Award Categories
Outstanding Growth.
The growth of small and medium-sized businesses contributes to building a more resilient Australian economy. This category is for small and medium-sized businesses achieving revenue growth.
Who is it for?
Business Experiencing Positive Growth
Businesses going from strength-to-strength and enjoying a sustained period of revenue growth will need to have experienced – and be able to show – at least a 15% growth in revenue in the last financial year.
Telling your growth story
Achieving this growth may include or come from these activities:
Job creation
Businesses whose success is creating new employment opportunities.
Growing footprint
Businesses whose growth has meant new stores, websites, warehouses, expanding operations, etc. to meet the demands of a growing customer base.
Extending your reach
Businesses that have successfully expanded into new markets or significantly grown their customer base.
Community focus
Businesses whose growth has had a huge impact on their community.
Export success
Businesses experiencing sustained success exporting services and/or products.
The 2022 Telstra Best of Business Awards Outstanding Growth National Award Winner is Complete Home Filtration.
Complete Home Filtration designs, manufactures, and installs water filtration solutions to deliver premium in-home water. 100% Australian, the company prides itself on helping Australians access the best water possible.
Featured 2022 entrants.
NT Winner
Supporting Moo
Supporting Moo is an NDIS provider based in Darwin providing support coordination and direct support to children and young people founded by Territorian Jodi Brown.
SA Winner
Discount Party Supplies
Discount Party Supplies has been delivering boxes full of happiness for over 13 years. From a humble home business to a busy warehouse in Adelaide, Discount Party Supplies makes celebrations across Australia memorable.
VIC Winner
Dental Boutique
Dental Boutique craft exquisite smiles. With intricate and naturally beautiful cosmetic dentistry, its clients are empowered to overcome their fears and achieve the confidence they truly deserve.
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 have achieved at least 15% revenue growth for the last financial year at the time you submit your Stage 1 entry.
- 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 2023 Program.
Nominations open
Nominations for the 2023 program have now closed, but don't worry - we accept nominations all year round, so you can always nominate for the next program.
Stage 2 entries
13 July - 3 August
Click below for details on category information, selection criteria and eligibility.
Stage 3 entries
6 September – 26 September
If your Stage 2 entry is successful, you will be able to participate in Stage 3. Click below for details on category information, selection criteria and eligibility.
Have a question?
Try our FAQs or speak with our Award Team. Call 1800 AWARDS Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm (AEST)