The Véyaon Awards
2023 ENTRIES NOW OPEN! Celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship in Guernsey!
Organised by the Digital Greenhouse in partnership with Blenheim Chalcot, The Véyaon Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the excellence, innovation and hard work within the business community.
The awards provide a platform to celebrate some of Guernsey's successful home-grown ventures and business champions. Véyaon (pronounced vayon), meaning ‘Go for it!’ in Guernésiais, aims to inspire our local entrepreneurs and innovators to come forward to showcase their successes. With a variety of categories to enter, covering topics of entrepreneurialism, upskilling, leadership, technology and innovation, there is room for everyone.
Entries for the 2023 Véyaon Awards are open now!
“By thinking differently, taking risks and proactively investing in and developing themselves and others - people across Guernsey are making a game-changing difference to the future of their organisations and the Bailiwick as a whole. By celebrating 'go-getters', we can inspire others, and The Véyaon Awards provide an exciting opportunity to do just that."
Charles Mindenhall, Co-Founder of Blenheim Chalcot, Headline Sponsor
2023 Award Categories
Creative Entrepreneur - Sponsored by TPA
For entrepreneurs in the creative sector who are making waves in their industry.
Entrants should be entrepreneurs in the creative sector whose business demonstrates economic and/or social impact through creative output. Including an innovative new product, service or way of working in the industry.
Creative sector includes but is not limited to advertising, architecture, art & design, digital media, fashion, film, music, publishing and TV.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Sustainable business model
- Creative innovation in products, services or processes
- Success through meeting and surpassing key business milestones
Enter or nominate an entrepreneur using the form at the bottom of the page.
Digital Leader - Sponsored by Sure Business
An award to recognise exemplary leadership within an organisation where evolving technology is embraced.
Entrants should be individuals who can demonstrate driving positive digital transformation through exceptional leadership. For example, successful intrapreneurial activity, digital transformation and/or culture change.
They may be leading the company or be a project lead for digital transformation within an organisation.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Pioneering use of technology within the organisation and its impact
- Leadership and management styles that have driven improvement
- Staff engagement in programmes or processes to successfully deliver digital strategy
- How employees have been retained, motivated and optimised to deliver the digital-focused objectives
Consider your knowledge, skills and mindset and how you have applied these attributes to perform effectively in your role as a digital leader.
Enter or nominate a leader using the form at the bottom of the page.
Disrupter of the Year - Sponsored by C5 Alliance
An award that advocates those willing to take on risks in order to bring about radical change.
Entrants can be either entrepreneurs, or an individual or a team within an organisation. They should be pioneers for change, demonstrating innovation in their business or industry sector, having a measurable impact and positively disrupting the status quo.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Innovative thinking / market-changing concepts or approaches
- Horizon-scanning techniques that spot early stage opportunities
- Methods to champion change and challenge the status quo
Enter or nominate using the form at the bottom of the page.
Entrepreneur for Good - Sponsored by Islands Trust & Corporate
An award to celebrate social entrepreneurship and positive action in mission-based businesses.
Entrants should be entrepreneurs whose business contributes to public good or someone who runs a nonprofit that can demonstrate a sustainable business model. Including founders of organisations with a mission to create and sustain social value, with a measurable impact for good.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Positive impact on society, community and/or environment
- Sustainable business model
- Innovation in products, services or processes
- Clearly defined mission statement and KPIs
Enter or nominate an entrepreneur using the form at the bottom of the page.
Excellence in Resilience - Sponsored by Armstrong Resilience
An award to recognise a business that has shown resilience
Entrants should be businesses or entrepreneurs who can demonstrate adaptability and leadership in the face of adversity. Evidencing successful recovery, overcoming challenges or having the ability to pivot into new areas. How have you used your capabilities to foresee, plan for or act on sudden changes.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- A real business challenge and how it was addressed and overcome
- Examples of business attributes that contribute to resilience
- Benefits realised through the resilience demonstrated
Enter or nominate using the form at the bottom of the page.
Innovation in Customer Services - Sponsored by Cherry Godfrey
An award to recognise organisations that are providing first-class customer service experience through the use of technology-driven innovation.
Entrants should demonstrate the innovation applied in the business, products or services in order to deliver added value to the customer. How does your tech-driven innovation differentiate you from your competitors? For example:
- Efficiencies in delivery
- More effective ways of keeping your customers happy
- Developing proactive solutions for your customers
- Meeting their unique needs
- Improving their relationship with your business
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Innovation in the solution or its application
- Benefits realised through the implementation - for example, increased customer satisfaction or retention, new business opportunities or competitive advantage
Enter or nominate using the form at the bottom of the page.
