COMPANY PROGRAM AWARDS

COMPANY OF THE YEAR - APPLICATION DETAILS 

Purpose
To recognize the company that achieves the best overall performance in all areas of operations. There will be a winner recognized in each of the following Company of the Year categories: Retail/Manufacturing, Technology and Social Enterprise.

Minimum Criteria to Apply
  • The company's business plan must have been previously submitted
  • The company's final shareholders' report must be submitted by the deadline (April 8, 2022)
  • Fixed Costs ($150) and JA Taxes (if applicable) must be paid
  • Minimum 80% average attendance rate for the team
  • Minimum 220 team challenge points
  • Companies short-listed as finalists will have their financials audited and any discrepancies may affect team standings
  • Teams do not require a nomination from an advisor to apply but the application will require an advisor to endorse the submission for accuracy

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How to Apply​

  • You will be asked to create an account and will be able to save your application as you go.

  • You will be asked to select which category (Retail/Manufacturing, Technology, Social Enterprise) your team would like to be considered for. You can only self-select one category based on the criteria below. 

    • ​Retail/Manufacturing

      • ​The primary product of the company is made, sourced or designed by a group of students and was sold using drop-shipping or delivery method.

      • Product sales is the primary source of revenue.

    • Technology

      • ​The primary product of the company is technology-based, like an app, educational or interactive website or a game. 

      • Technology development and use is foundational in the business case.

      • Online services, event tickets, ads/sponsorship or digital sales are the primary sources of revenue.

    • Social Enterprise

      • ​The primary purpose of the company is focused on developing a solution to a social challenge, such as greenhouse gas emissions, mental wellness or homelessness. It is a for profit business focused on social purpose.

      • Although we understand many companies will support charities through product sales, that in and of itself doesn’t mean the company is a social enterprise.

      • Sponsorship or product sales are the primary sources of revenue and a % of revenue is re-invested into social purpose.

  • You will be asked to include the name and email of an advisor to endorse your application. They will be sent a copy of your submission automatically by email and a request for endorsement.

  • Advisors are not required to provide any additional references beyond the endorsement.

  • Applications must be submitted through the link above. No email applications will be accepted.


Application Tip
  • Make sure you start writing your application in advance of the deadline to account for editing, reviewing, and any unforeseen circumstances. Try not to submit your answers last minute!
  • You can save your application online and return to it. It does not have to be completed all at once. 
  • If you plan on working offline, take note of the word limits to ensure that you don't run into any issues when copy and pasting your answers.
  • Check in with your advisors to determine who you should include in your application for the endorsement.
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Application Deadline 
Friday, April 1st, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. 
Complete the application form online here: https://www.judgify.me/companyprogramawards2022
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What happens after you have submitted your application?
  • Applications will be reviewed by external preliminary judges.
  • Short-listed candidates will be determined to move on to Student Interview Night. ​
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Student Interview Night
  • Short-listed candidates will be interviewed by a panel of judges selected by JA Central Ontario.
  • Interviews will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 26th between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. 
  • Specific instructions will be sent to all finalists.
  • To be eligible for an award, students MUST attend Interview Night.
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Selection Process
  • The award winner will be selected on the basis of their combined written responses and interview
    scores.
  • The award winner will be announced at our virtual ventureON celebration on Wednesday, May 11th, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
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Preliminary Judging Rubric
Your written application will be reviewed based on the following:
  • Company Overview
    • Product/Service fills a need​ (10 pts)
    • Vision/Mission plays a role in the operation of the business (10 pts)
    • Company is a viable business that could be sustained in the real world (10 pts)
  • Skills Development 
    • ​Strong teamwork skills - have teams worked collaboratively and cooperatively within their departments and as a whole? (10 pts)
    • Strong leadership skills – have teams demonstrated leadership by taking initiative and ownership through their business operations and development? (10 pts)
    • Strong communication skills – have teams developed methods of communication to run the business smoothly and effectively with all departments (10 pts)
  • Learnings
    • ​Team overcame challenges and reflected on their learning (10 pts)
  • Departmental Overview
    • President – solved problems creatively, led the team effectively, communicated with all departments (10 pts)
    • Finance – demonstrated collaboration and team work in managing the budget effectively and being profitable (10 pts)
    • HR – demonstrated creative initiatives to maintain team engagement and morale; demonstrated ability to take feedback from advisors and in managing difficult HR challenges (10 pts)
    • Marketing – demonstrated creativity and innovation in their brand and marketing strategy. Strongly defined their competitive analysis (10 pts)
    • Production– demonstrated creativity and innovation in the design and production of product/service
    • Technology - used technology to benefit the team and/or product/service (can be related to production, sales or company functions) (10 pts)
    • Sales – strong and diverse sales strategy based on target market, achieved sales goals (10 pts
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Prize
The winner of each Company of the Year category (retail, technology and social enterprise) will advance to the National Company of the Year competition. This is a virtual event that takes place during the summer. 
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Questions?
If you have any questions, please reach out to the CP Team at companyprogram@jacentralontario.org
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