without.

CRITERIA: This must be an individual and they will not be the business owner. Entrants need to explain who this person is and succinctly communicate their contribution to business. Short-listed finalists will be interviewed by a panel of experts who will want to meet the individual face-to face.

---

This category will identify those technology-based businesses located in Belfast who show innovation and entrepreneurship. We want to hear from engineers, researchers, developers and those working in the knowledge-economy.

CRITERIA: Your business must be based around technology and you should be able to provide succinct answers to entry questions and demonstrate the impact your technology business has had to date on your team and clients.

---

This award is for companies that are successful in exporting and committed to continued growth in their international trade. Entrants will show expertise in planning and implementing an export strategy including managing currency fluctuations, credit control, international marketing and the successful development and expansion of their overseas operations.

Criteria: Successful companies entering this category will be prioritising international activities within their overall company strategy and will be managing their overseas business proactively and professionally. Effective sales, marketing and distribution strategies will be in place and the company will be making great efforts to ensure that products are suitable or adapted for international markets.

---