Glossary

Eligibility

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

Finalist

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.

Judge

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

“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.

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.

Nominee

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.

Not for Profit

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

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.

Recipient

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.