Organisation-wide
Innovation Award
This award acknowledges organisations that integrate best practice learning with original ideas and creativity, excelling in fostering an innovation culture across all aspects of their operation, from leadership to employees and stakeholders, leading to innovative processes, products, and services.
Final Call for Applications – Closing on 15 July 2026.
About
To complement the International Best Practice Competition (IBPC) organisations are encouraged to apply for IBPC’s Organisation-Wide Innovation Award.
This award recognises organisations that have embraced best practice learning and combined this learning with their own ideas and creativity to become highly innovative. The award recognises organisations that excel in embedding an innovation culture throughout all facets of their operation from the leadership to employees and covering all stakeholders leading to innovative processes, products and services.
The Organisation-Wide Innovation Award investigates these 10 areas:
- Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Recruitment, Training and Development
- Processes, Tools and Techniques
- Ideas and Best Practice Management
- Facilities and Resources
- People and Culture
- Stakeholder Relationships
- Metrics
- Results
The OWIA’s Certification Scheme is used for assessing the applications:
- Role Model, World-Class, Wow! (7 Stars, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★)
- Outstanding at an International Level (6 Stars, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★)
- Excellence at an International Level (5 Stars, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★)
- Excellence at a Local Level (4 Stars, ★ ★ ★ ★)
- Advanced/Effective (3 Stars, ★ ★ ★)
- Competence (Professional) (2 Star, ★ ★)
- Deficient (Major Deficiencies) (1 Star, ★)
Enter this Award
Download the entry form and email your completed entry to competition@coer.org.nz to enter.
Entry Fee & Our Services
Refer to our fees and services
Rules
- The Entry Fee must be paid prior to presenting in front of the judges.
- The judges’ decision is final.
- 7-Star Winners of the Organisation-Wide Innovation Award are prohibited from entering these awards again for a period of 3 years.
Presentation Guidelines
Please refer to the presentation guidelines page for rules and suggestions on preparing your presentation.
April-July
2026
–
– Round 1 –
Enter by the Closing Date
Download the Application Form, submit your application and pay the entry fee. Applications are accepted in three calls, with deadlines on 8 May, 9 June, and 15 July. Early applications benefit from reduced fees.
April-August
2026
–
Receive Feedback
Expert reviewers will evaluate your application independently of the judges. Their role is to provide feedback to help you improve your submission, which you can update and resubmit before it is reviewed by the judges.
August
2026
–
– Round 2 –
Preparing Presentations
All applicants need to prepare a 15-minute pre-recorded presentation and send it to the OWIA committee at least 5 days before the scheduled presentation date for review to ensure compliance with the presentation guidelines.
6 October
2026
–
Presentations
The applicant’s 15-minute pre-recorded presentation will be played followed by a live Question and Answer session with a panel of judges.
These sessions are open so that other participants can learn from them. All participants will have their innovation approach graded using OWIA’s Certification Scheme.
29 October
2026
–
– Round 3 –
Winners Announced
Winner or Winners announced based on highest Star Rating
23 November
2026
–
Certificates
OWIA Certificates including Star Ratings will be issued to all participants after moderating and aligning the judges’ assessments.