About FDB’s 2018 National Small and Medium Enterprise Awards

1. What is the FDB’s 2018 National Small and Medium Enterprise Awards?

FDB’s National Small & Medium Enterprise Awards is a competitive platform for the recognition of SMEs that are innovative and those that are community champions.

2. What is the prize money?

$61,000

Individual awards prize money is $5,000 while the National SME of the Year award’s prize money is $6,000.

3. How many awards are open?

12

4. Who are the sponsors?

• Quality Print;
• Sun Insurance;
• Mechanical Services Ltd;
• Vinod Patel;
• Kookai;
• Reserve Bank of Fiji;
• New India Assurance;
• Merchant Finance;
• Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism;
• Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, and
• Fiji Sun.

5. Who are the partners?

• Fiji Sun;
• Fiji TV;
• Art & Soul;
• J Hunter Pearls, and
• The Grand Pacific Hotel.

6. Where can one get the application form?

FDB’s 2018 National SME Awards Entry Forms from any FDB branch across Fiji or from sponsor outlets.

FDB website www.fdb.com.fj

FDB’s Facebook Page

7. Where can I get more information?

Posters available at FDB branches across Fiji and at sponsor outlets.

FDB’s website

Radio Stations

TV Stations

Entry Forms are available at FDB branches across Fiji and at sponsor outlets.

Brochures on eligibility and judging criteria is available at FDB branches across Fiji and at sponsor outlets.

 

8. Is a member of the judging panel?

An express of interest has been called to join the 2018 NSMEA Panel of Judges on a voluntary-basis.

9. How are the judges selected?

Selection will be based on experience in the business and financial sector, work experience with small and medium enterprises, subject areas of Agriculture, Wholesale/Retail, Tourism, Manufacturing and Professional Business Services; understanding of business practices from the perspective of being “Green Conscious” or business risk management strategies or businesses being “Climate Change responsive” and an understanding of the National Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sponsor, delivery partner and media partner organizations’ representatives are not eligible to apply.

Selected individuals must declare and withdraw from the panel if a shortlisted applicant is a family member or a close associate or a direct service provider.

10. When the application close?

Application opens on 9 November 2018 and closes on 4 January 2019

11. When will the awards be held?

In February 2019

12. What are these awards and their eligibility and judging criteria?

To be eligible to apply for the FDB’s 2018 National Small and Medium Enterprise Awards, a business must:

• Either be a “small enterprise”, which is any enterprise that has a turnover or total assets between $30,000 and $100,000 and employs between 6 and 20 employees;
• or be a “medium enterprise”, which is any enterprise that has a turnover or total assets between $100,000 and $500,000 and employs between 21 and 50 employees;be 100% owned by Fijian citizen(s);
• operate in one or more of the following sectors: agriculture, wholesale/retail, tourism, professional business services, or manufacturing.
• be in operation for two years or more, since the date of registration or start of operation for a non-registered business;
• be able to show evidence of efficient book keeping attributes;
• be able to show evidence of consistent or growing sales trend for the past two years;
• be able to show evidence of acceptable banking habits and savings trend;
• be able to show evidence of marketing and customer service activities, and
• be able to show evidence of at least one example of the role the business plays in adapting to and/or mitigating the impacts of Climate Change in their community.

Category 1 Developing SMEs:

Awards in the Developing SMEs category include:

Agriculture, Wholesale/Retail, Tourism, Professional Business Services and Manufacturing.

Eligibility Criteria

• demonstrates innovative traits or business methods;
• shows evidence of success as measured by sales and profits;
• demonstrates acceptable banking habits and savings trend;
• demonstrates efficient book keeping attributes;
• exhibits business potential for long-term success, and
• demonstrates Environmental awareness and a commitment to the community.

Judging Criteria

• evidence of a unique approach, product, or service resulting in a strategic advantage in the marketplace;
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate;
• evidence of acceptable banking habits and savings trend;
• evidence of efficient book keeping attributes;
• a sound business plan and sales and marketing strategy;
• environmental awareness and a commitment to the community, and
• strong leadership and management with the ability to drive the business forward.

Category 2: Value Adding SMEs

Green Conscious SME Award

To promote and encourage SMEs to go green in their business operations. And, to promote the incorporation of sound business practices such as efficiency, sound financial management practices and innovation in operations.

Eligibility Criteria

• Demonstrates commitment to use of eco-friendly management activities;
• demonstrates commitment to producing minimum waste or adopts waste management initiatives that are environmentally friendly;
• Evidence of efficient energy use and promotion of use of renewable energy;
• Demonstrates commitment to reduce, recycle, reuse practices, and
• exhibits business potential for long-term success.

