Conditions of Entry
1. Any sole proprietor, partnership, incorporated society, limited liability company, educational institution, local or central government organisation, charitable or not for profit organisation, with its principal place of business based and trading in the Northland region within the boundaries administered by the Northland Chamber of Commerce is eligible to enter the awards (with the exception of those owned by any sponsor of the Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards).
2. An organisation that is part of a larger national or international organisation must be able to demonstrate that it operates as a separate business unit.
3. Applicants must disclose any issues that may compromise the integrity of the awards or cause their organisation to discontinue in the next year. These issues may include legal action, law changes, possible loss of funding, or other risks.
4. Organisation/Business must have been trading for a minimum of 12 months, on entry to the Awards. Emerging Business Category entrants must have been trading in their current form for less than 2 years.
5. All entrants must agree to take part in reasonable publicity that has been organised by the Northland Chamber of Commerce and as requested by the category sponsor.
6. All entrants are encouraged to attend the Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards Black Tie Dinner, and as part of their entry criteria to purchase a minimum of one ticket. This is a formal event during which the awards ceremony is held and the finalists and winners are announced.
7. Entrants are only permitted to enter one business category, plus ACC Workplace Safety, MoreFM Customer Choice and will automatically considered for the NRC Sustainable Business Award (strict criteria applies).
8. Entrants may use consultants or other outside assistance to help them prepare their entries. However the providers of any such external assistance may not be present during any part of the judging process.
9. All Business Category winners will be considered for the overall Westpac Northland Business of the Year Award.
10. All entries will be reviewed by the judging panel and must allow a site visit as part of entry.
11. Entrants may be requested by the chief judge to supply a copy of their last two year’s financial accounts during the judging process (Less than two years required for Emerging business category). It is a condition of entry to meet this request. (Please note that it is only the chief judge who reviews these financial accounts.) Strictest confidence in relation to this will be maintained.
12. All entries are treated in confidence. Judges are required to sign a confidentiality agreement that prevents them from sharing any information in relation to entrants.
13. Judges will not judge any organisations where a conflict of interest arises.
14. Once judging has been completed entry submissions will be returned within one month of the Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards Black Tie Dinner.
15. The Judges decision is are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
16. The chief judge in consultation with the Chamber may, where appropriate, suggest that an entrant change the particular category entered.
17. Entrants consent, as part of the entry process, to allow the Northland Chamber of Commerce to share their personal contact information with Westpac for the purposes of sending them promotional material as the naming rights sponsor of the Awards. Their contact details will also be given to the Sponsor of the Category they enter.