Nomination process

Categories

The Entrepreneur Of The Year program assesses finalists in the following categories.

• Champion (non-competitive at a regional and national level): A leader demonstrating a long-term record of outstanding entrepreneurial achievement
• Listed (non-competitive at a regional level): Listed companies across all industries, where the founder (nominee) of the company is actively involved in the business
• Industry: Retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers of products from all industries
• Services: Providers of professional services (e.g. financial,  engineering, architecture, real estate, property, recreation and leisure)
• Social (non-competitive at a regional level): Social enterprises that are primarily responsible for delivering activities that benefit the community. This category is made possible by our principal sponsor, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Technology: Software, hardware, telecommunications, digital media and health sciences
• Emerging: entrepreneurs 35 years of age or less at 30 June 2012 or entrepreneurs operating in an emerging business which is less than five years old.

Eligibility

A nominee’s company must have been in existence for at least two years at date of close of nominations. Nominations for the 2013 program are now closed.

If a nominee has sold the company, this must have taken place after 1 January in the year the nominee is competing.

To be eligible for the Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Australia, you must be either:

• An owner-manager who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of a privately held business that is at least two years old, or
• From a listed company:
  • A founder of the company who is still actively involved in the management of the company or retains a 51% ownership; or 
  • The entrepreneur primarily responsible for the performance of the business for a minimum of the past two years who is also a significant shareholder of the company.