Port Phillip Business Excellence Awards - Entry Questions

Entry Questions

There are eight main questions in the 2008 Entry form

Questions & Application Process

Questions asked in the application will address the following areas:

Award category - demonstration of excellence
Business Planning & Growth
Marketing
Environmental Sustainability
Employment/HR practices
Community involvement
Future direction

Once your business or your nominated business has submitted a completed application form, a confirmation email is sent.

You will need to provide 5 hard copies of your completed application form and five copies of any support material by Friday 1 August to:

CitiPower Port Phillip Business Excellence Awards
PO Box 5321
SOUTH MELBOURNE VIC 3205

In August your business or nominated business will be notified if you are a finalist.

All finalists will be telephoned and required to attend a half hour interview. A site visit may be requested.

Your application answers should be no longer than 1,500 words in total. A sample of a completed application form will be sent to each nominated business in the application kit.

We strongly recommend that you attend a FREE information session on 18 June 2008 to assist you in completing your application.

Judges tips

Time allocation

Do not leave it to the last week to complete your application form. We recommend completing it 3-4 weeks before the due date.

After reading the questions and having time to consider your answers, you should set aside 1-2 hours to complete the application form.

We strongly recommend you prepare the form with enough time to have another of your team review the form and suggest improvements or corrections

What makes a stand out application

Whilst there are many successful businesses, we want to know what is special or unique about your business (or an aspect of your business).

Don’t assume the judges know your business or your industry. Ensure you adequately explain what your business does and its place in both the industry and the community.

Your application form needs to give enough information to impress the judges and leave them wanting to know more. Only select businesses (finalists) will be asked to attend an interview, so make sure you get all key information into your application to maximize your chance of moving to the interview stage.

Consider that the organisation behind the Awards program is your local council – and the council is about supporting the local community. Ensure you outline why your business is a key part of the community and how it contributes value.

What should accompany your application

Please do not send in multiple attachments with your application – one or two examples of marketing materials is plenty.

We do not need in depth financial information – indicative growth rates and percentages are enough. We may ask some more specific questions at interviews should we need clarification.