Rules

We’ve tried to keep the rules as simple and fair as possible. Should a situation which is not covered by the rules arise, the Judges, together and at their discretion, decide how it should be addressed.

Three categories - plus People’s Choice

All entrants may enter up to three categories PLUS the People’s Choice Award.On the Entry Form you can pick which categories you want to enter.

New Zealand-based

The David Awards is a New Zealand-wide national business award programme for small, micro and home businesses in New Zealand. This means you must have a physical address in New Zealand, even though it may not be advertised to the public.

Size of business

All businesses with up to 10 full time equivalent employees are eligible for entry into the Awards.

PREVIOUS CATEGORY AND SUPREME WINNERS

If you have previously won a category you can enter again, including in the same category. If you have won the same category three times previously you are ineligible to enter the same category again. Previous Supreme Winners cannot enter again (this rule has changed from previous years).

Category-specific rules

Category restrictions, for example how long a business has been trading, apply in some instances. You’ll find this information in the category description on the Categories page on the website and in the section for that Category on the Entry Form.

Franchisees

All businesses with up to 10 full time equivalent employees are eligible for entry into the Awards. We do not count contract manufacturers, drop-shippers or similar outsourced services as part of your business unless they are dedicated to working solely with you. The Judges have final discretion should uncertainty over the size of your business arise.

Editing entries

All entries are editable right up to the published time of closing. Thereafter they are locked for judging.

Putting you in the best category

Where an entrant will perform better in another category than the one entered, the judges may, at their discretion, consider that entry in the category they deem more appropriate without consulting the entrant. In practice, this rarely happens.

Conflicts of interest

New Zealand’s business community is small and well connected. It would be almost impossible for our team of Judges not to know any of the entrants. However, we have a strict policy which means Judges as well as anyone else who may be involved with liaising with the Judges or handling related administrative tasks must declare all conflicts of interest before entries are allocated to Judges. A Judge who has declared such a conflict or who finds themselves discovering a conflict of interest at any point in the process will be substituted with another Judge who is neutral. All entries are also always judged by more than one Judge. No member of The David Awards team other than the Judges has any influence on the outcome of the judging.

Confidentiality

We understand that you are sharing intimate and highly confidential details about your business and yourself. Judges sign a confidentiality agreement prior to receiving any entries, and all material is used and treated in the strictest confidence. A small amount of information which is generally publicly available or which you choose to divulge will be shown publicly (e.g. if you are entering the People’s Choice Award, why people should vote for your business, your business name and website and your name). Fields collecting this information are clearly marked on the Entry Form.