Department/team categories

Companies may choose from over 100 categories in our 2025 Best in Biz Awards programs. Please see below for more details on the 18 Department / Team categories.

All of the Department / Team categories are the same in both the 13th annual International and 15th annual North American business awards programs.

As always, companies are allowed and encouraged to submit multiple entries in multiple categories in Best in Biz Awards. The tips included in the right column offer some helpful suggestions on which entries can be easily repurposed for which additional categories.

Department / team categories

Departments and teams from companies and organizations in all industries are eligible to enter any and all of the categories, regardless of their size.

  • 01

Executive Team of the Year

All executive management teams are eligible.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – to also enter various Company categories, in addition to the corresponding Executive category.
  • 02

Founding Team of the Year

All founding teams who have created a new business since January 1, 2023 are eligible.

Tip: Use this category submission to also enter the Start-up of the Year category or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 03

Business Development Department / Team of the Year

All business development departments and teams are eligible.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – in the corresponding Executive category.
  • 04

Creative Department / Team of the Year

All creative departments and teams are eligible, including in-house graphic and art departments, as well as teams at creative agencies.
Tip: Use this category submission to submit in the corresponding Executive category.
  • 05

Crisis Management Department / Team of the Year

All departments and teams tasked with preparing for, managing and responding to crises, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, are eligible to apply. This includes all departments and teams involved in crisis management, including customer care, customer service, customer support, logistics, operations, technology, marketing, PR etc., as well as cross-departmental teams.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – to also enter the corresponding Executive category.
  • 06

Customer Service Department / Team of the Year

All customer service departments and teams are eligible. This includes customer care, customer service, customer support, etc.
Tip: Use this category submission to also enter Most Customer Friendly Company of the Year or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 07

Finance Department / Team of the Year

All finance departments and teams are eligible.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – in the corresponding Executive category.
  • 08

HR Department / Team of the Year

All human resources departments and teams are eligible.
Tip: Use this category submission to submit in Best Place to Work or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 09

Legal Department / Team of the Year

All legal departments and teams are eligible. This includes in-house legal departments, as well as teams at law firms.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – to also enter the corresponding Executive category.
  • 10

Marketing Department / Team of the Year

All marketing departments and teams are eligible. This includes in-house marketing departments, as well as teams at marketing and advertising agencies.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – in the Marketing Campaign of the Year or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 11

Operations Department / Team of the Year

All operations departments and teams are eligible. This includes general operations, front-of-the-house, manufacturing, and others. Also, operations departments can encompass other functional teams, such as HR, legal, etc.
Tip: Use this category submission to also enter the corresponding Executive category.
  • 12

PR Department / Team of the Year

All public relations and corporate communications departments and teams are eligible. This includes in-house PR and corporate communications departments, as well as teams at PR agencies.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used – or parts of it re-purposed – to also enter PR Campaign of the Year or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 13

Product Management / Development Department / Team of the Year

All departments and teams tasked with preparing, developing and managing products are eligible to apply. This includes all departments and teams involved at any stage of product management or development, including technology, visual arts, operations, etc. as appropriate, as well as any cross-departmental teams.
Tip: This category submission can frequently be re-used, often with minimal to no tweaks, in several Product or Service categories or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 14

Research and Development Department / Team of the Year

All research and development departments and teams are eligible. This includes research labs and departments at for-profit companies, as well as non-profit and governmental organizations. Please be sure to mention research achievements, innovations, patents.
Tip: Use this category submission to submit in the corresponding Executive category.
  • 15

Sales Department / Team of the Year

All sales departments and teams are eligible. This includes channel, direct, online and retail sales.
Tip: Use this category submission to also enter the corresponding Executive category.
  • 16

Support Department / Team of the Year

All support departments and teams are eligible. This includes customer support, customer care, tech support, etc.
Tip: This category submission can be re-used to enter the Customer Service Department / Team or the corresponding Executive category.
  • 17

Technology Department / Team of the Year

All technology departments and teams are eligible. This includes engineering, IT, web development, etc.
Tip: Use this category submission to enter the corresponding Executive category, or re-use parts of it to submit in various Product or Service categories.
  • 18

Board of the Year

All boards of publicly owned companies or non-profit organizations are eligible.

Submission process

Any company from any industry based in or operating in U.S. or Canada is eligible to enter any of the more than 100 company, department / team, executive, product and CSR, media, PR and other award categories in the North American business awards. Any company based anywhere in the world – global or local – is eligible to enter any of the categories in the International business awards.

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