WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA) started with a singular mission to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of women in Singapore. Today, this award has extended to a host of Women Entrepreneurs’ initiatives to drive the development and growth of women entrepreneurs, from mentoring, education, networking to capital raising opportunities. Inaugurated in Singapore in 2016, WEA network is built with a vision to empower women owners in Asia.
SCALING GREATER HEIGHTS
FEATURED : SUPERNOVA WINNER 2019
CHEW GEK KHIM
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
TECITY GROUP STRAITS TRADING COMPANY LIMITED
After graduating from the National University of Singapore in 1984, Ms Chew Gek Khim took up her grandfather’s offer to join the family business following a three-year stint at Drew & Napier. Today, she is the Executive Chairman of The Straits Trading Company Limited, founded in 1887 as a tin smelting company but is today an investment company with diversified interests across the Asia Pacific. First appointed Non-Executive and Non-Independent Chairman in 2008, she has since held the position of Executive Chairman from 1 November 2009.
WINNER SUCCESS STORIES
DATO’ ELAINE TEH
OCTOPUS GROUP HLDGS PTE LTD
ELSIE LIOW
AIMS IMMIGRATION SPECIALIST PTE LTD
YOLA YU JIE
STARRY HOMESTEAD PTE LTD
ANG JOLIE MEI
THE LIFE CELEBRANT PTE LTD
SIMONE NG
SIMONE JEWELS PTE LTD
LENA TANG
E CAPITAL LIMOUSINE PTE LTD
MEET THE JUDGES
GUESTS OF HONOUR
AWARD CATEGORIES
Named after the brightest stars in the universe, the names of the award categories aim to signify the stature and achievement of the winners who have distinguished themselves in the competitive league of entrepreneurs in Singapore. Our awards celebrate and recognise the achievements of women entrepreneurs and their journeys. Applicants with more than 1 registered business should submit financial statements of all companies that they are registered shareholders for consideration.
To be a nominee, the candidate must be the owner-manager primarily responsible for the recent performance of a privately held Singapore-based company or a founder of a listed Singapore-based company who is still active in senior management.
LOCAL ENTERPRISE
Awarded to established Women Entrepreneurs operating business(es) with a combined annual revenue below SGD200 million.
Business(es) she is running has/ have been operating for at least 3 years.
Business(es) must be registered in Singapore and operate in Singapore.
She must be the founder or co-founder of the business(es).
She must hold at least 30% local equity.
She must be a Singaporean or a Singapore Permanent Resident.
* An overall winner may or may not be chosen amongst the award recipients.
* Special awards (Best Innovation, Most Promising, Best Startup, etc) may or may not be chosen by the WEA Judging Panel.
CORPORATE
(By nomination only)
Non-participative category, nominated by WEA Judging Panel.
Awarded to established Women C-Level Executives operating business(es) with a combined annual revenue SGD200 million and above.
Or awarded to Women Professionals operating a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), in which the organisation has a significant contribution to Singapore.
Business(es) or Organisation must be operated in Singapore.
She may or may not be the founder or co-founder of the business(es) or organisation.
She must be in the leadership position of the represented company or organisation, for a minimum of 5 years.
She plays a critical role in the growth of the company or organisation. And she is responsible for the it’s operations, strategy, and financial situation.
She must be a Singaporean or a Singapore Permanent Resident.
LISTED / LARGE ENTERPRISE
(By nomination only)
Non-participative category, nominated by WEA Judging Panel.
Awarded to established Women Entrepreneurs operating business(es) with a combined annual revenue SGD200 million and above
Business(es) she is running must be registered in Singapore and operate in Singapore.
She must be the founder, co-founder or a substantial shareholder holding a key appointment of the business(es).
She must hold at least 30% local equity.
She plays a critical role in the growth of the company. And she is responsible for the company’s operations, strategy, and financial situation.
She must be a Singaporean or a Singapore Permanent Resident.
SUPER NOVA
(By nomination only)
Non-participative category, nominated by past Super Nova Award Winners.
