Awards of Excellence
Nominate yourself, a company, or a change maker for WBE Canada's 2026 Awards of Excellence
ABOUT AWARDS
Recognizing Leaders and Voices of Change – Making an Impact in Supplier Inclusion in Canada
WBE Canada's Annual Awards of Excellence celebrate accomplishments in advancing inclusive procurement and sourcing across Canada and recognize some of Canada's most distinguished women entrepreneurs, Corporations and Supporters of women who are making an impact in corporate and government supply chains in Canada and abroad.
Each year the call for nominations for the Awards is opened to our certified WBE Community, Corporate and Government Member organizations, Partners and Supporters. Nominations can be submitted for a variety of awards under their respective categories.
The deadline to submit nominations is September 18, 2026.
AWARDS PROCESS
How Nominations Work
1
Nomination
Nominate yourself or a business championing supplier inclusion
2
Evaluation
Our Volunteer Committee reviews each nomination with care
3
Notification
Finalists will be contacted once selections are made
4
Collateral
We'll collect finalist details and digital assets for use in Conference materials
5
Ceremony
Winners are celebrated at our November 18 Spotlight of Excellance Award's Reception
Certified WBE
Recognizing WBE Innovation & Impact
2026 WBE Rising Star
Interested in Sponsoring this Award? Email partner@wbecanada.ca
Awarded to a Certified WBE who, within their first 3 years of certification, has demonstrated significant achievements and progress. This company shows quick implementation combined with business acumen and active involvement in the WBE Canada community.
- Certified WBE Company within first 3 years of certification
- Actively engaged and participating in WBE Canada events
- Successful in landing corporate/government contracts and/or B2B opportunities
- New WBE. Company must be a Certified WBE with WBE Canada for less than 3 years as of July 31, 2026.
- Business Growth. Describe the business expansion with year over year analysis.
- Success. Describe what opportunities the business has won since becoming certified.
- Community Engagement. Describe how the business has engaged and participated in WBE Canada events.
- Recommendation Letter. Provide a recommendation letter from a Corporate Member organization.
2026 WBE Leadership
Presented by 
This award recognizes certified women-owned businesses that are actively engaged with the WBE Canada Community or our partner organizations. An individual who owns or works with a WBE Canada Certified Company.
- Actively involved in WBE Canada Programs, Projects, Committees
- An individual who is a champion of WBE Canada programs and initiatives
- Role Model. List the activities the Nominee has undertaken to assist other women in her community.
- Partnership. Identify how the Nominee has demonstrated a commitment to their community.
- Advocacy. List examples of the Nominee’s accomplishments that have contributed to making a distinct and describable difference in the advancement of Canadian women.
- Encourages others Identify how you have been a champion of WBE Canada programs.
- Impact. Identify how the Nominee has had a measurable impact on women in their industry through either job creation, partnership with other WBEs.
- Recommendation Letter. Provide a recommendation letter from an individual different than a Nominator to support this nomination.
2026 Top WBE Exporter
Interested in Sponsoring this Award? Email partner@wbecanada.ca
This award recognizes the efforts and success of a certified women-owned businesses in expanding their business globally with a strategic export plan. The recipient of this award achieved global business growth, impacted the trade economy, and leveraged supplier inclusion to grow.
- The Nominee must be a Certified WBE
- Currently exporting products or services to at least one international market
- Has a strategic export plan for continued growth and market diversification, which includes leveraging supplier inclusion as an entry strategy to a new market
- Export Sales. Will demonstrate that a significant portion of the company's business comes from exporting.
- Leveraging Supplier Diversity as a strategy to enter new markets. The Nominee will demonstrate how their supplier inclusive strategy has given their organization opportunities to reach new markets including networks, trade missions, conferences, B2B meetings, etc.
- Strategic export. Provide a high-level overview of your strategic exporting plan.
2026 Top WBE Supplier
Interested in Sponsoring this Award? Email partner@wbecanada.ca
This award recognizes a Certified WBE who has demonstrated excellence in their business. The recipient of this award has achieved business growth and shown dedication to supporting other women-owned businesses.
