Leading Smart50 alumni and Australia’s Small Business Ombudsman Bruce Billson will be among those helping judge the 2024 Smart50 Awards . Each year, some of the smartest minds in business join the judging panel for the Smart50 category awards and 2024 will be no different. Entries for the 2024, presented in partnership with Optus, are currently open for entries from independent, Australian businesses .
A former small business minister and current ombudsman, Billson has had a long association with the Smart50 Awards and his office is sponsoring the Rising Star category in 2024. “The Smart50 Awards celebrate the innovation, growth, community and leadership shown by our small and medium businesses,” said Billson. “Small business is a dynamic and fast-growing sector that allows people with an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue their dreams and own livelihoods,” he added.
“They come with varied ambitions, backgrounds and experiences but what they have in common is the desire to have a go.” Joining Billson on the judging panel is Richard Li, co-founder and CEO of fast-growing luggage brand July, which took out first place in the 2022 Smart50 Awards and has gone on to open more shopfronts , partner with iconic Australian brands and supply the official luggage to the Australian Olympic team . Sarah Mullen , the chief operating officer at ASX-listed Adore Beauty, is also returning to the Smart50 judging panel for another year.
Adore Beauty previously made the Smart50 list in 2009, 2014 and 2019 . The 2024 Smart50 judging panel also includes: The Smart50 Awards have celebrated Australia’s fastest-growing SMEs for more than 15 years, and SmartCompany’s editor-in-chief Simon Crerar thinks this year is the most exciting yet. “ SmartCompany champions the 99.
8%, the huge cohort of Australian businesses with under 200 staff who generate more than 50% of Australia’s GDP, and employ more than 75% of all Aussie workers,” he said. “We’re privileged to partner with Optus Business to recognise the businesses that drive our nation’s real economy and workforce. We’re grateful to our stellar judges who use their expertise and smarts to review the hundreds of applications we have already received.
” The Smart50 Awards include the Smart50 Awards List, which ranks the 50 fastest-growing Australian SMEs based on revenue growth, as well as nine special category awards. These include the Community Hero Award, sponsored by Optus Business, and the Innovator Award, sponsored by Asana. A full list of the Smart50 Award categories and judges, as well as eligibility criteria, is available on the Smart50 Awards website .
A discounted early-bird rate for entry of $150 (plus GST) is now available, with entries set to close on September 13. The Smart50 Awards will be presented at an event in Melbourne in November. More information about the Smart50 Awards is available here .
Entries for the 2024 Smart50 Awards are now open. Nominate your business here . Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on LinkedIn .
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