What are the iTnews Benchmark Awards?

The iTnews Benchmark Awards on March 30th 2023, recognise Australia's leading IT projects.

For ten years, these awards have given organisations, their IT leaders and teams an opportunity to gain recognition for their ambition, innovation and the value they have delivered to government, industry and the public.

Award winners join an alumni that includes leaders and teams responsible for some of Australia's most remarkable IT projects.

Past winners include Service NSW, The Reserve Bank of Australia, Suncorp, Feros Care, Boost Juice, Melbourne Water, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Nine and La Trobe University. Click here to learn more about the stand-out projects from 2022.   In 2023 the awards will be once again presented at a gala dinner at KPMG's Barangaroo offices in Sydney.

How do I enter the awards?

Entries have now closed and the finalists are announced here 

Winners were announced on the 30th March 2023 at a Gala Dinner at Barangaroo, Sydney and a full list can be found here

How much does it cost to enter the iTnews Benchmark Awards?

There is no cost to enter the iTnews Benchmark Awards

Why enter?

• Join an alumni of IT leaders and teams responsible for some of Australia's most remarkable IT projects. This group will be invited to exclusive iTnews events. 
   
• Finalists’ projects will be featured by iTnews, which is read by tens of thousands of people every day. Coverage will include videos about the finalists' projects.
   
• Be recognised in front of your IT industry peers at our gala awards dinner on 30th March, 2023 at the KPMG offices in Barangaroo in Sydney. All finalists are invited.
   
• Winners and finalists receive a promotional brand pack to use on social media, web sites, in email signatures and in other communications.

When is the deadline for entries?

Entries have now closed

What can you nominate for an award?

The awards focus on IT projects by large, end-user organisations, which are invited to nominate projects. Technology companies/contractors can also nominate client projects, but they must have approval from their client to do so. This is a client-focused awards program, focusing on the client’s challenges and how a project helped them. So the client must be prepared to accept an award and speak about their project publicly (they will be invited to speak on video about their project if the project is a finalist). The client will also be invited to attend the iTnews Benchmark Awards dinner if their project is a finalist.

Your project is eligible if any part of it occurred between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Judging will focus on achievements during that period. 

To be eligible your project must have been conducted by an Australian organisation or solely within the Australian subsidiary of a multinational organisation.

Pilot projects are welcome, if testing with actual end-users or customers has been completed.

You may submit multiple entries.

The iTnews Benchmark Awards categories

You can submit entries in 12 categories:

1. Best Federal Government Project - Projects conducted by federal government departments or agencies that resulted in either internal efficiencies or improved citizen services.

2. Best State Government Project - Projects conducted by state government departments or agencies that resulted in either internal efficiencies or improved citizen services.

3. Best Local Government Project - Projects conducted by local governments that resulted in either internal efficiencies or improved citizen services.

4. Best Industrial Project – Projects in the mining, resources, utility and manufacturing sectors which demonstrably improved productivity or product delivery.

5. Best Not for profit Project – Recognises projects by Not-For-Profits that provide exceptional service delivery to clients, accelerate fund raising, or delivery very significant efficiency gains for the organisation.

6. Best Education Project – Projects conducted by or for educational institutions at all levels – from childcare to university to adult education – that delivered either internal efficiency or better experiences and outcomes for students.

7. Best Health Project - Projects conducted by any organisation that delivered health services which demonstrably improved staff productivity and/or service delivery to patients.

8. Best Finance Project - Projects conducted by participants in the financial services industries that either improved internal operations or resulted in improved products and/or service delivery to corporate or retail customers.

9. Best Consumer Project - This category is for projects that served consumers in activities in which the end-user is a member of the public going about their daily lives. We suggest this category for companies focused on retail, media & entertainment, telecommunications services, tourism, transport services (but not logistics) and automotive. Projects should demonstrate improvements to internal operations and/or result in improved products and/or service delivery to corporate or retail customers.

10. Best Sustainability Project – Recognises project that helped deliver measurable sustainability gains for the organisation. These can be based on any of the United Nations 17 Sustainability Development goal however the submission must identify the role technology plays in the delivery of these goals.

11. Best Talent Management Project – Recognises innovative programs to attract and retain technology staff.

You may submit multiple entries.

One project entered in these categories will be selected as The Australian Technology Project of the Year.

The judging process

The awards will be judged by a select panel comprised of the iTnews editorial team and guest judges. Sponsors have no involvement in the judging process.

Finalists are selected on the following criteria:

• The strength of the business case for the project.
   
• The project’s delivery – evidence of agility, creative applications of IT and competencies developed, whilst keeping within targeted scope, deadline and cost.
   
• Whether new ground was forged – in terms of innovation and new technologies or approaches, and how this risk was managed.
   
• Return on investment – anticipated or measured.

Announcement of finalists and winners 

Finalists in each category will be announced here from 14th February 2023

Winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner, which has been rescheduled to 30th March, 2023 at the KPMG offices in Barangaroo in Sydney.  

Questions?

For questions, clarification or to request an extension, please contact us by clicking here.

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