Innovation in Technology - Sponsored by PwC
An award to promote organisations that are leading by example in technology-driven innovation projects.
Entrants should submit a product or service that demonstrates the use of technology to deliver a creative business solution. Including evidence of outcomes such as:
- innovative business launched
- improvements to existing business infrastructure
- increased organisational productivity
- opening up a new market
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Use of technology
- Innovation in the solution or its application
- Benefits realised through the implementation - for example, new business opportunities or competitive advantage
Enter or nominate using the form at the bottom of the page.
Learner of the Year - Sponsored by JT
An award to champion learning, underpinned by the importance of upskilling for the future of work.
Entrants can be individuals of any age (14+) who are extending their knowledge for the future of work, including those studying STEAM subjects. For example:
- a school pupil from 14+ who has taken part in extracurricular activity, such as Digital Innovator Programme
- a college/university student
- an intern in the digital or creative sector
- a digital apprentice
- an individual in employment who is upskilling or extending their knowledge in an exciting way.
All entrants must be undertaking or have undertaken a programme of study within the last 12 months.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Courses undertaken / qualifications achieved
- Application and impact of learning in your own context / plans to use learning going forward
- Pro-active personal development goals for future
Enter or nominate an individual using the form at the bottom of the page.
Scale Up Business of the Year - Sponsored by Resolution IT
An award to recognise growing business success.
Entrants should be established businesses that have demonstrated success through strong and sustainable growth. For example, job creation, increased revenue and extended market reach.
Judges are looking for evidence of:
- Sustainable growth of the business
- Operational growth and/or job creation
- Innovation in products, services or processes
- Strong direction with clearly defined objectives for development
Enter or nominate using the form at the bottom of the page.
Bill Green Award for Entrepreneurial Innovation - Awarded by Young Business Group
Bill Green Award 2023 – Applications are now open for local innovators!
Presented annually by the YBG, the Bill Green Award aims to elevate local businesses into the spotlight and this year will – once again – be awarded as part of the prestigious Véyaon Awards ceremony on 16th November.
Once more, the Bill Green Award is seeking out the best of Guernsey’s ‘Thriving Innovators’.
The YBG encourages applications from businesses of any age, delivered by an individual or team that can demonstrate how their product, service, initiative or sense of entrepreneurial spirit is thriving.
The award is open to all forms of public, private and third sector organisations, including new and previous applicants from other Véyaon award categories.
You must apply for this award directly on the ybg.gg website.
How do I enter an award category?
To enter an award category you must fill in the online form, found at the bottom of this webpage.
You must select the category you are entering. Please make sure you have read the criteria for the award you are entering and tailor your submission accordingly. You may enter more than one category of award but you must submit separate entry forms for each award. You can nominate someone else for an award.
How do I nominate an individual or business for an award?
To nominate someone or their business for an award category you must fill in the online form, found at the bottom of this webpage. You must select the category you are making a nomination for and select 'yes' for nominating someone else. You will need to provide a short paragraph of why you think that the individual or business you are nominating deserves to win the award category you have selected.
The nominations are anonymous, but you must be able to supply contact details for the individual or a contact in the business you are nominating in order for them to be notified of their nomination.
Should you have any questions or require any support with your entry, please email: info@digitalgreenhouse.gg
Key dates:
Entry Deadline: 24th September 2023
Entries submitted after this time will not be considered. After the final deadline, entries and nominations will be assessed by individual judging panels based on the specific award criteria to decide a shortlist of 3 entries and one winner per category.
Shortlists Announced: 2nd October 2023
All entrants and nominees will be notified as to whether they have been shortlisted on the week commencing 2nd October 2023. The shortlisted entrants will be given a free ticket to the awards evening on 16th November. However, they will also have the opportunity to purchase a table of 10, including a 50% discounted rate of £400 for businesses with 5 or less FTEs. Tables will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Awards Evening: 16th November 2023
The winners of each category will be announced live at The Véyaon Award ceremony on Thursday 16th November at Beau Sejour. The evening will consist of a 3 course dinner, keynote speaker, awards presentations and a band.
Nominations
If you would like to nominate a business for Véyaon Awards please use the form here.
