National Quality Awards

Overview

The National Quality Awards (NQA) Programme is Jamaica’s first quality systems based awards programme. It seeks to recognize and reward local companies that demonstrate the application of standards and quality systems in both the production of goods and the delivery of services.

In 2004, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) through the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, launched the NQA Programme. It was envisioned as a national medium for business excellence, to highlight and promote the competitiveness of Jamaican products and services. In honour of its 10th anniversary and in response to customer feedback, the NQA Programme was evaluated and strengthened in 2014. This has resulted in the programme being restructured to a biennial cycle.

World Standards Day is celebrated each year to pay tribute to the efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who collaborate within International Standards setting bodies to develop international standards that facilitate trade, share knowledge and disseminate technological advances.

The National Quality Awards are presented to successful companies at an official ceremony and banquet to be held on 13 October 2022; as part of the World Standards Day celebrations. 

The NQA Programme is open to entities operating in the:

• Manufacturing Sector

 

• Service Sector (Financial, Hospitality, Real Estate and Professional Services)

 

• Small Business Sector

 

• Agriculture

 

 For the purposes of the NQA Programme, these sectors are defined as follows:

 

1. Manufacturing Sector:

These are companies involved in physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products. Materials, substances or components are products of agricultural, forestry, fishing, mining or quarrying or other manufacturing activities.

This sector includes activities involving the substantial alteration, renovation or reconstruction of goods.

 

2. Service Sector:

These are companies that earn revenue through providing intangible products and services. Activities in this sector include retail, banks, hotels, real estate, education, health, social work, computer services, recreation, media, communications, electricity, gas and water supply.

 

 3. Small Business (SME) Sector:

These are enterprises that are involved in the small scale production of goods and/or services for sale. Enterprises qualify if they carry:

 

• Greater than 5 but less than or equal to 20 employees

 

• An annual turnover of more than J$15 million but less than J$75 million

 

4. Agriculture Sector:

This sector includes farming that refers to the primary producers of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops.  This sector is now divided into two categories, i.e. Small farms (≤5 acres) and large farms ˃5 acres.

 

2018 Excellence in Manufcaturing Award - Dairy Industries Jamaica Limited

2018 Excellence in Service Award - Nestlé Jamaica Limited

2018 Excellence for Small Business Award - Quality System Solutions & Initiatives

2018 Excellence in Agriculture - Advanced Farm Technologies