Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged at provincial and national level under the following general headings.
- Business milestones and achievements – the key business achievements and/ or personal achievements including; enterprise awards, quality marks achieved, environmental standards met, accreditation secured, major contracts secured or that the business intend to secure etc.
- Business strategy – the vision and goals for the development of the business over the next 3 to 5 years.
- Business financial performance – the financial performance of the business over the past 2/ 3 years, its current financial standing and projections for the future will be considered here. Also highlight any of the financial challenges that the business has overcome to get to where it is today.
- Development of innovative products/ services – the role of vision, creativity, innovation and technology in the development of new products/ services for the business.
- Importance of the business to the local area – the role the business plays in the local community e.g. local employment, engaging local suppliers, sponsorship of local teams/ events, engaging with local agencies and networks etc.
- The leadership and vision of the entrepreneur – how the business has met and overcome the challenges of the marketplace while starting, growing and developing the business e.g. facing down competition, overcoming internal and external obstacles etc.
In addition, the judges will assess provincial and national winners against the specific criteria of the category(s) they’re entering.
Please Note:
Applicants should also take account of the specific category criteria when completing their application form as it will have an influence on how their application is judged.
Example 1: If entering the family run business award, information on family members actively involved in the business should be in evidence.
Example 2: If entering the green business award, information on how your product or service has a positive environmental impact should be in evidence.
If you have any queries on your application or on any of the judging criteria, please feel free to email the Ulster Bank Business Achievers team at info@businessachieversaward.com.







