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This year we have introduced a special type of award, which recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding and inspirational leadership, integrity and unselfish service, making significant contributions for the community – THE HONORARY RECOGNITION AWARD. Who will be our winners this year? Save your seat at the Gala TODAY to find out!

1. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

The Sustainable Business Practices award was introduced to recognize the efforts of a Romanian or foreign company doing business locally that has  demonstrated a commitment to implementing and following sustainable business practices. It looks to reward companies’ involvement in the communities they are active in, and the responsibility they have shown towards their stakeholders through the various programs and initiatives they’ve undertaken.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Incorporation of sustainable business practices:
– Environmentally friendly products or services
– Proven social impact of the business (community impact)
– Developing long term programs or projects for the local communities (long term commitment to the local community)
– Program’s practices meet a real need of the community (education, social intervention, health, environment);
– Implementation of an innovative system in the production and distribution process that reduce the use of water, waste, carbon footprint. Adoption of a solution for the efficient energy management.

2. ONLINE STRATEGY FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The award recognizes the effective use of the online medium for the purposes of business development, in all business functions (be they marketing, sales, operations etc.)

JUDGING CRITERIA

– The response generated by the project in terms of revenue, public awareness
– Investment in the online strategy, platform etc.
– Innovative character of the online project in reference to the local market and the respective industry
– Potential for growth in the future in order to become a target for investors, venture capitalists or international buyers.
– Retail markets involved (local vs. international ones) – whether the company is reaching/ creating a new market through its online presence
– Asses marketing online, not just selling online

3. INNOVATION IN TECHNOLOGY_

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This award recognizes novel, innovation and research driven strategies, developed in/for Romania. The category is meant to cover the many developments related to the introduction of new products, services or campaigns, and the roll-out of R&D oriented investments.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Innovation and research-driven orientation of the strategy implemented
– Investment made, amount and against other markets where the company is present
– HR effort of the company
– The added value brought to the business environment and/or community

4. BEST START-UP SUPPORTER

This category awards companies that have undertaken projects meant to support the activity and development of start-ups by providing access to resources and services that promote their growth.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– To what extent does the project/service support the activity of start-ups. The added value for the entrepreneur
– Number of start-ups/ individuals supported
– Resources and strategy employed to support start-up activity (infrastructure, consultancy services)
– The easiness to access the solution/service/product for start-ups

5. BEST SMEs FINANCING LINE PROGRAM

This award recognizes banks’ initiatives directed towards supporting the development of local SMEs and entrepreneurial efforts through various projects (financing deals, products launches, and services innovations) introduced and implemented in the previous year. It targets financial institutions offering loans for companies with up to 10 million euro turnover.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Amount of financial commitment and lending terms
– Innovative character of the financial product or service
– The impact of the product/service within the target (number of customers)

6. NEW – BEST MICRO-FINANCING PROGRAM

This award recognizes IFNs initiatives directed towards supporting the development of local micro-enterprises and entrepreneurial efforts through various financial products introduced and implemented in the previous year. It targets IFNs offering loans for small and very small businesses.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Amount of credit offered
– Diversity of financial products portfolio
– Types of businesses financed

7. BEST TURNAROUND PERFORMANCE

This category looks at companies that have managed to overcome a difficult business moment and improve their activity. It looks at the quantitative aspects of the turnaround and the strategy employed to achieve those results.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Strategy employed to achieve the turnaround
– Time taken to achieve it
– Financial and non-financial results of the company before and after

8. BEST EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

The award recognizes the employment endeavors of companies, multinational or local, made on the Romanian market under difficult economic conditions. It looks at the recruitment policies and training effort involved, set against the wider context of the company’s investment and presence in Romania.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Training programs and retaining HR policies
– Turnover patterns in the company
– HR policies meant to maintain/increase the competitiveness and workforce productivity.
– Look at the net personnel increase vs. the net of the industry (percentage also)
– Look at the industry growth and its importance for the Romanian economy

9. ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR_

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This award recognizes the entrepreneurial efforts and achievements of a local business person who has managed to develop a successful regional or national business, looking either at the innovative nature of the business started or at the growth parameters and the created value.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Development of the business over the past two years
– Unique characteristics of the business
– Results achieved against investment and the overall industry
– Look at the ethics and values exemplified in the business
– The added value of his/her business on the market
– No business with the state

10. DEAL OF THE YEAR

This category acknowledges the most important business transactions of the previous year, regardless of the transaction type. It recognizes the deal that had the most impact and significance in 2014, in financial terms and in the development of the local economy, or of a particular industry. It looks at novel elements of the respective transaction, and how the deal stands out on the local or regional business scene.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Value of the transaction
– Impact within the industry/ local business scene and economy as a whole
– Novelty elements characteristic to the transaction

11. BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

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The award seeks to recognize remarkable individual results in a certain industry over the past year as a result of an initiative undertaken in the previous year or a definite period of time. The results are measured against the market conditions in the respective industry, the resources used to achieve it, the individual experience and innovation involved in achieving these results.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Main achievements during a year of his tenure (strategy development, achievements, improvements of the company’s results, bold targets, etc.)
– To be community involved

12. EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS

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This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a local business over the recent period, looking at aspects such as innovative character, development achievement or potential, market share and the overall relevance for the local business environment.

JUDGING CRITERIA

– Business growth over the previous year
– Sustainable development strategy
– Top market position
– Quality HR policies
– Development of new best-practices in a specific industry
– Adoption/ implementation of industry best-practices
– Exceptional business growth compared with peers