1. General
1.1 These terms and conditions set out all the information regarding the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards 2024 (the Terms and Conditions)
1.2 The Lord Mayor’s Business Awards 2024 (the Awards) is being presented and promoted by Brisbane City Council ABN 72 002 765 795 (Council), whose principal offices are at 266 George Street Brisbane 4000, acting through its wholly owned subsidiary, Brisbane Economic Development Agency Pty Ltd ACN 094 633 262 (BEDA).
1.3 Entry into the Awards is considered acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
1.4 All references to Brisbane in these Terms and Conditions means the City of Brisbane as defined in the City of Brisbane Act 2010.
2. Award Categories
2.1 There are 11 categories available to be entered into as part of the Awards as listed below (each an Award Category):
(a) Business Transformation Award;
(b) Product Innovation Award;
(c) High Growth Business Award;
(d) Small Business Award;
(e) Micro Business Award;
(f) Sustainability in Business Award;
(g) Social Enterprise Award;
(h) Investment in Brisbane Award;
(i) International Business Award;
(j) Young Business Person of the Year Award; and
(k) Business Person of the Year Award.
2.2 The winner from each business Award Category from the above clauses 2.1(a) to (i) will automatically be entered into the running to win the Optus Platinum Award as specified in condition 7.3 of these Terms and Conditions.
3. Eligibility
3.1 To be eligible to enter the Awards, it is a requirement that each applicant:
(a) where the applicant is a natural person, has both a current permanent place of residence in Brisbane and a permanent place of business in Brisbane at the time of nomination, judging of the Award Category winners and the Awards ceremony in 2024;
(b) where the applicant is a business, has a current Australian Business Number, an office in Brisbane (whether or not its registered office) and place of business located in Brisbane at the time of nomination, judging of the Award Category winners and the Awards Ceremony;
(c) is not a department, statutory body (with the exception of educational institutions), agency or instrumentality of government, including a Government Owned Corporation pursuant to the Government Owned Corporations Act 1993 or a company wholly or partly owned by the State under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
(d) where the applicant is a company, not a subsidiary company of Council;
(e) where the applicant is a not-for-profit organisation, is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and as:
I. a company; or
II. an incorporated association; or
III. being constituted by a trust endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a charity and has an Australian Business Number.
3.2 Employees of Council and its subsidiary companies including BEDA are not eligible to enter the Awards.
3.3 Additional eligibility for sponsors: Official sponsors of the Awards, including their employees, are not eligible to enter the Award Category they sponsor however, they may enter any other Award Category provided they satisfy the eligibility criteria for that Award Category.
3.4 Entrants must meet each of the criteria for the Award Category they are entering as specified on the nomination form for that Award Category. Nomination forms are available on the Awards website at www.lmba.com.au (the Website).
3.5 Entrants who have previously won a Lord Mayor’s Business Award Lifetime Achievement Award (Lifetime Achievement Award) are ineligible to enter the Business Person of the Year Award category however past Lifetime Achievement Award winners are able to enter any other Award Category.
3.6 Additional eligibility requirement - Small Business Award Businesses that are eligible for the Small Business Award category must be privately owned, organically growing companies with between five to no more than twenty full time equivalent (FTE) employees at all times including peak periods and must not be an ASX listed company.
3.7 Additional eligibility requirement - Micro Business Award: Businesses that are eligible for the Micro Business Award category must be a business with up to four FTE employees, including sole traders, at all times including peak periods.
3.8 Subject to condition 3.5 above, winning entrants from previous years may re-enter the Awards in all categories. However, if applicants choose to re-enter the same category in which they were previously a winner, the nomination must be for different/new achievements.
3.9 BEDA may, in its absolute discretion, make determinations in respect of the eligibility of any applicant including any question of conflict of interest. All such determinations will be final, and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into.
4. How to Enter
4.1 To enter the Awards, entrants must:
(a) create a profile via the application portal available at https://brisbane.awardsplatform.com/; and
(b) fully and correctly complete an official nomination form (in accordance with the instructions on the relevant nomination form), for the Award Category they are entering and submit the nomination form online. Nomination forms are available on the Website (lmba.com.au). The Nomination form also forms part of these Terms and Conditions.
