2023 Robert R. Church, Sr. Achievement Awards Call for Nominations

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Thursday, August 17, 2023

Renasant Convention Center Ballroom A

255 North Main Memphis, TN 38103

About the Awards The Robert R. Church, Sr. Achievement Awards were designed to celebrate local and national corporate and M/WBE accomplishments, acknowledge and honor corporations with successful existing ESG and/or D&I programs, and encourage corporations and M/WBEs to incorporate D&I and ESG into their operations.

2023 Award Categories The Great Beginnings Award - Click for award criteria Presented to the organization that began and successfully incorporated an ESG initiative into their operations between 2020 - 2022.

Rising Star Award - Click for award criteria This award is for the individual who has been an advocate of ESG strategies in their organization and community for five (5) or fewer years.

Diversity & Inclusion Heroes Award - Click for award criteria Presented to the organization whose procurement and/or sourcing department has well-structured D&I initiatives and displays thorough and intentional strategies.

Tennessee MBDA Business of the Year Award - Click for award criteria Designed to recognize the outstanding performance and contributions made by clients of the Tennessee Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center.

Scalable M/WBE Business of the Year Award - Click for award criteria Presented to a certified minority or woman-owned business enterprise. The company must have successfully demonstrated growth in sales and employment, consistently provided high-quality products and services at competitive prices, and significantly contributed to the growth and development of this community.

M/WBE Quality Assurance Business of the Year Award - Click for award criteria Presented to a certified minority and/or woman-owned business enterprise. The M/WBE company must have implemented a quality control process that: (1) evaluates customer feedback regularly; (2) demonstrates unparalleled quality performance; (3) offers innovative solutions while going above and beyond minimum requirements; (4) meets and exceeds expectations of contract specifications for product or service delivery; and (5) responds to customer feedback in a timely manner.

Entry Requirements: Must be submitted online by July 14 Entries will not be published to the public.

Entries are open to only companies/organizations in the United States.

Best Practices for Submitting Your Nominations: Show proof of your achievements.

Include supportive information that proves you are making an impact.

Grab the judge’s attention.

Make your submission stand out with thorough responses for each question. Drive it home by providing evidence of your results.

Tie your results to your goal/objectives.

Make sure that your outcome is cohesive and in correlation with your intended impact.

Read the criteria.

Be sure you hit every nail on the head by carefully reading each question and displaying in your answer that you fully understand what you are being asked.

Start Early This will ensure that you’re able to take your time and be as thorough and precise as possible Judging: Description of Judges The Robert R. Church, Sr. Achievement Awards panel of judges is composed of a diverse selection of procurement and sourcing professionals who have a vast knowledge of purchasing and procurement.

Their goal is to determine which organizations demonstrate expertise and excellence in each award category.

Description of what they’ll judge Each award category is centered around impact and innovation. The judges are interested in determining the why behind each initiative. The judges want to know that your organization is going beyond checking a box. Is your impact measurable? Is each phase of implementation cohesive? Do these strategies align with the organization as a whole? These are a few of the ideas that will assist the judges in determining how well each organization walks its walk.

This redesigned event has been historically held in November each year as a luncheon. This year, the event will be held immediately following the 2023 Economic Development Forum Thursday, August 17, as a gala format and awards show. We invite you and your team to join us in celebrating, rallying and engaging corporations, organizations and small businesses leading the way in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and making positive societal impacts while also enjoying: A Networking Hour with: Silent Auction Wine & Spirit Pull Raffle Open Bar Photo Booth Live Music

Award Ceremony with Historical Categories:

Three (3) NEW Award Categories:

Corporation of the Year Quality Assurance Business of the Year Scalable M/WBE of the Year Tennessee MBDA Business of the Year

Rising Star Award Diversity & Inclusion Heroes Award The Great Beginnings Award

2022 Award Winners & Finalists

Corporation of the Year

M/WBE Quality Assurance TN MBDA Business of the Year Business of the Year

Winner Winner Action Janitorial Paper Safety Memphis-Shelby County Schools Finalists Finalists ABES Engineering, Inc. Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority The Premier Group Tennessee Valley Authority

Winner W&T Contracting Corporation Finalists ServiceMaster Facilities Maintenance Castle Black Construction, Inc

Scalable M/WBE Business of the Year Winner Pete Mitchell & Associates Finalists ServiceMaster Facilities Maintenance Brighter Days & Nites, Inc

*The Robert R. Church, Sr. Achievement Awards Gala is a separate event; sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are available and must be purchased separately from EDF sponsorships and tickets.

To secure a sponsorship or for more information, please contact the MMBC Continuum at 901-525-6512.

2023 Sponsorship Levels ESG Champion - $7,500 Seating for 10 in Private VIP Section at Award Ceremony Complimentary Drinks and Hors d'oeuvres Served by Conceriege Access to Networking Hour Activities, Including: Wine Pull Silent Auction Photo Booth Raffle Live Entertainment Logo on all event promotions and onsite signage

DEI Leader - $5,000 Seating for 8 in Private VIP Section at Award Ceremony Complimentary Drinks and Hors d'oeuvres Served by Conceriege Access to Networking Hour Activities, Including: Wine Pull Silent Auction Photo Booth Raffle Live Entertainment Logo on some onsite signage

Supplier Diversity Advocate - $3,000 Seating for 5 in Private VIP Section at Award Ceremony Complimentary Drinks and Hors d'oeuvres Served by Conceriege Access to Networking Hour Activities, Including: Wine Pull Silent Auction Photo Booth Raffle Live Entertainment Logo on some onsite signage

Individual Tickets - $125

Access to Networking Hour Complementary Hors d'oeuvres and Activities; Seating at Award Ceremony

*The Robert R. Church, Sr. Achievement Awards Gala is a separate event; sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are available and must be purchased separately from EDF sponsorships and tickets.