After a rigorous and comprehensive assessment exercise, the 2012 NCB Nation Builder Awards nominees have been selected. Coming from various business and non-profit sectors in the society, the nominees will participate in the fifth staging of the financial group's programme designed to recognise and celebrate small and medium enterprises and their contribution to nation building.

Judging began following the close of the application submission period on August 17, with several local companies entering the five award categories - Nation Builder, Start Up, Innovation, Women In Business and the Impact Award - in an effort to get the top nod from the independent four-member judging panel.

The judges have selected Canco Limited and Mystic Mountain Limited as the nominees for the Nation Builder Award, and No Brand Chemicals and Essex Valley Community & Associates Limited for the Start Up Award. For the Innovation Award, Kingsley Palmer Farm and, again, Canco Limited, have been nominated. In the Women in Business category, owners Kim Chase of Strawberry Fields Together and Denise Palmer of Southside Distributors Limited are the nominees, while the St Patrick Foundation and the Associated Hanover Charity are the Impact Nominees.

Candidates for a sixth category - the Vision Award - include-final year projects from three student groups in the management studies department at the University of the West Indies. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 23, at the Nation Builder Awards Gala.

Impressive pool

"We are quite impressed with this year's pool of nominees who, despite the challenging economic environment, have continued to thrive and give back to their communities. NCB is more than happy to champion their cause and to recognise their efforts in Building a Better Jamaica," said Bernadette Barrow, NCB assistant general manager - Retail Banking Division, with responsibility for the bank's small and medium enterprise portfolio.

Innovation, financial performance, commercial viability and potential, business continuity/strategic direction, community involvement and presentation were the main criteria for judging and assessment of the nominees.

The NCB Nation Builder Awards judging panel comprises: social entrepreneur and management consultant Dr Henley Morgan; Custos of St Andrew, Marigold Harding; Dr Carolyn Hayle, executive director at Human Employment And Resource Training (HEART) Trust/NTA and Harold Davis, executive director of the Jamaica Business Development Centre.