2. Excellence in Customer Service in Retail: Large - more than 6 FTE

The Excellence in Retail category is open to all retail business operators, including fashion, furniture, homewares and appliance retailing, floor-covering, domestic hardware, paints and glass, and other store based retailers including chemist, lighting, supermarkets, grocery stores, beer, wine and spirit retailers, pet stores, art and craft retailers, book shops, health food, etc.

3. Excellence in Customer Service in Hospitality – Accommodation

The Excellence in Hospitality – Accommodation category is open to all business operators in the accommodation sector, including hotels, motels, caravan parks, serviced apartments, hostels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses.

4. Excellence in Customer Service in Hospitality – Food & Beverage: Small – less than 5 FTE

5.Excellence in Customer Service in Hospitality – Food & Beverage: Large - more than 6 FTE

The Excellence in Hospitality – Food & Beverage category is open to all food & beverage business operators, including restaurants, bistros, cafes, take-aways, fast food, catering, bakeries, bars etc.

6. Excellence in Customer Service in Education & Training

The Excellence in Education & Training category is open to all education and training providers, including schools, Tafe, community colleges, universities, vocational training businesses, childcare services, dance schools, martial arts schools.

7. Excellence in Customer Service in Animal Services

The Excellence in animal services category is open to all animal service providers, including pet stores, pet minding, walking, grooming, equine services, veterinary services, training services, livestock supplies, rural animal services, rescue services, wildlife services.

8. Excellence in Customer Service in Health & Wellbeing

The Excellence in Health & Wellbeing category is open to medical centres/surgeries, NDIS providers, restorative services eg, medical imaging, physiotherapy, chiropractors, massage therapists, personal trainers, gyms, nutritionists, yoga, pilates studios, psychologists, psychiatry, mental health therapists, counsellors, life coaching etc.

9. Excellence in Customer Service in Professional Services: Small - less than 5 FTE

10. Excellence in Customer Service in Professional Services: Large - more than 6 FTE

The Excellence in the Professional Services category is open to legal services, real estate, insurance, accounting, consultancies, architects, engineers, financial services, Information & Technology, telecommunications, designers, artists, photographers, communications & public relations, publishing, superannuation, bookkeeping etc.

11. Excellence in Customer Service in Hair in a retail space

The Excellence in Hair in a retail space category is open to hairdressers and barbers.

12. Excellence in Customer Service in Beauty in a retail space

The Excellence in Beauty in a retail space category is open to beauticians, make-up artists, nail artists, face and body spa salons, hair removal, cosmetic tattooing, lash and brow specialists etc.

13. Excellence in Customer Service in Employment & Recruitment

The Excellence in Employment & Recruitment is open to businesses in the vocational placement industry, labour hire agencies etc.

14. Excellence in Customer Service in Motor Transport Sales and/or Service

The Excellence in Motor Transport Sales and/or Service is open to businesses in new and used vehicle, farm machinery, truck and transport sales and service.

15. Excellence in Customer Service in Manufacturing & Construction

The Excellence in Manufacturing and Construction is open to businesses engaged in providing small and large construction services to individuals and government, business engaged in large construction projects, businesses engaged in infrastructure projects, residential and nonresidential construction, land development, heavy and civil engineering, building structure services. Any business manufacturing a whole or partial product.

16. Excellence in Customer Service in Trades & Services

The Excellence in Trades and Services is open to mechanical, plumbing, welding, carpentry and joinery, sign writing, locksmiths, cleaning, repair services, electrical, printing, pest control, roofing, blinds curtains awnings, pool services, lawn & garden services, plastering services, windscreen repairs, hire companies, security, wheel & tyre, freight, courier, taxi and delivery services, flooring, travel agencies, air conditioning, smash repairs, motor body builders, car wash and detailing services, painters and decorators.

17. Excellence in Customer Service in Tourism, Sport & Entertainment

The Excellence in Tourism, Sport & Entertainment is open to staycation venues, sporting venues, entertainment venues, galleries, museums, dance academies, martial arts academies, museums, visitor information centres, wineries, breweries etc.

