Canada Awards for Excellence (CAE)

The Canada Awards for Excellence (CAE) were created to honour outstanding business and public sector achievements. They are given after a nation-wide evaluation; entrants are judged by independent panels of recognized industry sector experts. Applicants must complete submissions usually in the spring. The date is noted each year in the official entry guide of the National Quality Institute (see More Information). 

Eligibility Criteria

The Quality, Healthy Workplace and Education awards are open to public sector, not-for-profit organizations, associations or sub-units located in Canada.

They are also open to profit-making business enterprises or their business units (i.e. company, division, branch or subsidiary) located in Canada.

Summary

The Canada Awards for Excellence are presented annually to private, public and not-for-profit sector organizations that have displayed outstanding performance in the areas of Quality and Healthy Workplace. Since 1984, the award has honoured over three hundred Canadian organizations for outstanding achievements.

To receive the Canada Awards for Excellence trophy, organizations must have fully met the National Quality Institute (NQI) Criteria with documented overall achievements and results.

What are the benefits?

The benefits of receiving a Canada Award for Excellence include:

• building a submission helps solidify your organization's strengths by documenting the processes and the results;
• it recognizes the achievements of your employees;
• preparing the application helps improve communication and boosts morale in the organization;
• recipients gain country-wide recognition of the organization's level of excellence;
• media coverage, including press, television and Internet can be extensive and invaluable;
• it provides an opportunity to differentiate your organization in the marketplace;
• you get the chance to become an identifiable leader in your field and may be invited to speak about your journey to excellence.

Canada Awards for Excellence

Quality Award

The CAE Quality Award, appropriate for both private sector and public sector organizations, is based on the Canadian Framework for Excellence. Since 1984, hundreds of organizations have been recognized under the CAE Quality Award.

• Recognizes organizations showing outstanding performance based on a comprehensive quality framework.
• The award is adjudicated against the Framework for Business Excellence or the Canadian Criteria for Public Sector Excellence for the private and public sectors respectively.
• The primary activities of the applicant must be conducted wholly or principally in Canada, or from a Canadian base of operations.

For organizations with fewer than 100 employees, there is a 10-point criterion.

Healthy Workplace Award

The Canadian Healthy Workplace Criteria were developed by the NQI and in partnership with Health Canada, in association with professionals from the health and wellness sector. Since 1999, many organizations have been recognized under this prestigious award.

• Recognizes organizations that promote, encourage, support and offer exemplary health-related programs in the workplace.
• The award is a joint undertaking of the National Quality Institute and Health Canada and is adjudicated against the Canadian Healthy Workplace Criteria.

For organizations with fewer than 100 employees, there is a 10-point criterion.

Customer Service Award for Small Business

The Customer Service Award for Small Business will recognize excellence in organizations with less than 50 employees, and is based on the Canadian Framework for Business Excellence Criteria.

Healthy Workplace Award for Small Organizations

The criterion is modeled after the Canadian Framework for a Healthy Workplace Criteria, developed in 1998 in partnership between NQI and Health Canada, as well as experts across Canada.

New Brunswick Contact(s):
See National Contact.

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National Contact(s):
Mr. John Perry
Senior Advisor and Senior VP
National Quality Institute
2275 Lake Shore Blvd. West, Suite 307
Toronto, Ontario  M8V 3Y3
Telephone: 416-251-7600 ext/poste 223
Fax: 416-251-9131
Toll-free (information): 1-800-263-9648 (outside of the Greater Toronto Area)
E-mail: perry.john@nqi.ca
Web site: http://www.nqi.ca/