NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2026 CHAMBER AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN
NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2026 CHAMBER AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN
With 14 awards categories to choose from, there's bound to be a person or business, that you know deserves to be nominated!
You are entitled to nominate any member or non-member business, except your own. Self-nominations are not permitted.
You do not have to be a Chamber member to nominate a business, person, or organization for an award.
THE CHAMBER AWARDS GALA WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 30TH, 2027 AT THE FILBERG CENTRE.
See our 2025 Event Page
Chamber Awards Categories
Interested in your business presenting our newest awards? Contact events@comoxvalleychamber.com for sponsorship details!
NEW FOR 2026: RISING STAR AWARD Honours an INDIVIDUAL who:
• Has achieved remarkable business success in a short period of time and demonstrates exceptional potential for continued growth and leadership in the Comox Valley
•The nominee should generally be within the first five years of their entrepreneurial journey or career regardless of age
•Demonstrates drive, initiative and an ability to turn ideas into results
Sponsored by 
NEW FOR 2026: WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP & ENTERPRISE AWARD Honours an INDIVIDUAL who:
• Recognizes an outstanding entrepreneur whose leadership, business achievement and contribution to the Comox Valley demonstrates excellence, resilience and positive impact
• Holds meaningful decision-making authority and be actively involved in the strategic direction and/or day-to-day operation of the business
• Self-identifies as a woman and is an active leader of a Comox Valley business
Sponsored by Austin Wealth Management Team, RBC Dominion Securities
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD Honours an INDIVIDUAL who:
• Provides leadership and inspiration among their peers
• Makes a positive contribution to the community and/business sector, or as a mentor in
business
• Serves as a positive role model in the community and for other businesses for at least five
years
Sponsored by 
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (10 or more employees, minimum 2 years in business) Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Is community-minded and demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community
• Employs more than 10 people
• Has a sound reputation of exemplary customer service in the Comox Valley
• Demonstrates outstanding achievements for at least two years in business
• Invests in the community by creating employment and partnering with local service providers when outsourcing
Sponsored by 
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Exemplifies the principles and practices of excellence in customer service
• Demonstrates exceptional service with each customer interaction
• Has an established reputation for going above and beyond
• Can provide three reference letters OR recent testimonials OR google review awards OR can demonstrate holding industry specific awards & accolades
Sponsored by 
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD Honours a BUSINESS that:
Goes above and beyond in attracting/supporting a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive work environment in the Comox Valley area. This is demonstrated by:
• Creating an accessible environment for the workforce
• Actively engaging with under-represented employees to advance accessibility
• Diversity is represented in the represented workforce at all levels including leadership and includes, but is not limited to, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, age, and ability
Sponsored by 
& 
FAMILY FIRST WORKPLACE AWARD Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Demonstrates support and care for employees’ parental or caregiver needs for all dependents
• Creates a culture that supports a healthy work/life balance. For example, with flexible working hours and work-from-home/hybrid working
• Staff and owners demonstrate an inclusive attitude towards families with young children both as employees and customers
Sponsored by 
HERITAGE RECOGNITION AWARD Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Has operated continuously in the Comox Valley for 25 years or longer
• Has contributed significantly to the community
Sponsored by 
INNOVATIVE BUSINESS AWARD Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Demonstrates innovation by introducing a new or significantly improved product, service, process, business model, partnership, or approach to doing business
• Has creatively identified and addressed an opportunity, challenge, or unmet need in its business, industry, or community
• Demonstrates meaningful results from its innovation, such as improved operations, customer experience, business growth, access to new markets, stronger partnerships, or other measurable benefits
• Shows initiative and adaptability by challenging conventional approaches and finding practical, effective ways to do things differently or better
Sponsored by 
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Honours an INDIVIDUAL who:
• Is a fulltime, long-term resident of the Comox Valley AND
• Demonstrates a lifetime of achievement with over 20 years in the Comox Valley
• Is recognized for outstanding voluntary service of an individual nature or through their work with community clubs and organizations. The individual must have received no wages for the services for which they are being recognized
Sponsored by 
NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Has operated for less than two years and within that time has made outstanding contributions to the Comox Valley
• Demonstrates outstanding potential for continued growth
• Has the willingness to employ locally and is community-minded
Sponsored by 
NOT FOR PROFIT AWARD Honours an ORGANIZATION that:
• Demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community through their services
• Can demonstrate how their services provide benefits to others
• Can show how they differentiate themselves to other organizations in the community
• Must be registered as a non-profit and/or charitable organization
Sponsored by 
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (less than 10 employees) Honours a BUSINESS that:
• Is community-minded and demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community
• Employs fewer than 10 employees
• Must be well-established, long standing and have a sound reputation of service in the Comox Valley
• Demonstrates outstanding achievements for no less than two years in business
• Invests in the community by creating employment and partnering with local service providers when outsourcing
Sponsored by 
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD Honours an ORGANIZATION OR BUSINESS that:
• Has environmental sustainability embedded in their business model or strategy
• Practices environmental responsibility and sustainability through clear goals and actions that reduce environmental impacts and community resource use, such as conserving water, reducing waste to landfill, and using solar energy
• Demonstrates that their environmental responsibility provides an advantage for their overall success
• Additional consideration will be given to nominees who actively promote environmental sustainability through education and awareness among employees, customers, or the broader community
Sponsored by 
PRESIDENT’S MERIT AWARD honours an INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION that:
- that has made a significant contribution to the development, ethical stature or recognition of their area of professional endeavor
This award is awarded to Chamber members only
This award is chosen by the chamber board and announced on the awards night. Nominations are not accepted for this award.
Chamber Awards Criteria
Definition of a Business:
A business, as defined by the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, is a company or other entity that is engaged in the purchase and resale of goods or provision of services for the purpose of generating a profit for its owner(s). The business must have a business licence in the Comox Valley.
Definition of Not for Profit:
A Not for Profit, as defined by the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, is a registered non-profit and/or charitable organization and an organization not seeking profit that does not distribute excess income to its members, in the form of dividends or otherwise.
Definition of ‘community-minded’:
In the context of the Chamber Awards, ‘community-minded’ means to demonstrate a commitment to the Comox Valley through meaningful contributions that support the local community, strengthen community connections, and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
AWARD NOMINEES & FINALISTS:
Businesses do not have to be a Chamber member to be nominated for an award or to become a finalist. The Chamber may contact nominees for further information.
Award recipients may not be nominated in the same category for three years following their win but can be nominated and awarded in other categories. The Comox Valley Chamber reserves the right to limit the number of selected nominees in each category. Sponsors of an award cannot be nominated in their sponsored category.
The Comox Valley Chamber reserves the right to limit the number of selected nominees in each category.
Award finalists and nominees will be contacted in November. Finalists will be asked to submit further information to advocate for themselves and/or their business. Finalists will then be contacted by the film crew or Chamber staff to book their video which is presented the night of the awards.
JUDGING AND NOTIFICATION
How Judging Works:
In 2024 we transitioned our judges from the Board of Directors to an independent panel of five esteemed community members who are not closely associated with the Chamber.
Judging is conducted independently, with no cross-communication among panel members. Each judge will receive a detailed spreadsheet of finalists and notes compiled from a finalist questionnaire. Final scores will be tallied to determine winners in each category.
This process ensures that every finalist is evaluated solely on their merit, celebrating the best in business in our community with integrity.
Members of the judging panel, their employees, and their family may not be nominated.
Gala tickets are released to finalists and sponsors before the release to the general public.