Australia’s tradies are set to battle it out at the inaugural Australian Trades Small Business Champion Awards to be held at Western Sydney Conference Centre, Penrith in Sydney on Friday, 22 September.

As Australia’s only dedicated awards for trades, the aim of the awards is to support and celebrate the vital contribution that trade business owners make to the local community, in service and in generating employment for millions of Australians as well as their commitment to the Australian economy.

Awards founder and managing director Steve Loe says it’s about giving Australia’s tradies the recognition they deserve.

“Tradies are the backbone of Australian society and an integral part of the small business sector. A third of Australia’s workforce are in a trade and the Awards gives them the opportunity to be publicly acknowledged for their hard work and service,” Steve says.

“A trades career can often mean early starts, long days and exhausting manual labour.  It’s a very physically taxing career and those who perform to a high standard deserve to be recognised for their contribution to the community and exceptional customer service.”

From plumbers to pest control, and carpenters to concreters, there are 44 industry categories that trade businesses can be nominated in, as well as individual awards for Apprentice Champion, Trades Entrepreneur, Trades Champion Leader and the Champion Tradie.

Businesses will be assessed on a criteria including customer service, quality of products, staff training initiatives, environmental sustainability and contribution to the community, by 30 judges representing a variety of trade industries.

Eligible businesses must be based in Australia, suit a listed category, be a Trade Retail or Service Business with 40 employees or less or a Trade Manufacturing Business with 100 employees or less.

Entries are open now, closing on 27 July, with finalists set to be announced on 16 August.