2. All entries are free and must be received by 5pm on 30th September 2022.
3. Entry is only open to companies located in North Cheshire – please see www.necbawards.co.uk/about for further information.
4. The North Cheshire Business Awards reserves the right, after consultation with the entrant, to move submissions to a more appropriate category.
5. Once a candidate has been announced as a finalist, it cannot withdraw from the competition.
6. All information supplied by entrants will be treated in the strictest confidence, with all judges obliged to sign non-disclosure agreements.
7. The person’s whose name is on the entry form as “Contact Name” will be the permanent contact throughout the course of the awards program, and will receive all correspondence, including receipt-of-entry and winning-entry acknowledgements.
8. Please observe the word limit guide.
9. Following confirmation of receipt of entry, the judging panel will consider nominations and publish the shortlists for each award prior to the awards ceremony. The awards team will contact organisations that have been short-listed and invite them for interview on Wednesday 26 October 2022 – venue TBA.
10. The awards will be judged according to the criteria for each category published at www.necbawards.co.uk
11. North Cheshire Business Awards is not liable for any costs incurred by candidate organisations during the judging process.
12. A panel of judges will assess the entries and produce a shortlist in each category. The shortlist will be announced in October (on the website). Both successful and unsuccessful entries will also be contacted by the organisers. Incomplete entries will not be judged.
13. Once the shortlist is published, organisations that have made the shortlist may publicise this fact (including using the official awards logos) but can only do so with written permission from the awards committee.
14. For some awards categories, a visit by the judge(s) to the shortlisted entries may be required. Interviews will take place on Wednesday 26 October 2022 at a time and venue to be advised.
The purpose of the interviews is to enable the judges to get a more detailed understanding of the entry as well as the opportunity to ask questions. Finalists may be asked for staff or customer care testimonials.
15. If it is found that any entrant has knowingly provided false information on their application for their entry, the North Cheshire Business Awards reserves the right to withdraw any entry at any time submitted by that organisation.
16. Applicants must be authorised to enter their organisation into the awards.
17. The award winners will be announced at the gala dinner taking place at The Mere on Friday 18 November 2022 and shortlisted entrants will be expected to attend. Winners may be requested to participate in post event publicity.
18. All shortlisted finalists will be required to supply a high resolution photograph or logo in JPEG format which will be shown during the presentation ceremony at the gala dinner.
19. If in the opinion of the committee a nomination is reasonably likely to cause material damage to the reputation of the North Cheshire Business Awards or any of its sponsors, the committee shall at its sole discretion choose to disqualify that nomination.
20. Organisations may be short-listed for more than one award and the appropriateness of the category in which it sits may also be examined by the judges.
21. Organisations cannot be short-listed for an award they have sponsored.
22. Judges are ineligible to score/comment on an entry made from their own organisation, or if they have a vested interest.
23. The awards committee will retain copies of all entries. Winning entries may be used in order to give feedback or as an example to other entrants if requested.
24. The judges may disqualify any entry that does not adhere to the rules.
25. No nominee shall engage in any activity that may damage the integrity of the awards scheme or ceremony. Any such actions shall be raised with the awards committee who will take any decision on disqualification. The awards committee’s decision with respect to disqualification is final.
26. The decisions of the judges will be final and will not be subject to any appeal. All entrants must agree to be bound by them.
27. By entering or agreeing to participate in the North Cheshire Business Awards, all entrants agree to the above terms and conditions.