ASIA PACIFIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA)?
The prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards is a world-class award recognizing and honouring
business leaders who have shown outstanding performance and tenacity in developing successful
businesses within the region. Organized by Enterprise Asia, the awards aim to band leading entrepreneurs
across the region to spur greater innovation, fair practices and growth in entrepreneurship. It hopes to be a
platform to encourage continued leadership towards sustainable economic development for the region.

How is Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards different from other Awards?

The Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards is a very unique program. Award winners of each APEA are invited
to every subsequent Awards Ceremony in the other countries, offering an invaluable networking opportunity
with top entrepreneurs of each country around the Asia Pacific region. The Awards culminate with the Asia
Pacific Entrepreneurship Forum. During this top event, all Award Winners are eligible to join their
counterparts in Qingdao, China, where captains of industries across Asia will gather, network and share
intelligence & opportunities in the global market, while learning from seasoned and reputable speakers.

Do I have to pay a fee to participate in the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards?

There is a fixed Nomination Fee to cover administrative expenses and it is set at USD150 throughout the
region, or the equivalent in the local currency at prevailing exchange rates. Please note that Nominees are
not required to pay any other fee, and if you are approached by any party requesting payment of any other
fee, kindly report to ombudsman@enterpriseasia.org.

What are the criteria of eligibility?

To be eligible to receive an award, the nominee must be either:
1. The owner-manager who is responsible for the company’s day to day performance
2. Founder of the business who retains a substantial percentage (20% or more) of the company’s
equities
3. CEO of the company (with or without equity interest) for 3 years or more and has increased the
company’s financial performance since taking over the rein.

Cumulative Revenue
Category Experience Requirements Requirements
Most Promising Entrepreneurship
Award 1 year or more US$ 1 Million (Last financial year)
US$ 10 Million (Past three financial
Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award 3 years or more years)
Special Achievement Awards By invitation only By invitation only

This requirement may be waived or relaxed by the Organizers for certain industries or circumstances.
The nominee can be of any nationality. However, the business must have substantial operations in Malaysia
and/or is founded in Malaysia.

Who can submit a nomination for consideration?

Anyone who is associated with a successful entrepreneur can nominate the entrepreneur. This includes
family members, customers, suppliers, bankers, lawyers, advertising and PR agencies, employees or even
the nominee himself/herself.
The Special Achievement Awards is by invitation only. However, nominees from other categories may still be
considered for it.

What if I have more than one business?

You have the option of submitting documentations from the leading company or from multiple companies.
These should be submitted in one nomination form to avoid duplication.
 ASIA PACIFIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS
ASIA PACIFIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS
What are the judging criteria?
The judges will take both quantitative and qualitative criteria into consideration in deciding on the winners.
Besides evidence of sustained business growth, judges are also required to take into consideration the
entrepreneur’s:
1. Investment in people
2. Belief and action in supporting responsible entrepreneurship.
3. Leadership qualities, vision, direction and 'story'.
4. Peer and industry recognition are also taken into consideration.

If you have won other Awards in the past, this will be taken into consideration as well. However, winning
other Awards are no guarantee that you will meet the stringent criteria of APEA, as the APEA are
benchmarked against regional yardsticks.

Who are the judges?

The APEA Secretariat will go through the received nominations to ensure that all participants meet
the hard criteria, as described above and in attached brochure. The financial information and annual
reports are taken care of by an independent auditor, which verifies the submitted documents. RSM
RKT Group has been the appointed as the independent auditor for APEA 2010 Malaysia for the 4th
year. The judges for the awards are the International Advisory Panel, made up of prominent leaders
in Asia Pacific, industry leaders in the government and in the corporate sector. For a full list and
description, please visit www.enterpriseasia.org.

Are the information provided in the nomination form kept confidential?

Yes. Auditors, judges and staff members of ICO and Enterprise Asia are required to sign non-disclosure
documents prior to their engagement, and are governed by APEA Charter on confidentiality. Nominations are
sealed upon receipt by the ICO. These are then submitted to the appointed auditors in batches for audit and
review purposes. An independent judging panel comprising business leaders, academics and retired senior
government and political leaders will review evaluation reports submitted by the auditors and the ICO on
shortlisted candidates. Information about nominees is not released to anyone else without prior approval.

By submitting your nomination, you agree to allow the data to be used for APEA purposes only and the
auditors and/or the ICO to perform such checks and audits as deemed appropriate, including credit reviews
and checks with credit agencies. Site inspections, peer-review and other authentication measures may also
be undertaken to ensure recipients of APEA meet the strict criteria set by Enterprise Asia. Additionally,
Enterprise Asia may use your names and official biodatas as submitted by you in press and publicity
activities should you win the Awards.

What if I do not have all the required documentations?

The Awards are judged on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, the basis for which are derived
from your nomination form and supporting documentations. Chief of this are your audited accounts. If
you do not have the latest audited accounts, we accept unaudited management accounts, provided
that you also submit audited accounts for two preceding years. If your accounts show declining
revenue and/or profit, and this is due to circumstances beyond your control, you may submit
additional notes to justify such declines. A more complete nomination package increases the
opportunity for an accurate judgment.

How can I submit a nomination?

All nomination documents should be submitted as a hard-copy or in digital format. All documents should be
sealed and sent to:
Enterprise Asia Projects Head Office
33-5-3A, Block C, Jaya One
 72A, Jalan Universiti 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Malaysia@enterpriseasia.org

Who can I contact for more information?

Please contact Enterprise Asia Secretariat office at:
T: 603-7955 3325 F: 603-7955 3326
Or send an enquiry to Malaysia@enterpriseasia.org or your respective Contact Person from Enterprise Asia.

www.APEA.asia