4.2 Entries for the Awards, except for the Optus Platinum Award, will open at 12:00 noon AEST on the 8 May 2024 and close at 5:00pm AEST 5 July 2024.
4.3. BEDA may in its sole discretion determine whether an entry has been received within the time period noted in condition 4.2 above.
4.4 Applicants may enter in more than one Award Category specified on the Website but must submit separate nomination forms for each Award Category they wish to enter.
5. Judging
5.1 Except for judgment of the Optus Platinum Award, all Award Category winners will involve a two-tier judging approach. Award Category finalists will be selected through a judging panel from the information provided in the nomination forms. Once selected, each Award Category finalist will be asked to present to the judging panel to determine a winner.
5.2 All finalists for each Award Category need to be available to present to the judging panel in late August/early September 2024.
5.3 All finalists for each Award Category will be required to execute a statutory declaration confirming everything they present to the Judges during their presentation is true and correct prior to making their presentation.
5.4 All finalists will be notified of the date and time of their presentation by phone by an officer of BEDA, at least one week before they are due to present.
5.5 The winner of each Award Category for the Awards will be chosen on a determination of merit. Judging of entries will be in accordance with the responses to the criteria on the nomination form and the presentation made by finalists to the Judges.
5.6 The Judges will differ for each Award Category and will consist of a panel of representatives (including at least one representative from the sponsor of that Award Category) selected by BEDA based on abilities and expertise relevant to that Award Category.
5.7 The Judges may, in their sole discretion, request further information from entrants at any time as part of the judging process.
5.8 The Judges’ decision is final, and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into.
6. Supporting documents
6.1 All Award Category finalists will be required to submit a letter from an independent accountant (external to the finalists’ business) stating that the business is trading solvent. This will be reviewed by the BEDA’s accountant to ensure that finalists are financially stable and trading solvent prior to the finalists’ presentation as part of the judging. All financial information will be kept strictly confidential.
6.2 With the exception of the letter from an independent accountant noted in condition 6.1 above, the only other supporting materials to be submitted for consideration are the business and personal references required for both Young Business Person of the Year Award and Business Person of the Year Award.
7. Finalist and winner notification:
7.1. Finalists from each Award Category will be notified by telephone by 5:00pm AEST between 19 and 23 August 2024 depending on the judging for each Award Category. A public announcement of the finalists will be made by the Lord Mayor in September 2024.
7.2. There will be one winner selected from each Award Category announced at the Awards ceremony to be held at City Hall on 25 October 2024 (the Awards Ceremony).
7.3. The Optus Platinum Award winner will be selected and announced at the Awards Ceremony.
8. Privacy
8.1. By entering the Awards you agree that any business and personal information delivered to BEDA and Council in your nomination form, during the judging process and at the Awards Ceremony, including but not limited to digital images and recordings of you, your business or charity at the Awards Ceremony and interviews in relation to and arising from the Awards, may be used for media, marketing and promotional material (excluding financial data, personal information of employees other than the applicant and referee details, which will remain confidential). Such information may be shared between Council and BEDA, and you consent and agree to Council and BEDA using the information obtained in relation to and in connection with your nomination form and the Awards for their own media, marketing and promotional purposes (excluding financial data, which will remain confidential).
8.2. BEDA and Council reserves the right to use and publish photographs and digital video recordings taken at the Awards Ceremony for the purposes of advertising and promoting Brisbane’s economic development and associated programs. Entrants who do not wish to comply with this must notify BEDA prior to the Awards Ceremony. Information will be retained by BEDA for seven (7) years.
9. Force Majeure:
9.1 If for any reason the Awards are not capable of running as planned (including due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of Council), which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Awards, BEDA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to take any action that may be available to it, and cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Awards without prior notice. BEDA reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify all entries from any individual who tampers with, or benefits from tampering with, the entry process which as a result corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Awards.
9.2. In the case of the intervention of any outside agent or event which naturally changes the result or prevents or hinders its determination, including but not limited to vandalism, power failures, tempests, natural disasters, acts of God, civil unrest or strikes; BEDA may in its absolute discretion cancel the Awards and recommence it from any point in time or from the start on the same terms and conditions.
10. Award updates or cancellation:
BEDA reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time and to cancel or amend the Awards at any time without notice or further recourse to the applicants.