Our West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is very pleased to host our 3rd annual Outstanding Business of the Year Awards!
We will be recognizing the businesses and organizations in our community that demonstrate leadership, achievement, innovation, employee relations and development, as well as resilience, which contribute to the economy of West Lincoln and Niagara.
Despite the challenging times for many businesses, there is a reason to celebrate the resilience and refocused determination of businesses to continue to move forward!
Eligibility Criteria:
- All businesses and not-for-profit organizations serving the community of West Lincoln are eligible for nomination. These include brick-and-mortar and e-commerce businesses
- All nominees must have been in business for a minimum of one year
- 2018 and 2019 award recipients do not qualify in the same category in which they won; they are eligible in a different category
- You may nominate the same business in more than one category
- The nominee is not required to be a member of the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- You may nominate your own business
Categories:
- SMALL Business Award – Businesses with 1-5 FTE* Employees
- MEDIUM Business Award – Businesses with 6-15 FTE* Employees
- LARGE Business Award – Businesses with 16+ FTE* Employees
- NOT-FOR-PROFIT Business Award
- YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD– Business owners that are up to 35 years of age
- Business RESILIENCE Award – Businesses with any number of FTE*
*FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) refers to the number of staff, whether full-time, part-time, fixed-term contract, salaried or hourly or volunteer, working between 35 and 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.
Selection Criteria:
- Business leadership and/or achievement
- Innovation in service, product and/or technology
- Employee relations and/or employee development
- Contribution to employee base in West Lincoln and the region (created or maintained jobs, either through start-up or expansion)
- Environmental stewardship
- Community development (gave back to the community through sports sponsorships, donations to local charities, participation in events such as parades, etc.)
Selection Process:
- A panel of impartial judges, as appointed by the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce will select one recipient for each category, in accordance with procedures established by the 2021 Outstanding Business of the Year Awards Committee.
- An eligible award recipient for each category is anticipated. If the panel of judges is unable to recommend an eligible recipient in any particular category, the award will not be presented.
Presentation of Awards:
- Selected finalists and winners will be honoured at the 2021 Outstanding Business of the Year Awards virtual event on Thursday, October 21, 2021, @ 4:30-6:00pm.
- Each award recipient will receive:
- A complimentary, one-year membership in the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- An award plaque for display along with a press release to local media with details of their qualification