The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) were created to recognize companies that excel in their business category.
Nominee Requirements:
- The business must reside (have a physical presence) in Oakville.
- The business must have been in operation more than 36 months (as of December 31, 2022) under its present ownership structure within the Town of Oakville, with the exception of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Young Professional or Entrepreneur of the Year (YPEG Award), which must have been in operation more than 24 months (as of December 31, 2022)
- The business must not have won an OABE in any judged category in the last 5 years
- OABE nomination process must be followed.
- Note: in any given year if a sufficient number of nominations are not received in any category, the judges reserve the right to cancel the awarding of that category for that year. At the discretion of the committee, awards may not be distributed in any category with low participation rates.
- Nominees are not required to be members of either the Oakville Chamber of Commerce or the Rotary Club of Oakville West (or any other Chamber or Rotary Club).
RBC Royal Bank Large Business of the Year – This award recognizes a business of more than 20 employees and/or primarily serves the provincial, national and international markets and/or generates approximately $10 million or more in revenue annually. Nominees will be assessed on:
- Business successes
- Profile/Reputation
- Innovation
- Investment in the business
- Business Practices
Henderson Partners LLP Mid-size Business of the Year – This award recognizes a business of 5-20 employees and/or primarily serves the regional/provincial markets and/or generates between $2 million-$10 million in revenue annually. Nominees will be assessed on:
- Business successes
- Profile/Reputation
- Innovation
- Investment in the business
- Business practices
KPMG Small Business of the Year – This award recognizes a business of 1-5 full time equivalent employees and/or primarily serves Oakville and district and/or generates up to approximately $2 million in revenue annually. Nominees will be assessed on:
- Business successes
- Profile/Reputation
- Innovation
- Investment in the business
- Business Practices
O’Connor MacLeod Hanna, LLP Professional Services Provider of the Year – This award recognizes a person or employee team with a professional designation and whose practice is regulated by a provincial regulatory body within Canada. Nominees will be considered from the following professional categories (but not limited to):
- Legal
- Accounting
- Engineering
- Medical or Dental
- Financial
- Human Resources
Nominees will be assessed on:
- Business successes
- Profile/Reputation
- Innovation
- Investment in the business
- Business practices
Media Resources Service Industry of the Year – This award recognizes a business that primarily earns revenue through providing products and services. Nominees will be considered from the following service industries (but not limited to):
- Retail
- Food Services
- Health & Wellness
- Education
Nominees will be assessed on:
- Business successes
- Profile/Reputation
- Innovation
- Investment in the business
- Business Practices
Cogeco Entrepreneur of the Year – This award recognizes an individual who personally exhibits extraordinary entrepreneurship, energy, inspiration, leadership and / or innovation in their business pursuits. Nominees must have created or founded a business or new venture. Nominees will be assessed on:
- Entrepreneurship
- Business successes
- Leadership
- Innovation in business pursuits
- Business practices
Nominees for this category must have been in business in Oakville for at least 24 months (as of December 31, 2022)
Sagen Young Professional or Entrepreneur of the Year – This award recognizes an individual who personally exhibits extraordinary energy, inspiration, leadership and / or innovation in their business pursuits. Nominees must be under the age of 40 (as of December 31, 2022). Nominees will be assessed on:
- Business successes
- Innovation in business pursuits
- Profile/reputation
- Leadership
- Community engagement
Nominees for this category must have been in business in Oakville for at least 24 months (as of December 31, 2022). Members of the YPEG Committee can not be nominees for this award.
Bell Community Builder Award – This award recognizes a business or organization that has, over a period of time, demonstrated exemplary business practices and dedicated involvement in the community. The recipient is selected based on:
- Commitment to corporate social responsibility
- Community Engagement
- Environmental Stewardship
- Local Sourcing
- Employee Engagement
- Business Practices
The recipient of this award will be determined solely at the discretion of the OABE committee and is not open for nominations.
Business Icon Award – This award recognizes a prominent Oakville business which is highly regarded in the business community. The recipient must be:
- Headquartered and operating for a minimum of five years in Oakville
- Provide significant local employment opportunities
- Make a substantial contribution to the social and economic well-being of Oakville
- Recognized as a leader in its field
The recipient of this award will be determined solely at the discretion of the OABE committee and is not open for nominations.
CN Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award – This award recognizes a charity or not-for-profit organization which is highly regarded in the community and raises funds or provides services to improve the lives of people within the community. The recipient must be:
- A registered charity or not-for-profit organization
- Operated for a minimum of five years in Oakville or Halton
- Have an office or facility in Oakville or Halton
- Make a substantial contribution to the social well-being of Oakville
The recipient of this award will be determined solely at the discretion of the OABE committee and is not open for nominations.
Visit Oakville Tourism Excellence of the Year – This award recognizes an Oakville business that has contributed to the local visitor economy by:
- marketing Oakville to visitors
- attracting visitors to Oakville
- providing an exceptional experience to visitors
- partnering with visitor-minded businesses to create/contribute to visitor experiences and/or advocating for the value of the local tourism industry
