Josh's Rainbow Eggs Macedon Ranges Business Excellence Awards

Recognising businesses for their outstanding achievement in — and contribution to — the food, beverage and agribusiness industries in and around the shire. This award is open to businesses that grow and/or produce food, fibre, animal husbandry and beverage related products (e.g. livestock, vignerons, wool, horses and flowers).

Designed to recognise manufacturers that display innovation and best practice in the creation and delivery of a product. The primary focus of the award is to acknowledge continuous improvement, best practice, creativity and innovation within the Macedon Ranges.

On the tools, these businesses keep our community in operation. This award is designed to recognise trade businesses that require on-the-job or tertiary-level training. Applicants for this category can come from industries that include beauticians, carpenters, car or bicycle mechanics, electricians, hairdressers, landscapers and plumbers as well as traditional manufacturing.

This award recognises businesses that provide excellence in health and allied health services.

An applicant’s business should function in health care by providing an aspect or range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient care and support services. Examples include businesses that specialise in medicine and/or operate in health as an audiologist, dietitian, exercise physiologist, nutritionist, occupational therapist, optometrist, physiotherapist, podiatrist, psychologist, speech pathologist and/or provide other similar or related professional health services.

This award recognises innovators from any wellness sector – spa, fitness, nutrition, workplace wellness, integrative medicine and preventive health.

This award recognises established small businesses that continue to grow, support staff and truly connect with customers.

Applicants for this category must be businesses with 1 to 5 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.

Designed to recognise professional services offering B2C/B2B solutions and customised, knowledge-based services.

Some example businesses include those operating in legal services, real estate, accounting and financial advisory, architecture, engineering, information technology and consulting. Applicants for this category should have an established business and strong client base.

These businesses know how to hustle and bring business to the shire.

This award recognises businesses in the arts, attractions, cultural tourism, accommodation, entertainment, festival and events space.

Applicants for this category must have held a local event or provide an attraction that enhances the profile, awareness or appeal of the destination, created an economic impact, increased visitation and/or had local community involvement.

This award focuses on young people making waves in our business community. Applicants for this category must be aged from 16 to 35 and can come from any industry sector and working or operating at any level of business including trainees and apprentices.

Eligible businesses can apply for this award category in addition to their specific category.

Applicants for this category must meet the age criteria as at Friday 15 March 2026.

For organisations where a positive social impact is at the core of their purpose. They are applying innovative solutions to address social or environmental issues and better the community we live in.

Open to not-for-profit, social enterprise, for profit, and profit-for-purpose organisations operating in the Macedon Ranges Shire.

Designed to recognise businesses that demonstrate leadership and commitment to sustainable business practices.

Applicants should have a commitment to sustainable products and practices, a circular economy business model, support other businesses or consumers through the sale of sustainable products, have developed innovative methods integrated into their business that allow them to limit their own or others impact on the environment, remain competitive and guarantee their viability. Examples include businesses that sell or have integrated sustainable products, projects, programs, systems and technologies that minimise their environmental impact.

Eligible businesses can apply for this award category in addition to ONE award from the Business Excellence Award categories.

Following the judging process, all finalists are eligible for the People’s Choice Award with a focus on excellence in customer service. This award requires a public voting process.

This award recognises a business that has achieved outstanding results, business performance and management and demonstrates all round excellence in business. To be eligible for this award, businesses need to be a finalist in an award category.

A new award category in 2026, recognising businesses that have won the same award category for 3 consecutive awards, celebrating sustained excellence and long-term contribution to the community.

Once a business is inducted into the Hall of Fame, they are no longer eligible to enter the Business Awards again in that same category.

We are delighted to have Josh's Rainbow Eggs back on board as the naming sponsor for 2026. Having won three categories in the 2019 awards and they came on board as naming rights sponsors in 2021 and continued in this role to support and encourage other businesses.

The Bendigo Bank Community Bank branches in the Macedon Ranges are delighted to sponsor the business awards for an eighth year, to support and celebrate local businesses. With four locations in the shire, they see every day how important local businesses are to the fabric and success of our communities.

These branches all offer the full range of Bendigo Bank products, competitive rates and local staff who care about your financial success, plus an important point of difference – they invest in the local communities in which they operate. To date, they have given back $5 million to support clubs, projects, events and schools in the Macedon Ranges to help our communities thrive.

So, for great service and banking you can feel good about, bank with your local branch:

• Community Bank Gisborne – 11 Nexus Way or (03) 5420 7210
• Community Bank Lancefield – 20A High Street or (03) 5429 1977
• Community Bank Romsey – 105 Main Street or (03) 5429 5526 

• Bendigo Bank Kyneton – 89 Mollison Street or (03) 5422 3400

Workspace Australia Ltd  is the largest business incubator provider in Australia. Established in 1998 it has grown to encompass 6 incubator sites across regional Victoria. 

Setting the benchmark for assisting start-up businesses in becoming commercially viable it has achieved a level of success which is unmatched within the industry. In a time when 40% of businesses are successful after the first three years of operation, Workspace has been able to achieve a success rate of 98% over the last seven years . 

Voted Australia’s Business Incubator of the Year in 2010 and a finalist in the International Incubator of the Year awards in 2011, Workspace has become the leader in establishing best practices within the industry.  

This non-profit organisation, governed by a Volunteer Board of Directors has been voted one of the top 10 incubators in the world and was awarded Bendigo’s Business Excellence Social Enterprise of the Year in 2016.

Kennedys Accountants offers local personalised convenience for businesses and individuals with the expertise of the ‘big smoke accountants’. Sharing tools and knowledge to help you to get the most out of your business and individual tax returns.

The team has real life business experience as well as tax knowledge. Kennedys Accountants assists businesses in a number of industries including health, hospitality, manufacturing, legal firms, civil construction, online clothing, trades, transport, equine, primary production and more. These businesses vary from small sole traders to businesses with multi million dollar turnovers.

As well as tax planning to keep tax to a legal minimum they also understand the importance of business structure and other areas such as cash flow, budgets, profitability, banks finance, HR issues and marketing.

The team aims to achieve the best outcomes to help businesses thrive and keep tax to a minimum.

The Midland Express is a free weekly newspaper circulating in the Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander regions of Victoria, Australia. The paper has a circulation of over 22,000 every week. The paper's office remains at its original location in the town of Kyneton, it is published weekly on a Tuesday and has been since its inception in 1979.