An award is worth entering when the people you sell to have heard of it, and worth ignoring when they have not. The genuine value is third-party credibility: a procurement team, funder or corporate partner treats independent recognition as a signal they did not have to generate themselves. That value depends entirely on the award being credible.
Which means the first question is who runs it and who judges it.
Choose awards your buyers recognise
An industry award known to your customers is worth more than a general business award nobody in your sector follows. Recognition only works if the audience knows what it means.
Be cautious of awards that require payment to enter and then payment to attend, collect, or display a logo. That model sells recognition rather than awarding it, and buyers increasingly know the difference.
What judges actually assess
Evidence, in almost every credible programme: growth you can demonstrate, jobs created, customers retained, a problem solved with a measurable effect. Statements of ambition without numbers lose to narrower entries with proof.
Many programmes also verify compliance before shortlisting, so registration with current annual returns at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission and tax compliance need to be in order before you enter.
The entry process is useful even if you lose
Assembling an entry forces you to articulate what the business does, quantify results and gather evidence in one place. That material is directly reusable in funding applications, tenders and supplier onboarding.
Several founders describe the first entry as the point they finally worked out their own numbers, which is worth the effort independently of the outcome.
Use recognition rather than collecting it
Reference it where buyers make decisions: proposals, tender responses, supplier applications and your site. An award mentioned once and never used again produced nothing.
Protect the brand it attaches to, since a trademark is separate from company registration, and keep any claims about the award accurate under the advertising code administered by the Advertising Regulatory Board.
Frequently asked questions
Are business awards worth entering?
When your buyers recognise them. An industry award known to your customers beats a general one nobody in your sector follows.
Which awards should I avoid?
Those requiring payment to enter and further payment to attend, collect or display a logo. That sells recognition rather than awarding it.
What do credible judges assess?
Evidence: demonstrable growth, jobs created, customers retained and measurable effects, rather than statements of ambition.
Is entering worth it if I do not win?
Often yes. The entry forces you to quantify results and gather evidence that is reusable in funding applications and tenders.
How should I use an award afterwards?
In proposals, tender responses and supplier applications where buyers decide, rather than announcing it once.
Further reading
Originally published in May 2018. Updated September 2026 into guidance on choosing and using business awards rather than announcing one programme.