Judging Criteria

• Evidence of use of eco-friendly management activities;
• Evidence of producing minimum waste and or waste management initiatives that are environmentally friendly’
• Evidence of efficient energy use and promotion of use of renewable energy;
• Evidence of reduce, recycle, reuse practices, and
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate.

Best Risk Managed SME Award

To encourage SMEs devise an enterprise risk monitoring and management mechanism.

Eligibility Criteria

• SME that shows prudence towards structural, environmental, occupational health and safety, public liability, liquidity, human capital and market risks;
• demonstrates innovative traits or business methods;
• shows evidence of success as measured by sales and profits, and
• exhibits business potential for long-term success.

Judging Criteria

• Evidence of risk monitoring and management mechanisms in relation to at least three of these:

-Structural

-Environmental

-Public Liability

-Liquidity Risk

-Market Risk, and

-Insurance Cover.

• evidence of a unique approach, product, or service resulting in a strategic advantage in the marketplace;
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate;
• a sound business plan and sales and marketing strategy, and
• environmental awareness and a commitment to the community.

Category 3: Responsive SMEs

Climate Change Responsive SME Award

To encourage SME startups and expansion in response to the effects of climate change.

To award an SME business for being responsive to climate change through mitigation and adaptation practices.

E.g. If a water tank business expands to cater for more customers in response to more water shortages for these clients affected by climate change, that SME is contributing towards adaptation and is being responsive to the effects of climate change.

Eligibility Criteria

• business is a startup and/or an expansion in response to the impacts of climate change;
• exhibits business potential for long-term success;
• demonstrates mitigation and adaptation practices in its business operations, products and services,
• demonstrates products and services that help consumers mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change, and
• demonstrates outstanding qualities in developing and growing the business.

Judging Criteria

• Evidence of contribution to Green House Gas reduction activities;
• Evidence of contribution to empowering communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change;
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate;
• evidence of contribution to corporate social responsibility and ethical management development;
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate;
• evidence of technologies developed, matured, commercialized to adapt to the impacts of climate change for consumers, and
• evidence of innovative solutions that not only address climate change but also drive progress on other Sustainable Development Goals such as health, gender equality and job creation.

Most Disaster Resilient SME Award

To recognize a SME business that has recovered from damage caused by natural disasters such as cyclone or flooding and that has demonstrated resilience in its operations and performance in the last 6 months post disaster.

Eligibility Criteria

• Evidence of damage caused to business by a natural disaster;
• demonstrates resilience in its operations and performance in the last 6 months post a natural disaster;
• demonstrates innovative traits or business methods for Business Continuity post a natural disaster, and
• evidence of structural or policy changes/Disaster Management Policy implementation or has understanding of the market and mechanisms to respond to change post a natural disaster.

Judging Criteria

• Evidence of damage caused to business by a natural disaster;
• evidence of a unique approach, product, or service resulting in a strategic advantage in the marketplace and through Business Continuity Plan post disaster;
• evidence of financial performance within the last 6 months since disaster;
• strong leadership and management with the ability to drive the business forward with clear business ambition and commitment to continuous improvement;
• a sound business continuity plan and sales and marketing strategy which addresses the need for growth, and
• environmental awareness and effort towards a commitment to structural or policy changes/Disaster Management Policy implementation.

Category 4: Special Awards

The Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Eligibility Criteria

• Entrepreneur to be between 18-35 years of age (sole trader, partnership, cooperative or company);
• demonstrates innovative traits or business methods;
• shows evidence of success as measured by sales and profits;
• exhibits business potential for long-term success, and
• makes a significant impact in their local community.

Judging Criteria

• Evidence of age;
• evidence of a unique approach, product, or service resulting in a strategic advantage in the marketplace;
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate;
• a sound business plan and sales and marketing strategy;
• environmental awareness and a commitment to the community, and
• strong leadership and management with the ability to drive the business forward.

 

Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award

To celebrate a woman entrepreneur that has demonstrated innovative traits or business methods and outstanding qualities in developing and growing the business with a commitment of empowering others in the community and promoting environmental awareness.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any woman who owns and operates or who bears principal responsibility for operating the business and for the recent performance of the business;
• demonstrates innovative traits or business methods
• demonstrates efficient book keeping attributes
• demonstrates outstanding qualities in developing and growing the business;
• demonstrates commitment in empowering others in the community and environmental awareness, and
• exhibits business potential for long-term success.

Judging Criteria

• Evidence of a unique approach, product, or service resulting in a strategic advantage in the marketplace;
• evidence of strong financial performance and business growth within the competitive marketplace in which they operate;
• a sound business plan and sales and marketing strategy;
• environmental awareness and effort towards a commitment to empowering members of the community, and
• strong leadership and management with the ability to drive the business forward.

 

 For more information, please email info@fdb.com.fj or call (679) 331-4866 Ext. 1025.