The Torch Awards recognize businesses that have made an exemplary commitment to honest and ethical business practices and customer service excellence.

All businesses are nominated for this prestigious award by one of their customers. In some cases, businesses will be invited to nominate exceptional employees for a Torch Award.

Nominations are submitted to the Better Business Bureau on an annual basis. 

All nominations are valid providing the company has a "pass" rating on their BBB Business Review.

Torch Awards Judging Process

As hundreds of nominations are sent into BBB each year, a pre-screening process takes place to make sure nominees are eligible to receive a Torch Award. (For example, a company with an F rating on their BBB Business Review would not be eligible.) A small panel of objective, independent judges then review all the nomination forms and nominees are then divided into award category groupings. The best most representative nominations for each business are selected.

To complete the judging process, another panel of independent, volunteer judges is then convened to review the nominations in further detail. Judges are asked to identify one winner from the group of nominees and approximately 3 to 5 finalists.

Nominees are judged on their character, culture, customer service and community engagement. Judges are looking for stories that demonstrate how a business demonstrated ethics, trust, reliability, honesty, service, fairness, and respect. Winners are selected based on how the company demonstrated:

1.     High ethical standards of behaviour towards customers, suppliers, employees, and communities in which they do business

2.     Ethical practices surrounding their buyer/seller relationship.

3.     Marketing, advertising, communications, and sales practices which reflect a true representation of what is being offered in the marketplace.

4.     Acknowledgment of ethical marketplace standards by industry peers and in communities where they do business.

5.     How ethical policies that are effectively communicated to employees.

Torch Award Finalists are announced prior to the Torch Award event. Torch Award Winners are announced the evening of the Torch Award event.