1. Standard Category - Applicable for all awardees
The standard category applies to all awardees.
Awardees are defined as applicants whom have passed the entry and qualifying criteria and have undergone assessments by ATC in which the applicant must achieve at least 70% overall grade based on assessments conditions and criteria*.

Applicants will be notified of their application status upon completion of assessment (notification will be issued through BizPortal registered email address and mobile number).
*Additional criteria or assessment components may be raised for specific industry or business sectors.

2. Special Categories - By grading and selection amongst all finalists
Winners of the special categories are selected based on achievements, implementations and contributions in the individual category which are benchmarked amongst all finalists. Winners have to achieve the top or second place overall grading to be accorded under the individual special category.

Of each special category (from a - e), a maximum of two winners will be selected annually. Only one overall notable winner will be selected per year. Winners of the special categories will be notified forty-five (45) days after the segment closes.

The six special categories of the Singapore SME 500 Award are:-

a. Best Digital Adopter
Winner of the Best Digital Adopter category is selected based on the overall grading of its digital capabilities, adoption of digital solutions and the adaptation of digitalization that has increased the business's market share.

b. Fast Growing SME
Winner of the Fast Growing SME category is selected based on their financial and management performance as well as the ability to grow the business from start-up/seed stage. The business must possess and have in place capabilities, plans and abilities to internationalise.

c. Emerging Brand
Winner of the Emerging Brand category is selected based on their brand capabilities, including but not limited to brand plannings, strategies, fulfilments and number of markets or potential markets that the brand is/has entered.

d. Best SME Workplace
Winner of the Best SME Workplace category is selected based on their human resource capabilities, workplace arrangements, workplace cultures and employees' satisfaction indexes.

e. Green & Sustainability Winner of the Green & Sustainability category is selected based on the implementation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) as part of their business process. The selection takes into consideration how the business safeguards the environment, including corporate policies addressing climate change, commitment towards sustainability and its abilities to ensure accountability to manage its carbon footprint.

f. Overall Notable Winner
The overall notable winner of the Singapore SME 500 Award for the awarded year is selected based on the capabilities, resources and abilities to demonstrate and fulfil the above five categories (a - e) while making significant impact or contributions to the community (eg: community initiatives, workforce) as a whole.

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