Fairness & Ethics Are Important To Us
Please read the rules of entry below and our ethics statement to find out how we are doing all we can to maintain the integrity of The Chesterfield Business Awards.
- Submissions: Entries must be submitted using the entry form supplied for each category and submitted via email. Each entry must not exceed 1,000 words. Business activity and results quoted must relate to the period 1st April 2025 – 25th April 2026.
- Submission Deadline: All entries must be submitted by the published closing date of Monday 27th April 2026 at 6pm. Late entries will not be accepted.
- Location Eligibility: Businesses entering must be based within the Chesterfield boundary as seen below:
- Category Limit: Each business may enter a maximum of three categories.
- Final Submission: Entries cannot be amended once submitted.
- Judging: Entries are assessed by an independent panel of five local judges selected for their business acumen, expertise and vested interest in the success of the town of Chesterfield. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Attendance Requirement: Finalists must commit to purchasing at least 2 tickets to the Awards Dinner on 1st July 2026 with a representative attending on the evening.
- Sponsors: In the interests of integrity and transparency, the headline sponsor may not enter the awards. Category/other sponsors will be announced after judging is complete and may only enter award categories they are not sponsoring.
Transparency and Ethics Statement:
We are committed to ensuring that the judging process for the Chesterfield Business Awards is conducted with the highest standards of fairness, independence and transparency. Our goal is to recognise genuine excellence, and we have implemented safeguards to guarantee that all entrants are evaluated solely on merit and without bias.
Independent and Qualified Judges
All entries are assessed by a panel of independent judges selected for their expertise, professional credibility and lack of conflicting interests. Judges are required to declare any real or perceived conflicts before reviewing submissions. Where a conflict exists, the judge is recused from scoring that entry.
Standardised Evaluation Criteria
Each submission is reviewed against predetermined scoring criteria published in advance. These criteria are applied consistently to every entrant to ensure a level playing field. Judges provide scores and where appropriate, written rationale to support their decisions.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
All materials submitted are treated as strictly confidential and used solely for judging purposes. Judges and organisers are bound by confidentiality obligations and data protection requirements, ensuring that sensitive business information is handled responsibly.
No External Influence
Sponsors, partners and organisers have no influence over judging outcomes. Commercial relationships do not affect scoring, shortlisting or final results. The judging panel operates independently from all promotional and sponsorship activities, affiliated parties and organisers. Details of all sponsors (except the headline sponsor, who is ineligible for entry) will remain confidential and embargoed until after judging has taken place. Sponsors are prohibited from entering an award category they are sponsoring/presenting.
Audit and Oversight
Processes are monitored internally to ensure compliance with our rules and ethical standards. We reserve the right to review scores, moderate results where necessary for consistency; and verify claims made in submissions.Commitment to Fair Recognition
We believe the Chesterfield Business Awards should reflect true achievement. Any attempt to misrepresent information, exert influence, or otherwise undermine the integrity of the process may result in disqualification.By entering the awards, participants acknowledge and accept these principles, which exist to ensure that every entrant is judged fairly, impartially and with respect.