Award Category 

Award criteria

Evidence to provide

Female Entrepreneur

Must be a female with company shareholding of >51% and successfully led the business for not less than 3 years and must have contributed to job creation.

Professional achievements. (20%)

Suggestion: describe your most significant professional accomplishment, award or distinctions.

Level of influence, power and involvement within the business community. (10% ) 

Suggestions: do you sit on any corporate/professional boards or memberships

Contribution to Company growth (20% )  Explain how your company has grown through your leadership. Growth includes financial growth, increase in sales/profit, number of people recruited, new markets identified, etc.

Involvement in mentorship programs? (10%). Outline involvement in mentoring women/ others?

Evidence e.g. audited financial statements, No. of employees over the past 3 years (20%)

Advocacy: Explain any women relevant advocacy work you do? (10% ) 

What makes you unique and outstanding? (10%)

*Audited financial statements required 

Young  Entrepreneur

Must be 35yrs or below with shareholding >51% and led the business for not less than 3 years. Must have contributed to job creation.

Professional achievements. (20%)

Suggestion: describe your most significant professional accomplishment, award or distinctions.

Level of influence, power and involvement within the business community. (10%)

Suggestions: do you sit on any corporate/professional boards or memberships

Contribution to Company growth (20% ) 

Suggestions: Explain how your company has grown through your leadership. Growth includes financial growth, increase in sales/profit, number of people recruited, new markets identified, etc 

Involvement in mentorship programs? (10%) Suggestions: are you involved in mentorship of youth or others?

Advocacy: Explain or describe any youth relevant advocacy work you do? (10%)

What makes you unique and outstanding? (10%)

*Audited financial statements required

Sustainable Business

SME that best demonstrated the successful adoption of their sustainability mission and its positive impact on the business, environment, and others

Outline your company’s sustainability mission/goal for 2020/2021 (20%)

Provide evidence of how your company followed through its sustainability mission

Environmental (20% )

Provide evidence of how your company reduced environmental footprint

e.g. improving work process, engaging in environmental preservation activities, energy conservation, etc

Social (20%)

Provide evidence of how your company encouraged diversity within and outside the workplace and/or supported local community. E.g. promoting human rights, supporting/employing people with disabilities, supporting a social cause, CSR, etc.

Governance (20%)

Provide evidence of how your company has improved its governance structure, e.g. how you streamlined decision-making process, instituted a board, empowered employees to play roles effectively, etc

Include pictures and testimonials wherever possible (20% )

*Audited financial statements required

Business Transformation

SME that best maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance.

State the reason why the company needed transformation.  (20%)

Demonstrate how transformation programme was implemented, focusing on milestones over the course of the past year and the approach to leading and managing the transformation process. (40%)

Demonstrate evidence of how this transformation has improved your company’s bottom line (40%)

These will be measured in terms of sales, profits, market share, safeguarding employment, etc.

*Audited financial statements required

Market Linkage

SME that best demonstrates evidence of linkages built because of improved business efficiency

Provide evidence of building business capacity to meet demands of suppliers and potential customers (30%)

Provide evidence of linkages built and contracts secured because of improved business efficiency (40%)

Provide evidence of achieving commercial success in terms of increased turnover, improved market shares higher profits and customer testimonials. (Audited financials required) (30%)

*Audited financial statements required

Digitech

SME that successfully developed and launched an innovative technology-based solution.

Describe what necessitated the need for the new technology(ies) (20%)

Describe new technology(ies) developed or adopted to address the challenge (20%)

Demonstrate any ways the new technology has met company’s needs or needs of the target customers. (30%)

Provide evidence of achieving commercial success i.e. increased sales, market share, profits and customer testimonials. (30%)

*Audited financial statements required

Business Innovation

SME that applied innovation in business practice

Provide evidence of successfully developing your innovative products and/or services (30%)

Evidence may include details of a successful new market entry strategy, product, sales strategies, etc.

Demonstrate a clear understanding of the market opportunities for the innovation and how they have been capitalized (30%)

Please provide evidence of achievement and performance that makes the business stand out from its competitors. Evidence may include audited accounts, improved profitability, sales, export success, successful entry into a difficult market or positive reviews from customers, etc. (40)

*Audited financial statements required

Marketing Communications

SMEs that demonstrated creative and communication excellence that delivered measurable results.

Outline digital/e-commerce/marketing tools employed to project business operations (30%)

This could include, content marketing, mobile marketing, influencing and social media marketing.

Demonstrate how the usage of these tools have contributed to your business growth (40%)

Provide evidence of results. (30%)

*Audited financial statements required

IIA Star Award for Excellence

SME that performed extremely well in most scoring criteria.

Provide evidence of business growth in the past 3 years (20%)

Provide evidence of creating new jobs - state whether part time / full time (10%)

Provide details on any Corporate social responsibility initiatives the company has undertaken (10%)

Outline the company’s involvement in mentorship programs involving youth and women (10%).

Provide evidence of how company promotes/implements diversity/inclusion in recruitment process (10%)

Prove how company remains responsive to market changes and customer preferences (10%)

Outline digital/e-commerce/marketing tools employed to project business operations (10%)

Demonstrate how company has maximized market opportunities (10%)

Include any relevant information to support your application (10%)

*Audited financial statements required

Scale- up Business

SME that best demonstrated the highest levels of growth and a robust plan for sustainable financial performance;

Provide evidence of significant growth in the company's market share (30%)

This may include continuing rise in sales, details of a successful new market-entry strategy, details of new product development work, and implementing new sales strategies.

Clearly explain how you saw key opportunities and secured your success. (30%)

Provide evidence of achievement and performance that makes the business stand out from its competitors

evidence might include data concerning improved profitability, sales or market share, export success, entry into a difficult market niche, positive reviews from customers (40%)

*Audited financial statements required

Responsible Business

SME that best demonstrated overwhelming support to vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Provide details of any project(s) or special initiatives undertaken to support vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic (30%)

Your submission should include Project description, Beneficial community, Project Cost

Outline related impact of the initiatives (40%)

Please provide testimonials and picture/video evidence of project (30%)

Diversity and Inclusion

SME that best demonstrated  support for the youth, women

and differently abled individuals, in their career growth and transition.

Indicate whether your organization has a policy on diversity and inclusion. (20%)

Provide evidence of how your organization promotes or implements diversity and inclusion in your recruitment process (30%)

Provide the following demographic information on your workforce for both Management and non-management personnel: (20%)

1. Total number of male and female
2. Religious diversity 
3. Ethnic background
4. Educational background (elementary, secondary, or tertiary)

Provide evidence on how your organization encourages its workforce in taking up internal promotions and other career development programmes. (30%)