- The Nominee must be a Certified WBE who incorporates best practices in business operations
- Is current on industry trends and incorporates best practices in business operations
- Offers exemplary customer service
- Conducts business with other women owned businesses
- Business Growth. Outline how the Nominee has had a measurable impact by the expansion of their business.
- Innovation. Identify how the Nominee has demonstrated innovative thinking in her business practices, which has driven change.
- Career Accomplishments. Identify and list career accomplishments and initiatives that have set the Nominee apart from other businesses.
- Community Service. List how the Nominee has demonstrated her commitment to the community at large through volunteer work, mentorship.
- Recommendation Letter. Provide a recommendation letter from a Corporate Member organization.
Corporate Members
Acknowledging Corporate Commitment
2026 Top Corporation
Interested in Sponsoring this Award? Email partner@wbecanada.ca
This award recognizes a WBE Canada Corporate Member who has made a distinct and describable difference in their Supplier Inclusion Strategy. The recipient of this award is an organization that demonstrates measurable improvements benefiting diverse suppliers within procurement processes and outcomes.
- The Nominee is a Corporate Member with WBE Canada
- The Nominee will demonstrate measurable qualitative and/or quantitative improvement of its supplier inclusion strategy.
- Vision and Leadership. Please provide a description of the Nominee’s supplier inclusion strategy. Identify diverse initiatives directed to women-owned business enterprises currently underway or planned for the future.
- Supplier Inclusion Strategy. Identify how the Nominee furthered its Supplier Inclusion program in the last year.
- Innovation. Identify innovative strategies that have provided opportunities for WBEs.
- Progress. Identify how the Nominee plans to further increase its support for WBEs.
- Recommendation Letter. Provide a recommendation letter from an individual different than a Nominator to support this nomination.
2026 Inclusive Procurement Leader
Interested in Sponsoring this Award? Email partner@wbecanada.ca
This award recognizes a procurement professional within WBE Canada’s Corporate Membership who is an advocate and leader among peers. This individual shows tremendous leadership while leveraging innovation to advance supplier inclusion. A role model internally with colleagues and externally with vendor partners. This individual is a visible champion in the supplier inclusion community as well as their respective industry.
- An individual who works for a WBE Canada Corporate Member
- Demonstrates extraordinary leadership in promoting Canadian women-owned businesses
- A role model internally and externally to champion supplier inclusion
- Vision and Leadership. Identify how the Nominee has demonstrated vision and thought leadership in the area of supplier inclusion.
- Innovation. Identify how the Nominee has demonstrated innovative thinking in creating and advancing opportunities for Certified WBEs.
- Advocacy. Identify how the Nominee has utilized their business and personal networks to create opportunities to actively support and advance supplier inclusion in Canada.
- Role Model. Identify how the Nominee has served as a role model for others with regard to advancing supplier inclusion. Additionally, describe activities undertaken by the Nominee to share their expertise and expectations of supplier inclusion within corporations.
- Recommendation Letter. Provide a recommendation letter from an individual other than the Nominator to support this nomination.
Open to All
Celebrating Our Community
2026 WBE Canada Award of Distinction
Presented by 
This award recognizes a special individual for their successful achievement and passionate commitment to supplier inclusion.
- Proof of Certification or Corporate Membership
- Supplier Inclusion Awareness. Identify how the Nominee contributed to building awareness and promoting supplier inclusion.
- Community Impact. Identify how the nominee has supported and made an impact within the WBE Canada Community.
- Innovation. Identify how the Nominee has contributed to WBE Canada’s sustained growth and development.
- Geographical Impact. Identify and provide support as to how the Nominee is creating supplier inclusion as a business imperative within their broader communities - locally, regionally, and nationally.
- Recommendation Letter. Provide a recommendation letter from an individual other than the Nominator to support this nomination.
Nominating?
I want to nominate myself or someone I know