Terms & conditions.

Last updated: September 15, 2026.

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern nomination, entry, judging, and participation in the IWEC Business Excellence Awards 2026 (the "Awards"), presented by Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs Canada (IWEC), a program of Newcomer Success Network Canada Inc. ("NSN Canada", "we", "us", "our"). By submitting a nomination or entry, the nominee, entrant, or nominator ("Entrant") agrees to be bound by these Terms.

1. Eligibility

The Awards are open to immigrant women entrepreneurs operating a business in Canada, across the eligible award categories published on the Awards website.

Entrants must meet any category-specific criteria published at the time of nomination. We reserve the right to verify eligibility at any stage and to disqualify an entry that does not meet the published criteria.

Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of NSN Canada or IWEC involved in organizing the Awards are not eligible to enter, but may be nominated by a third party subject to standard conflict-of-interest review.

2. Entry and Nomination

Entry to the Awards is free. No purchase or payment is required to submit a nomination or entry.

Nominations open September 14, 2026 and close October 20, 2026. We reserve the right to extend, shorten, or otherwise adjust this window, with notice posted on the Awards website.

Entrants are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the information they submit. Submissions containing false, misleading, or materially incomplete information may be disqualified at any stage of the process, including after a winner has been announced.

An individual or business may only be nominated once per category per year. Duplicate nominations may be merged or disqualified at our discretion.

3. Judging Process

Entries move through the following stages: Nominations, Screening, Voting, Independent Scoring, Finalist Selection, and Winner Selection. Not every entry will proceed through every stage.

3.2 Judges

Judges are selected by IWEC and NSN Canada based on relevant business, entrepreneurship, or community experience. The identities of the judges are kept confidential and will not be published or disclosed, before, during, or after the Awards process.

3.3 Scoring

Voting results and independent scoring are used solely to inform the judging process. Individual or aggregate scores, rankings, or voting counts are not made public and will not be disclosed to entrants, nominators, sponsors, or any third party.

3.4 Judging Assessment

Judges and IWEC/NSN Canada organizers reserve the right to weigh public voting, independent scoring, and their own qualitative assessment as they see fit in reaching Finalist and Winner decisions. No single stage of the process guarantees advancement to the next.

3.5 Final Decisions

All decisions relating to screening, finalist selection, and winner selection are final. These decisions cannot be appealed, challenged, or disputed, whether on the basis of scoring, process, or otherwise. By entering, Entrants waive any right to challenge the outcome of the judging process.

3.6 Category Awards

We reserve the right not to award a category if, in our judgment, no entry meets the standard required.

4. Use of Submitted Materials

By submitting a nomination or entry, the Entrant grants IWEC and NSN Canada a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the entrant's name, business name, photograph, business description, and submitted materials for purposes connected to the Awards, including promotion, the Awards website, social media, and related IWEC/NSN Canada communications.

Entrants retain ownership of their submitted materials and represent that they hold the rights necessary to submit them and grant the license described above.

Where official event photography is unavailable, IWEC/NSN Canada may use AI-generated imagery in Awards-related promotional materials.

5. The Awards Event

Finalists and winners may be invited to an Awards recognition event. Attendance is by invitation and registration; the event is not open to public ticket sales.

Being named a finalist or winner does not guarantee attendance at, or a role in, the Awards event, which is subject to capacity and other logistical limits.

6. Sponsors

Category sponsorship does not influence judging outcomes. Sponsors do not have access to voting results, scoring, or judge identities, and do not participate in final winner selection.

7. Disqualification and Withdrawal

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to disqualify any entry or nominee, at any stage, for reasons including but not limited to: ineligibility, inaccurate information, breach of these Terms, or conduct inconsistent with the spirit of the Awards.

Entrants may withdraw a nomination or entry at any time before the Winner Selection stage by written request to IWEC.

8. No Compensation

Participation in the Awards is voluntary and unpaid. Being nominated, shortlisted, named a finalist, or named a winner does not entitle the Entrant to any compensation, fee, or reimbursement from IWEC or NSN Canada, beyond any recognition explicitly stated as part of a category prize.

9. Privacy

Personal information collected through the nomination and entry process is used to administer the Awards and will be handled in accordance with IWEC/NSN Canada's privacy practices. It will not be sold to third parties.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, IWEC and NSN Canada, along with their organizers, judges, employees, and sponsors, are not liable for any loss, damage, or claim arising from participation in the Awards, including but not limited to reliance on the outcome of the judging process.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. The version posted on the Awards website at the time of a given action (nomination, entry, or voting) governs that action. Continued participation after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms or the Awards process can be directed to IWEC through the contact details listed on the Awards website.