Awarded to a Woman Entrepreneur or a Woman Professional. She plays a pivotal role in the business or the organisation. She must be a highly regarded figure in the business community and social scene. A leading model to the women at large.
Business(es) or organisation must be registered in Singapore and operate in Singapore.
She may or may not be the founder, co-founder , substantial shareholder ,key appointment of the business(es)/organisation.
The business(es) must have at least 30% local equity.
She must be Singaporean or Singapore Permanent Resident.
FAQs
Answers to the most commonly asked questions about the Women Entrepreneur Awards are below.
Please contact us if you still have any questions HERE.
How is WEA different from other business awards in the industry?
WEA is a women-only award that secures brand and founder-centric media exposure and profiling opportunities to award winners and their companies. WEA extends all winners an exclusive platform where women entrepreneurs support one another in their successes, provide leadership and guiding examples for emerging and future entrepreneurs.
How long has the Award been established?
The award was inaugurated in 2016. The call for WEA 2023 application has started.
When is the deadline for submission of WEA 2023?
The deadline for all award submission applications to reach the WEA Secretariat is Friday, 31 March 2023, 5pm, SGT.
Who are the judges on the WEA 2023 Judging Panel?
Award applicants will be judged by a panel of judges comprising renowned entrepreneurs, business leaders, Enterprise Singapore, SkillsFuture Singapore and NCS.
Award applicants will be assessed based on a set of judging criteria. Please refer to the Judging Panel section.
Is there a pre-determined number of winners each year?
No. The number of Award Winners selected is dependent on the overall quality of applicants’ submissions each year.
Can I submit my application in another language other than English?
English is the only language accepted for the award application and proposal submission.
Can award applicants participate if their company’s Audited Financial Statements are not available?
Yes. Please note we require applicants to submit Audited Financial Statements. If the last financial year’s Audited Financial Statements are not ready, applicants may submit Management Account for judging.
Will the submitted materials be kept confidential? Are they returnable?
Access to submitted materials is kept strictly to the Award Secretariat and the Judging Panel. They are used solely for purpose and reference of judging only, and will be kept confidential. All proposals and supporting documents are non-returnable.
When will I be informed if I am shortlisted for a judging interview?
All shortlisted award applicants will be informed via email of their judging interview appointment by early April 2023.
How will the judging process be?
The judging will take place on-site at the award applicant’s company premises. The panel of judges, with the Chairman and Secretariat, will attend every shortlisted applicant’s interview.
Can I conduct my answers in a language other than English during the judging process?
Award applicants can choose to have one English language translator during the judging interview. Translation expenses will be borne by award applicants.
When will I be informed if I shortlisted as a Winner of the WEA Award?
Award applicants will be informed via email by the end of May 2023.
I am the sole business owner and the only team member. Can I apply?
YES. You may apply for the WEA awards as the sole founder and team member as long as your business meets the eligibility criteria stated in each category.
I own multiple companies, can I apply for the WEA award with only one of these companies?
No. Applicants will need to furnish the full set of business and financial data, on all companies that she owns, and is a registered shareholder. The submission of documents is a must to provide a holistic and complete review of the women entrepreneur performance, entrepreneurial milestones and her entrepreneurial journey.
Can a past applicant or award winner take part in WEA more than once?
Yes. Previous applicants can re-enter the awards.
Will there be a registration fee imposed upon entry submission?
There is a non-refundable registration fee of $600 which is payable together with the submission.
When must I pay for the Award Package?
If the Entrepreneur is selected by Judging Panel as a Winner, she will be notified in writing and upon her acceptance of the Award, she is required to take up an Award Package upon notification of her win. The Award Package is chargeable, once the Winner accepts the Award.
How do I make payment?
PAYNOW : UEN 201629815M
Cash payment is not accepted.
Can I get refund if I withdraw during application or if I’m not shortlisted?
Application fees paid are non-refundable in the event of a withdrawal.
When will the award presentation be held?
The WEA 2023 Award Presentation Ceremony & Gala will be held in a Singapore-based 5-star hotel venue by July 2023.
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