The Community Impact Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the Niagara community through their volunteerism in the non-profit and charitable sector.

The Corporate Leadership Award recognizes the leadership of women in Niagara’s corporate community. Recipients are individuals who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, business acumen and success, and a commitment to the community. Nominees can be women who work for or run an organization in the private sector with at least 30 employees.

The Cultural Arts Award recognizes the leadership of women in the arts, including visual arts, literary arts, and performing arts. This includes — but is not limited to — music, dance, design and film.

The Emerging Business Award recognizes women entrepreneurs engaged in new business ventures. Nominees must have been in business for a minimum of 2 (two) years and no more than 5 (five) years.

The Entrepreneurship Award recognizes female small- to medium-sized business owners that have achieved great results in their own business(es) with a proven track record of growth, profitability, industry leadership, and commitment to community. Nominees must have been in business for 3 (three) years or more.

The Equity Entrepreneur Award honours exceptional women entrepreneurs who have made significant strides in both business innovation and social impact, while belonging to equity deserving groups. This award seeks to celebrate the contributions of underrepresented women business owners, including Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGTBQ+ individuals, new Canadians, and entrepreneurs with disabilities, who have owned their business for a minimum of one year.

The Excellence in Environmental Leadership award is given to a woman who has created or advanced an initiative, implemented new or improved practices, led effective advocacy, or otherwise made a significant contribution to reducing the human impact on the climate and/or the environment.

The award for Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism recognizes a leader in Niagara’s hospitality sector who has demonstrated great success, leadership, and an innovative approach. The recipient demonstrates a commitment to providing outstanding customer and guest experiences in hospitality, tourism, and/or entertainment.

The Excellence in the Public Sector award recognizes leadership in government and the Broader Public Sector (BPS). This award is given to a woman working in government or the BPS who has had a positive impact on her community through her work, has created positive change in the public sector, or gone above and beyond her duties to enrich the lives of others in her professional capacity.

The Excellence in Trades Award recognizes a female tradesperson who is a leader in her field and an inspiration to women in or seeking to enter the skilled trades. Recipients will be exceptional tradespeople with not only great achievement in their field, but who are ambassadors for their trade and for women in the skilled trades.

Nominees must be employed or self-employed in a recognized skilled trade in Ontario. For a list of recognized skilled trades, see https://www.skilledtradesontario.ca/about-trades/trades-information.

The Health Care Hero award recognizes a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the physical or mental health of people in Niagara through her work and/or volunteerism in the health care sector.

The Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Award recognizes the achievements of local women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Young Professional Award recognizes business excellence exemplified by a woman under the age of 40. The successful nominee will have a proven track record of professional success and shows outstanding potential for the future. The professional may work in any field.

In the context of the Women in Business Awards, a category refers to a distinct and specific classification that defines the area of recognition. Each category represents a particular field or achievement, allowing participants to submit their accomplishments in the relevant group.

The Women in Business Awards are open to all who identify as women and who live or do business in Niagara. Some award categories also require certain criteria, such as minimum length a business has been active, or an age requirement.

Nominees and finalists may not:

• Be a current board member of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
• Be an elected official, or standing for election, at any level of government
• Be a finalist for the same category having previously won that category within the previous 10 years

Nominees and finalists may:

• Work for a business who has a representative on the GNCC Board of Directors
• Participate on a council of the GNCC
• Be a finalist or nominee multiple times, without limit, as long as they have not won the category they were nominated in within the past 10 years

A finalist is an individual or organization that has successfully progressed to the last stage of the awards selection process. They have been shortlisted and are among the top contenders for the award within their respective category.

A judge is a qualified and impartial individual appointed to evaluate the submissions in each category. Judges possess expertise and experience relevant to their category and uphold fair and objective assessment practices. Multiple judges are assigned to each category. Judges will be drawn from a pool of past finalists, recipients, and industry experts.

Judges may recuse themselves from reviewing nominations to prevent a conflict of interest.

“Nominated By” indicates the person or entity responsible for putting forward a candidate for consideration in a specific award category. This could be an individual who recognizes the potential recipient’s accomplishments and believes they deserve recognition, or the nominee themselves; individuals may nominate themselves for awards. See also: Nominator.

The nominator refers to the person or organization who formally submits a nomination on behalf of a candidate in a particular award category. The nominator presents compelling reasons and supporting evidence for the nominee’s suitability for the award.

A nominee is an individual or organization that has been formally nominated for recognition in a specific category. They are under consideration for the award based on their achievements and qualifications. Nominees must meet the qualifying criteria to be a finalist or recipient of any award. The GNCC reserves the right to move nominees to a category that better fits their nomination.

This term refers to organizations or initiatives that operate without the primary goal of making a profit. Not-for-profit entities often dedicate themselves to charitable, social, educational, or humanitarian causes.

Qualification criteria represent the specific set of requirements and standards that nominees must meet to be eligible for consideration in a particular award category. These criteria outline the qualifications, achievements, or characteristics that nominees should possess to compete for the award. Criteria include minimum or maximum number of years a business has been operating, age of the nominee (in the case of the Young Professional Award), or selection as a finalist or recipient within a certain time frame.

The recipient is the successful candidate or winner who is awarded recognition in a specific category. They have met the award’s criteria and demonstrated excellence in their respective field, making them worthy of receiving the accolade.