How to navigate the awards Entry Portal?

You’ve heard all about Pause Awards from friends and colleagues, maybe checked our awesome website and you’re now ready to enter – or just very curious? Either way, the Australian Ecosystem Business Awards is happy to have you.

Let’s look into each step of the way in what’s required to enter and how to navigate the awards Entry Portal. To get to the portal all you need to do is click on ENTER NOW anywhere you see it on the website. This will take you to the signup page, here’s what happens next.

Entry Portal overview

Once you are in the Pause Awards Entry Portal, which we built from scratch this year, here’s what you can find and how to go on about it. And you can watch portal overview video explainer.

1. Setup your Account
   – Choose how you want to enter, with Company or as an Individual. You won’t be able to change this after you submit an entry.
   – Answers to questions Founder’s Age, Gender and Total Funding will be kept confidential.
   
2. Enter awards
   – Pick your categories. You can answer them individually or in groups with the same answers.
   – Answer all questions even if you don’t have answers. There is always an answer!
   – You will be paying for entries on submission, however you can go back and edit the entry until the final deadline 30 SEP.
   – Unlimited editing, yes you’ve heard us!
   
3. Entry Info – Resources
   – Browse through all categories
   – Lookup Entry Fees
   – Everything about how to enter, eligibility and timelines
   – Download Entry Kit, we really recommend it!

Understanding Company vs Individual entry profile

As you may know we have 31 categories this year and you can apply for them as a Company or an Individual. However, if you win, we will award only one profile you’ve setup. So, here’s how to go about setting your entry type preferences to enter this year. And you can watch categories video explainer to help you pick the best and most suited for yourself and company.

Setting up your Account
Choose how you want to enter, with Company or as an Individual. Depending on how you set this preference you will only see those categories. You can change your preference until you submit an entry, after that your account will be locked to that entry type. The reason for this is because each account owner, if they win, gets a full profile page on our website.

Company Entry
If your account is set as Company, you can select as many categories to enter. Pause Awards has 21 Company categories and 10 Individual categories. If you want to enter as a Company into Individual categories, you need to create a separate account for each individual you’d like to nominate.

Individual Entry
As an Individual applying your account will be set to yourself, should you win, your basic info will be published on the winner’s page. As an Individual entrant we didn’t anticipate you may need to enter into Company categories, however, should you need so – please create an additional account.

Conclusion: To enter into both, Company and Individual categories you need two accounts. As a Company, every individual you would like to nominate needs to have its own account.

How to answer awards entry questions?

Here are a few tips on how to answer questions for your best chance to win at Pause Awards 2022. Let’s be clear, the questions should not be scary. They are straight forward for a reason. However, if you are an early startup and don’t think you have valid results or can’t 100% answer the questions – provide what you know. You can watch award questions video explainer as well.

Tips on how to answer Entry Questions

1. Answer all questions even if you think you don’t know the answers
   
2. Info & Background segment won’t be judged, but it’s important.
   
3. Smart Tactics (SCORES 30%): Why is your solution innovative?
   – Tell us what your big idea is.
   – Some evidence of planning.
   – Why do you think it’s innovative?
   
4. Business Success (SCORES 30%): Provide tangible results.
   – Show any stats and results.
   – What’s your customer story?
   – Don’t have KPI’s? Let’s say you tried to dominate the world.
   
5. Positive Impact (SCORES 40%): What impact have you created?
   – Provide any evidence of positive impact.
   – How was the internal/ external impact?
   – Did any social good come out of it?

Our judges are not Feds approving visas for Australia, they know exactly what it takes to run a business and can quickly piece a picture together. So, please answer the questions to the best of your abilities.

Finally, your Pause Awards Checklist

Before you hit submit and pay, please be sure the check the following:

1. Account settings
2. Type of entry (Company or Individual)
3. Pick your categories
4. Answer all questions
5. Pay for entries

Don’t stress if you haven’t written perfect submission just yet, we got your back! You can edit your selected entry even after payment until the very final deadline on 30 SEP 2022.

Additionally, if you enter into two or more categories with one account you’ll get ‘Company Of The Year’ category at 50% off. We encourage all companies to take this great offer.

If you have any additional questions or seek further support please check FAQ’s or get in touch via contact form.