How much does it cost to enter?
The cost to enter is £125 + VAT. Every entry into the National Business Awards for Scotland will now receive a Benchmark Report which will show the strengths and weaknesses, with a general comment from the collective judges. No further correspondence can be entered into after you have received feedback as the judges do not reconvene at any time.

Why do I need to pay?
This Awards programme, unlike many others, has a very rigorous and robust judging process. The short-listing usually takes a panel of judges more than two weeks and the presentations usually take a further two weeks. The nominal fee that you are required to pay contributes towards the expenses of some of these judges and also lets us know that entrants are committed to seeing the process through, making planning more convenient.

How long does it take?
We suggest that you allow at least 1 - 2 days to complete the application form. All the questions are important and need careful consideration (view a sample entry form here). Short-listed companies will be required to present in person to a panel of judges. The finalist judging will take 45 minutes where you are required to do a 15 minute presentation followed by a 15-minute question and answer session with 10 minutes allowed for set up and break down of any equipment. You should ensure that someone senior in your organisation is available to attend the presentation and answer detailed questions.

Where will the judging take place?
The judging will take  place at the Hilton Glasgow in July.

Who are the judges?
Judges are drawn from leading businesses, business schools, government, public and private sector organisations and think-tanks. All are selected for their business acumen, experience and knowledge of the specific subject matter. Most judges are very influential in their field, which is why it is imperative that presentations are made by senior people within finalists’ organisations.

What criteria do we need to meet?
There are separate criteria for each of the categories and this appears on the entry form, or by clicking here. The underlying values associated with all categories are ethics, success and innovation. Judges will be looking for evidence of the entrant business meeting all the criteria whilst embracing the underlying values.

Who can enter?
Companies from any sector, of any size and any age can enter. These are the only all encompassing business Awards which are able to consider micro-businesses against PLCs and allow them to compete on a level playing field. In addition, there are two individual Awards, The Entrepreneur of the Year Award and The Logica Leadership Award.

What size turnover do we need to have?
Entries are welcomed from companies of all sizes, there is no restriction in terms of turnover or number of employees. The Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award entrants need to have a turnover of less than £10m, otherwise there are no restrictions throughout the competition.

How long do I need to be trading?
The length of time that you have traded is not so important provided you can meet the criteria and display innovation, success and ethics. A particularly good category for very young businesses is The AXA Small to Medium Business of the Year Award, but many other categories may also be suitable.

Why should we enter?
The National Business Awards for Scotland is the only all-encompassing Awards programme capable of judging micro-businesses against PLCs on a level playing field. Entry into this programme is your opportunity to benchmark your performance against other businesses from other sectors. The Scotsman is committed to covering the 2008 event. The 2007 event generated numerous press stories and this will continue with this year’s event. Entering these Awards will give you the opportunity to take an inward-focused view of your business in its current state. You will be able to analyse what you are doing well and what needs attention, while also being able to reward your people for all the efforts that they are making. Shout your success from the rooftops and show your people how proud of them you are.

How many awards are there?
There are 13 awards representing every business process. Winners of any of these coveted awards will rightly be recognised as excelling in that area of business. The programme is designed to be all-encompassing, therefore there is at least one category that every business could enter.

What can we get out of it?
The PR opportunities that emerge for finalists and winners are immense. Our sponsors often want to work with entrants to maximise the PR coverage. Other benefits are: awareness amongst hundreds of other competing organisations; association with the values of this robust competition; and recognition of effort. Some of our cleverest entrants have gone on to use the logo on letterheads, maximise their relationships with local media and achieve lasting partnership arrangements.

This year, winners from the following six categories of The National Business Awards for Scotland will receive a free entry into The European Business Awards; The Entrepreneur of the Year Award, The Hymans Robertson Business of the Year Award, The Customer Focus Award, and The Danwood Growth Strategy of the Year Award.