For the past 16 years, National Bank has been proud to recognize the excellence of its business clients through its SME Awards, which pay tribute to businesses whose contributions to the prosperity and well-being of their community are deserving of attention.

The recognition you deserve!

Whether you’re looking to use the experience to take stock of your company’s activities, increase your visibility in the business community or foster employee pride, taking part in the SME Awards is sure to give your organization a boost! Winners will enjoy terrific exposure at the regional and provincial levels – not to mention media coverage that’ll bring you directly into public view.

More than $750,000 in prizes and visibility!

For regional Gold winners:

Visibility

• Print ad in major Quebec daily and weekly newspapers
• Visibility on French-language television networks TVA and LCN
• Print ad in agricultural publications and interview on De la terre à la table radio show (Agribusiness SME category)

Prizes

• Coming soon

For provincial Gold winners:

Visibility

• Print ad in major Quebec daily and weekly newspapers
• Print ad in a business weekly
• A profile of your company, to be aired on the TVA and LCN networks
• Print ad in PME magazine
• Print ad in Commerce magazine (Export SME category)
• Print ad in Canadian Business magazine (Export SME category)
• Mention in print and electronic publications from Export Development Canada and subscription to one of its specialized publications (Export SME category)
• Interview on De la terre à la table radio show (Agribusiness SME category)

Prizes

• Coming soon

For provincial Silver and Bronze winners:

Visibility

• Mention in the major daily and weekly newspapers, magazines and publications mentioned above.

Prizes

• Coming soon

Dates to remember

Program launch: April 1, 2009
Registration deadline: June 12, 2009
Regional winners announced: September 2009, on a region-by-region basis
Provincial winners announced: November 6, 2009

Eligibility criteria

• You must be a National Bank client
• Your company’s main place of business must be in Quebec
• Your company must have been in business for at least three years
• Your company must have sales of:
  • Small Business category: Less than $5 million
  • SME category: $5 million to $40 million
  • Agribusiness SME category: Less than $40 million
  • Export SME category: Less than $40 million
• You must not have won a provincial gold award for the past three years

Selection criteria

SME, Small Business and Export SME categories

• Competency
• Community involvement
• Management quality

Agribusiness SME category

• Competency
• Community involvement
• Management quality
• Environment

Selection process

• Regional selection
  An independent jury will select the recipients of the gold, silver and bronze SME, Small Business and Agribusiness SME awards for each of the regions of Quebec defined by National Bank.

Prizes for the Export SME category will be awarded at the provincial level only: Professional services firm Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche will select six finalists, which will then be evaluated by the provincial jury.

• Provincial selection
  Three provincial winners (Gold, Silver and Bronze) will be chosen for each category among the regional Gold winners of the SME, Small Business and Agribusiness SME categories and the six finalists in the Export SME category.

This is an opportunity to:

• Raise your company’s profile in Quebec
• Foster employee pride and loyalty
• Cultivate business relationships