Award categories

Embracing Innovation.

Many of Australia’s most influential businesses began as small businesses. By using their innate agility to their advantage, they innovated, pivoted and scaled at pace to become businesses moving Australia forward on the world’s stage. This category is for small and medium-sized businesses innovating with technology to develop solutions for challenges faced by modern Australia.

Who is it for?

If you’re achieving one or more of the following category examples, consider nominating and entering your business for this Award.

Problem solving

For businesses using technology to help solve problems at customer, social or environmental levels.

Technology advancement

For businesses actively creating or developing technological advancements that will benefit every Australian.

Increasing accessibility

For businesses helping to make technology more accessible by creating more affordable, scalable products and services.

Enhancing efficiency

For businesses providing technology solutions that enhance the efficiency of business critical tasks or essential services.

The 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards National Embracing Innovation Award Winner is: The Mullion Group

The Mullion Group is an Australian-based software company, specialising in the measurement and modelling of land-based greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Through its software platform, FLINTpro, the Mullion Group takes data from satellites, ground measurements and models and converts this into actionable information for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Featured 2023 Entrants.

Progressing Australia

NSW Winner

Vantari VR

Vantari helps clinicians, nurses and students practice lifesaving medical procedures in a safe and scalable virtual reality environment before performing them on real patients. Its mission is to eliminate medical error and improve patient outcomes.

Progressing Australia

SA Winner

SILENTIUM DEFENCE

Silentium Defence is one of the global leaders in the design and deployment of passive surveillance systems. They specialise in tailored solutions designed to meet the critical surveillance and traffic management demands of high-end customers. The team build systems that will empower organisations to protect what matters, when it matters most.

Progressing Australia

VIC Winner

Liberate Learning 

Liberate Learning is one of the fastest growing and most respected digital and blended learning services providers in Australia. The team advise and equip clients with digital learning strategies, apps, learning platforms, technology, eLearning, and blended learning solutions.

Explore Awards Alumni

Eligibility criteria.

To enter, the following set of eligibility criteria that must be met. Each category also has specific criteria requirements too. If you have any questions about these conditions or eligibility please contact us.

The business must:

  • Reside in Australia
  • Have a registered Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • Have been operating in Australia for at least 12 months at the time you submit your Stage 1 entry
  • Be more than 60% Australian-owned, with the owner(s)/founder(s) responsible for making the key management decisions
  • Be a small-to-medium business that’s a sole trader, partnership, incorporated, NFP, social enterprise or franchise whose franchisor is 60% Australian owned and not a listed company
  • Earn more than $50,000 in annual revenue in the current financial year
  • Have under 200 full-time equivalent staff at the time you submit your Stage 1 entry
  • Operate in an ethical manner with suppliers, distributors and contractors

The business must not:

  • Be a listed company, franchisor, a club, co-operative, or a Telstra licensee
  • Be affiliated with Telstra through investments, donation or reselling
  • Be more than 50% owned by another business
  • Be a government agency
  • Have filed for bankruptcy in the prior 5 years or been subject to court proceedings in the prior 12 months – including in the business owner or founder’s personal capacity – at the time you submit your Stage 1 entry
  • Be a recipient of significant ongoing government funding (excluding temporary government relief or support packages, such as Jobkeeper or disaster recovery)
  • Have been a contracted commercial supplier of Telstra in the last 3 years
  • Enter the same category where the business has previously won at State or National level at the Telstra Best of the Business Awards in the past 3 years
  • Have a staff member that has been a State or National Judge in the Telstra Best of Business Awards for any category in the past 3 years

Conditions of entry:

  • A business may not enter the awards if a staff member or owner has applied to be a Judge in the same awards program year.
  • When requested, business financials must be supplied. All financials will remain confidential and will not be shared or used outside the purposes of judging the business’ performance, success and viability.

Key Dates for the 2024 Program.

Nominations open.

All year round.

Nominations close 5 May 2023. If you miss this date, you can still nominate in advance for next year’s program.

Stage 1.

27 March – 17 May 2023

The initial stage is a multiple choice assessment of your business and how successful it is. Your total score will determine whether you progress to Stage 2. You will be advised of the outcome of your entry by email.

Stage 2.

23 May – 13 June 2023

For this stage, the goal is to gain a deeper understanding of your business and give you an opportunity to expand on your answers from Stage 1.

Have a question?

Try our FAQs or speak with our Award Team. Call 1800 AWARDS Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm (AEDT)

Nominations open all year round.

Nominate an exceptional business moving Australia forward – even your own.

Nominate now