Fiji Business Network
Fiji Business Awards NZ 2026
Entry Criteria and Rules

Entry Criteria and Rules

These rules apply to entries for Fiji Business Awards NZ 2026.

E1. Entering

  1. The Awards are free to enter.
  2. Applicants, entrants and nominees must belong to the Fiji diaspora.
  3. Entries are made through the online entry form. A Word version is available for applicants who cannot use the online form, returnable to info@fijibusinessnetwork.co.nz.
  4. Entries close at 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM NZ time. Late entries will not be considered.
  5. Complete the form as best you can. You may leave optional fields unfilled.
  6. Ensure all information is accurate and current. It will be used by the judging panel to evaluate your submission.
  7. You may enter more than one category. Each category is judged separately.
  8. All information is handled confidentially and used solely for the purposes of this Awards process.

E2. Eligibility

  1. The Awards are open to any person belonging to the Fiji diaspora, and to any business or organisation with a majority of its ownership held by people belonging to the Fiji diaspora.
  2. Business entries are open to a registered business of any size with its head office or centre of operations in Aotearoa New Zealand, and which has been trading for twelve months or more at the date of entry.
  3. The Lifetime Achievement Award is not open for entry. The recipient is selected by the committee of Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated. The sponsor of that award takes no part in the selection.
  4. The Awards are not open to judges, to category sponsors within the category they sponsor, or to elected officers, committee members and employees of Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated.
  5. A sponsor may not sponsor a category in which they are eligible to enter.
  6. Franchises, branches and contractors may enter if they operate independently, carrying out their own marketing, hiring, finances and client servicing.
  7. Where an entrant is part of a larger organisation, they must demonstrate autonomy as a business unit.
  8. Applicants must disclose any information that may compromise the integrity of the Awards or the continuity of the business in the next twelve months, including litigation, loss of funding or regulatory risk. This obligation continues until the Awards evening.
  9. Applicants confirm they are not under investigation or prosecution by a statutory authority, including Police, Inland Revenue, Immigration New Zealand, WorkSafe, the Commerce Commission or ACC. Any investigation or prosecution arising before the Awards evening may lead to disqualification. Any criminal conviction or adverse media publicity may also result in removal.

E3. Judging

  1. An independent panel of judges reviews every entry and scores each one confidentially and impartially.
  2. Finalists are selected on the strength and relevance of their entries.
  3. Each entry is scored against five criteria, each worth 20 per cent. Three criteria are common to all categories. Two are specific to the category entered.
  4. Judges score each criterion from one to ten. The score is multiplied by the weighting to give a weighted score.
  5. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
  6. Judges sign a non disclosure agreement.
  7. Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated and the judges may move an entry to another category where that is more appropriate, with notice to the applicant.
  8. Franchises are judged on individual merit.
  9. Entries may be subject to audit or verification.
  10. Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated reserves the right to cancel the Awards evening or any award category. There is no liability for cancellation caused by events outside its control.

E4. Integrity and good faith

  1. Applicants, entrants and nominees must act in good faith and professionally throughout.
  2. Misrepresentation, misconduct or reputational risk may result in disqualification.

E5. Costs

  1. There is no cost to enter.
  2. Attendance at the Awards evening is at the applicant’s own cost. Tickets are sold separately.

E6. Confidentiality and privacy

  1. All information is treated as confidential, except where the applicant has agreed otherwise.
  2. Applicants consent to the collection and use of their information for the administration of the Awards. The Privacy Act 2020 applies.
  3. Applicants who provide information about third parties must comply with the Privacy Act 2020.
  4. Finalists and winners agree to take part in media, photography, filming and interviews for promotional purposes.
  5. Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated may share finalists’ organisational statements and contact details with category sponsors.

E7. Withdrawal and ineligibility

  1. Applicants who become ineligible, or who wish to withdraw, must notify Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated in writing as soon as possible.
  2. Fiji Business Network (NZ) Incorporated may remove entries where the applicant cannot be contacted, no longer meets the criteria, or may cause reputational damage.
  3. Failure to respond to a request for clarification within five working days may result in removal.

E8. Records management

  1. All entries are held securely until after the Awards evening.
  2. Electronic entries and uploaded documents may be permanently deleted three months after the Awards evening.
  3. Applicants may request the return or deletion of their material at any time.
Questions: info@fijibusinessnetwork.co.nz