In a bid to recognize the private sector’s essential role in growing Rwanda’s economy, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) will on 31st January 2020 celebrate the ‘RDB Business Excellence Awards 2019’, where outstanding individuals and private companies that excelled in 2019 will be recognized.

The seventh edition of the RDB Business Excellence Awards will award investors in the categories; Investor of the Year, Emerging Investor of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Made in Rwanda Enterprise of the Year, SME of the Year, Skills Development Promotor of the Year and the Customer Enterprise of the Year.  The winner of the Customer Enterprise of the Year award will be nominated by the public.

 Both local, foreign corporate companies invested in Rwanda are eligible to contest for awards in all categories. The awards are open to all companies registered and have presence in Rwanda.

To nominate your business, apply online: https://rdb.rw/business-excellence-awards/ . Submissions close on 15^th December 2019.

Award categories:

There are 10 award categories. The selection criteria will base on the following:

1. Investor of the year

This award recognizes the biggest Investor who:

• Reinvested a considerable amount into Rwanda in the last two years
• Has potential for contribution to the country’s economy through forward and backward linkages;
• Has significant turn over for 2018 and 2019
• Demonstrates sustained creation of jobs
• Uses local suppliers and inputs
• Participates in growth of the value chain in Rwanda
• Complies with financial reporting
• Has commitment to environmental sustainability
• Uses technology and Innovation
• Has social Impact to the society through CSR Activities

2. Emerging Investor of the Year

The Award will be given to an investor located outside Kigali who:

• Has been in business for at least two years
• Has injected into Rwanda’s economy new technology, products or business methods
• Demonstrates aggressive entrepreneurship spirit
• Demonstrates excellent customer service and/or product delivery
• Demonstrates sustained creation of jobs
• Has contributed to the growth (planned sales) of Rwandan economy
• Can motivate others into the sector

3. Exporter of the Year

This award recognizes the achievements of a business in Rwanda that:

• Contributed to our exporting strength through new markets
• Started new exports or increased volumes
• Achieved extraordinary exports growth of their products
• Exports with value addition in Rwanda
• Established/strengthened customer relations outside Rwanda
• A total of 5 â of the turnover should be from export sale
• Participates in growth of the value chain in Rwanda
• Increased variety and sustainability of exported products
• Demonstrates the use of local inputs
• Commitment to environmental sustainability
• Has social Impact to the society through CSR Activities

4. Innovator of the Year

This Award will celebrate the innovator that has made strides in their field by creating and/or introducing something new within the industry, while continuing to strengthen Rwanda’s economy. This award will be presented to a business that:

• Has pushed conventional business boundaries through new products/services on market
• Positively reshaped their chosen industry or sector
• Introduced/adopted approaches that improve productivity or work processes
• Adds value to the existing products and services
• Introduced new ways of marketing/selling
• Committed to innovation and the sustainability of their business
• Demonstrates strong community involvement using innovative ideas

5. Woman entrepreneur of the Year

Woman entrepreneur category celebrates women that:

• Demonstrated excellence in the business due to their outstanding achievements
• Show determination to grow and keep moving forward
• Demonstrate exceptional business development skills
• Run a successful business measured by sales and profit
• Have overcome business obstacles
• Initiated/started business
• Inspire other women
• Demonstrate sustained creation of jobs

6. Young Entrepreneur of the Year

This award celebrates individuals who:

• Are not more than 30 years old
• Demonstrate leadership skills
• Use the digital marketing and e- commerce
• Have plans for future expansion
• Use technology in production process
• Use innovation to maximize opportunities
• Are digital pioneers who empower local businesses
• Seized opportunity with dynamic response for progress
• Demonstrate growth of sales and profit

7. Made in Rwanda Enterprise of the Year

This Award shall be given to a business or individual who:

• Added value to locally made products
• Promoted made in Rwanda products and campaigns
• Promoted local brands
• Has produced what was previously imported
• Demonstrates sustained creation of jobs
• Exported or sold under the Made-in-Rwanda campaign
• Has shown consistent growth for the last three years

8. SME of the Year

The award will be awarded to companies that:

• Have shown marked success over the year
• Integrated into the Rwandan economy;
• Demonstrate sustained creation of jobs;
• Have prospective growth for the future of business
• Fulfilled statutory and legal obligation (RSSB contribution, Taxes, employment contracts etc);
• Turn over per annum should be below or equal to Rwf Fifty Million (50, 000,000)
• Employ not more than 50 full-time staff members.

9. Skills Development Promoter of the year

This category will look a business or individual who:

• Partnered in professional internship program with RDB;
• Has hosted a big number of interns in 2019
• Initiated an internal framework of skills transfer through mentorship and supervision
• Provided top up stipend in addition to stipend provided by RDB
• Planned to provide permanent employment opportunity to part interns after graduation
• Has internal on-job capacity building plan for existing staff to ensure high productivity and coping with new technology
• Has a budget for skills development of staff
• Has an induction program for new staff and capacity needs identification framework
• Trained a large number of staff in 2019 as per the capacity needs and capacity building plan.

10. Customer Services Enterprise of the Year

Nominations will be based on the quality and impact of the Enterprise’s level of service delivery. Evidence (Testimonies) should be presented of service whose impact significantly exceeds what might normally be expected.