Excellence in Innovation

Home / Excellence in Innovation
Need Help
Request a Callback

You’re thinking about entering the Excellence in Innovation Category? Excellent!

Nominations are open for consideration of the Excellence in Innovation Award at the annual Hunter Manufacturing Awards.

Registration takes 5 minutes. Applications are open from 8 May and close 19 July. If you have been unable to meet the deadline, please contact HMA to make an alternate arrangement.

Please read the following definition before completing your application form to ensure you are submitting in the correct category.

Definitions & Guidelines

To assist you with this application the judges have provided some guidelines.

When providing your answers, the “For Example” / guidelines we have suggested for each question are not intended to be exhaustive. They are designed as examples and prompts to help you understand the judges’ requirements. It is important that where you state that you have evidence in support of the specific question you are answering, you need to provide that evidence – usually, a generic brochure or company overview is not sufficient.

Innovation

What is innovation? To innovate is to make changes to something already established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. When innovation occurs, something new is introduced – mainly, a product.

The judges assessing your submission for the HMA Innovation category will be looking to ensure that your innovation has made a difference, is useful and has a potential market or better still, has already secured an established market.

Nominations are open to any manufacturing company that has introduced an innovative product, process or service that has contributed to reducing costs, increasing sales, improving the quality or safety of a manufacturing company’s goods or services (provide evidence of these effects where possible).

The judges will look for examples of excellence in Innovation that include, but are not limited to, aesthetics, simplicity, longevity, cost, performance, originality and impact on safety.

Note – Applicants may find that their application into the Excellence in Innovation category may also be a ‘fit’ for another category, such as marketing, product design, technology, manufacturing process, etc. By adapting the information to fit the criteria of other categories you give yourself the opportunity for your product, process etc to be profiled in more than one sector.

Download the full application pack and category questions

Apply Now Back to Top

Example Information Required

Each of the listed criteria must be addressed and where possible, evidence provided

Photographs, drawings, etc, may be included as an attachment to this application form and should be labelled clearly for the judges. E.g. Question 3 – evidence provided

Please address the following criteria and restrict the content of each criteria response to 200 words or less. For example; Question 1 can only have a maximum of 200 words.

Maximum File Size

The entry form allows a maximum file size of 20MB to be uploaded. If you are having issues with the size of your example files, please contact Carol McEwan on info@hma.org.au or call 0438 242 899 to make an alternate arrangement to send your file(s).

Download the full application pack and category questions

Apply Now Back to Top

Judging Criteria & Values

Below is a breakdown of each question, the criteria judges will be looking for and the value of each question.

Question Judging Criteria Value
  1. Describe the innovation. The innovation can relate to a new product or service and / or reflect innovative changes to manufacturing processes, supply chain management
  • What does the innovation do?
  • How does it work?
  • Why is it innovative?
  • How does the innovation differ from what is currently available?
  • Other

5 / 60
  1. Origins – How was the opportunity for the innovation identified?
  • Explain how you developed / discovered the idea.
  • How did you find or identify the problem?
  • What lead you to this? Were you trying to solve a problem?
  • Other

10 / 60
  1. Business Case – How was the opportunity for the innovation evaluated to ensure it would create value for the organisation?
  • What market research have you undertaken?
  • Why do you believe there is a market?
  • Do you have a business plan? If yes. please provide a summary.
  • Is this part of a plan to diversify or new strategic initiative
  • Other

15 / 60
  1. Implementation – How was the innovation successfully integrated into the business or taken to market?
  • What is your unique selling position?
  • What is your ‘go to’ market plan?
  • Have you identified market segments / buyers?
  • Other

10 / 60
  1. Risk Management – How were these risks associated with the innovation assessed and managed?
  • Are there any risks in supply of components or services? i.e. supply chain risk? Consider the following – Safety, Environmental, Reputational Risk, Commercial – risk to existing business or product lines, Social / Corporate Responsibility
  • Other

10 / 60
  1. Competitive Advantage – What competitive advantages have been generated for your business through implementation of this innovation? May include improved financial or operational performance, enhanced market engagement, etc.
  • Who are your competitors?
  • What market share do they have?
  • What is your current market share? What plans do you have to grow your market share?
  • Is this innovation assisting you in diversifying into new or existing markets?
  • Other

10 / 60

Download the full application pack and category questions

Apply Now Back to Top

Previous Year's Winner

Excellence In Innovation – Whiteley Corporation

2018 Winner – Whiteley Corporation

A very clever and innovative product that will truly benefit society by reducing bacterial infections in health facilities, combined with a very high-quality application. This product has global ramifications.

Back to Top

Apply Now

Please Register first before completing your application form. Registration takes 5 minutes and close 19 July. Applications are open from 8 May and close 19 July.

Follow the below link to start the registration process.

Apply Now