Innovating through COVID: Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards finalists

FINALISTS in the 2020 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards have shown how Brisbane will grow and transform in a COVID-safe way, according to Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

Cr Schrinner said research conducted as part of the awards process revealed how Brisbane businesses were adapting and overcoming difficult times through determination and ingenuity.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy and are critical to our economic recovery,” Cr Schrinner said.

“From community and sustainability to digital transformation and social enterprise, Brisbane businesses have risen to the challenges of 2020 and are reaching new levels of success.”

In recognition of the challenging environment in which businesses have had to adapt, the 2020 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards will celebrate those who have shown excellence in business adaption, Cr Schrinner announced. 

“One of the things COVID-19 has shown us is that Brisbane businesses were prepared to step up and adapt to the ever-changing environment,” he said.

“The HSBC Award for Excellence in Business Adaption will be a fitting tribute of the efforts made to adapt and innovate during these unprecedented times.

Finalists for the inaugural HSBC Award for Excellence in Business Adaption include:

• FareShare, a charity that relies on the support of corporate volunteers to cook millions of meals for people in need who had to find quickly adapt new COVID-safe practices;
• Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, a Brisbane small business that quickly transformed its operation to ensure customers could still enjoy a delicious dish of their homestyle gnocchi with family and friends;
• Street Science, a team of scientists and educators who regularly visit schools and shopping centres to change the way kids learn science who, when faced with a 90 percent decline in revenue as a result of being unable to do external presentations due to COVID-19, embraced technology to be able to continue their work.  
• The Little Red Company, a Queensland production company that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that saw theatres shut down, pivoted to create The IsoLate Show, a free, live variety show bringing the cream of Australia’s musical talent into locked-down living rooms via Facebook Live every Friday night.

As the pre-eminent awards for Brisbane businesses, the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards have helped winners and finalists achieve greater levels of success.  

Law on Earth last year won the Brisbane City Council Award for Outstanding Micro Business in the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards.

“Winning the Micro Business Award provided us with the credibility to engage with corporates and has allowed us to scale the business over 500 percent on our projected growth,” Law on Earth CEO and founder, Katie Richards said.

“It has also allowed us to be accepted into Impact Boom Social Enterprise Accelerator and then Startmate, Australia’s best tech accelerator with global reach.”

Winners of the 2020 Lord Mayor's Business Awards will be announced on November 26, 2020. 

2020 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards List of Finalists 

HSBC Award for Excellence in Business Adaptation	Yurika Award for Environmental Sustainability in  Business
·         FareShare	·         Enviro Sand Pty Ltd
·         Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers	·         Howard Smith Wharves
·         Street Science	·         Hutchinson Builders
·         The Little Red Company	·         Transurban Queensland
ISPT Award for Outstanding Social Enterprise	CCIQ Award for Outstanding Small Business
·         eWaste Connection Ltd	·         Bailey Print Group
·         Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative	·         Ecoflo Wastewater Management
·         The Common Good – an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation	·         Street Science
·         White Box Enterprises Ltd	·         UNE PIECE Pty Ltd
Urban Utilities Award for Product Innovation	Award for Outstanding Micro Business
·         Comscentre	·         Charlton Innovation Pty Ltd
·         Enviro Sand Pty Ltd	·         Luxe.It.Fwd
·         Hutchinson Builders	·         Resource Hub Pty Ltd
·         Seipel Group Pty Ltd	·         World of Drones and Robotics Congress
ANZ Award for High-Growth Business Start Up	Australia Pacific LNG Award for Business Innovation
·         CitrusAd	·         Aria Property Group
·         HINDSITE Industries	·         Customology
·         Lawcadia	·         Seipel Group Pty Ltd
·         UNE Piece	·         The Little Red Company
Port of Brisbane Award for Young Business Person of the Year	The Courier-Mail Award for Business Person of the Year
·         Alexander Bell - Milton Rum Distillery	·         Harley Weston – Solaire Properties
·         Andrea Davey – Scout Talent Group	·         Kate Farrar – LGIAsuper
·         Ashleigh Morris - Coreo	·         Marie Mortimer – Firstmac
·         Matthew McHutchison – IVAA	·         Tyron Simon – 22 Agnes - sAme sAme

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