North West Business Awards

Nominations open August 2026

Free to nominate. Independently judged.

Shine a spotlight on the North West businesses building something extraordinary. Nominate yourself, a peer, a supplier, or a community champion — every nomination is reviewed against the same criteria.

Eligibility

Who can be nominated.

The six-stage process

Designed to earn the trust of government, media and business alike.

  1. Stage 01

    Public Nominations

    Nominations open to the public via the NWBA website and shortcode. Self-nominations welcome. No entry fees at any stage.

  2. Stage 02

    Eligibility Verification

    All nominations screened against published criteria: NW registration, three years trading, category alignment. Disqualifications notified with reasons.

  3. Stage 03

    Judging Panel Shortlist

    An independent panel — drawn from industry, academia, government, and professional services — produces the Top 40 nominees per category.

  4. Stage 04

    Public Voting

    Top 40 announced publicly. A 30-day public voting window opens via the NWBA platform. Public vote weights 60% of the final outcome.

  5. Stage 05

    Final Deliberation

    The judging panel convenes to determine each category winner. Panel deliberation weights 40%. Overall Top SMME chosen exclusively by the judges.

  6. Stage 06

    Independent IRBA Audit

    All voting and judging outcomes are independently audited by an accredited IRBA-registered firm. Results sealed until the live awards presentation.

Key dates

The road to Sun City.

  • August 2026Nominations open
  • October 2026Eligibility & shortlisting
  • October 2026Top 40 per category announced
  • Oct – Nov 202630-day public voting window
  • November 2026Final deliberation & IRBA audit
  • 26 November 2026The Awards Show · Sun City
  • 29 January 2027Winners' Dinner

Be the first to know.

Nominations open August 2026. Register your interest and we'll send you the link the moment the portal goes live.

Register your interest