Each finalist was selected by a judging panel of industry leaders across the business and community sectors, chaired by Paul Guerra, Chief Executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for their merit in three award categories – Innovation, Champion and Community.

The Victorian Chamber received 38 applications, with each applicant required to demonstrate how they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic through the implementation of COVIDSafe measures and safety and compliance strategies.

A mix of businesses and industry leaders from a broad range of sectors submitted applications, including health care and social assistance; education and training; arts and recreations; IT and media services; construction; retail trade; manufacturing; and accommodation and food services.

The finalists for each award category are:

The Community Award - recognising businesses that have demonstrated and encouraged excellent COVIDSafe practices among or for their customers or the community

• Access Easy English
• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
• Bendigo TAFE and Kangan Institute
• CDC Victoria

The Innovation Award - recognising businesses that have excelled at implementing new or innovated COVIDSafe practices, procedures, or ideas

• CareChoice
• Deakin University
• Ryman Healthcare

The Champion Award – recognising outstanding compliance or commitment by an individual within a business to being COVIDSafe.

• Jillian Christie, Chief Executive Officer of Monkami
• Sarah Yeung – Company Director of Cracked Actors Theatre
• Simon Bryson – Operations Manager of Aligned Leisure Group

The winners will be announced early next year. To arrange a media opportunity with any of the category finalists, please contact the Victorian Chamber media team.

To be attributed to Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Paul Guerra:

“The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is proud to pioneer these awards which recognise the hard work that our businesses have put into achieving COVIDSafe status.

“This is the first opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the many businesses that modelled best practices in keeping staff, customers and contractors safe from COVID-19.

“These finalists are just some of the businesses and leaders who kept people in jobs and have helped Victoria’s economy to roar into recovery.”