18. Excellence in Workplace health & Safety

This award recognises demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement of workplace health and safety outcomes in business through the implementation of an integrated business approach. The winner of the Excellence in Workplace Health & Safety will proceed through to the 2022 Safework NSW awards as a finalist. The SafeWork Awards were established to encourage public and private workplaces throughout NSW to develop and implement initiatives that help to achieve a safer and healthier work environment whilst publicly recognising and rewarding outstanding work health and safety and return to work innovations and achievements.

19. Excellence in Customer Service for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Businesses

Open to any business or organisation that is ATSI owned, managed or membership based providing employment or services in support of the ATSI community with a minimum 50% of staff identifying as ATSI. A membership based organisation (e.g. a Charity limited by guarantee) would suit the criteria as would a privately owned venture.

Tamworth Business Chamber Quality Business Awards include the below award categories which align with the NSW Business Chamber Business Awards.
To participate in these aligned categories a business must be a member of the Tamworth Business Chamber OR Business NSW or become a member to progress in the awards.
You can nominate your own business in the following Business NSW aligned categories, where winners go onto the Business NSW Regional Awards and if successful, the Business NSW State Awards.
Please note there is no limit on the amount of categories a business may enter for the below NSW Business Chamber aligned categories.

20. Outstanding Start Up ‘Start Up Superstar’: The Outstanding Start-up Award recognises a start-up business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the potential to achieve future success. Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12months to being an outstanding start-up. This category is open to new businesses trading for a period less than 24 months.

21. Excellence in Micro Business: The Excellence in Micro Business Award recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success and/or resilience. Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of business excellence. This category is open to businesses with less than 5 employees at the time of entry, who have been trading for a continuous period of two years or more.

22. The Excellence in Small Business Award: The Excellence in Small Business Award recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success and/or resilience. Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of business excellence. This category is open to businesses with 5 to 20 employees at the entry, who have been trading for a continuous period of two years or more.

23. The Excellence in Business Award: The Excellence in Business Award recognises a business that has effectively driven growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies implemented to achieve business success and/or resilience. Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12months across the key area of business excellence. This category is open to businesses with 21 or more employees at the time of entry, who have been trading for a continuous period of two years or more.

24. Outstanding Community Organisation: The Outstanding Community Organisation Award recognises an organisation that works to improve the social, cultural or environmental well being of the community. Entrants are required to demonstrate their commitment over the past 12months to being an outstanding community organisation. This category is open to social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations who have been trading for a period of over 24months.

25. Excellence In Innovation: The Excellence in Innovation Award recognises a business that has made significant contributions to their industry or implemented innovative solutions for new and existing business needs through the introduction or improvement of an idea, method, technology, process or application. Entrants are required to demonstrate their achievements over the past 12 months across the key area of innovation.

26. Employer of Choice: The Employer of Choice Award recognises a business that has implemented strategies and initiatives to create stimulating and supportive workplace environments to maximise the full potential of their workforce. To be eligible for this award the business must have been trading for a period of two years or more, and not be bankrupt or trading insolvent at the time of entry.

27. Outstanding Employee: The Outstanding Employee Award recognises an inspirational employee who has demonstrated a passion for their role and a commitment to their workplace and community. To be eligible to enter this category, the individual must have been employed by their current employer for a minimum of 18 months, and not be a NSW Business Chamber Staff Member, Regional Advisory Councillor, State Councillor or Board Member (not Awarded at State, ONLY awarded at a Regional level). Should the entrant leave the organisation before the Regional or State Gala event, they will not be eligible to receive an award.

28. Outstanding Young Business Leader: The Outstanding Young Business Leader Award recognises an inspirational business leader aged 35 or under who demonstrates outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, strategic business direction and innovative ideas. To be eligible to enter this category, the individual must have held a management position within their organisation for a minimum of 18 months at the time of entry, and not be a NSW Business Chamber Staff Member, Regional Advisory Councillor, State Councillor or Board Member.

29. Outstanding Business Leader: The Outstanding Business Leader Award recognises an inspirational business leader aged 36 or over who demonstrates outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, strategic business direction and innovative ideas, whilst providing leadership to the new generation.