The Awards
The CBN Young Dragon Awards recognize professionals who have demonstrated:
- Talent – exceptional skills, expertise, and ability within their field.
- Potential – strong promise for future growth, leadership, and impact.
- Early Achievement – significant accomplishments and measurable results at an early stage of their career.
The Awards aim to celebrate the accomplishments of emerging talent, encourage excellence and innovation, and empower young professionals to reach their full potential as leaders in their industries and communities.
Candidates eligible for nomination must demonstrate the following:
- Talent and achievement in their work.
- Strong leadership qualities, including the ability to inspire, motivate and guide others.
- Innovative thinking and problem solving.
- An ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, clients and stakeholders.
- An ability to articulate ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively.
- A successful career path within the organisation.
- A commitment to ethical conduct in their professional and personal interactions
- A commitment to making a positive impact beyond the workplace.
Awards Categories
Awards will be given to individuals in 9 categories as below:
- Tourism, Hotel, Leisure, Food and Beverage
- Construction and Real Estate
- Trading and Manufacturing (retail trade, wholesale trade, manufacturing)
- Technology (technology companies, software, hardware, telcos, etc.)
- Services (Education, Health, Media, Communications, Advertising, Supply Chain and Logistics, Digital Gaming & Interactive Entertainment–Video Games, Online & Mobile Games, Esports, Game Development, Gaming Technology & Related Services)
- Financial Services (Banks, Investment Firms, Insurance, EMIs & Payment Institutions and other Financial Services)
- Shipping & Shipping-Related Services
- Professional Services (Law, Accounting, Consulting)
- Special Award Young Entrepreneur
Awards Procedures
1. Formation of the Awards Judging Committee
The Committee consists of 50+ personalities from all business sectors, who will contribute with their knowledge and experience to the nominees’ assessments. The Committee will meet on two different occasions.
2. Open Call procedure
Nominations for the awards will be submitted through an open-call procedure available through the cbn.com.cy news portal. Nominations will be for individuals.
The nomination for categories 1-8, has to be submitted by the employer-company (supervisor, manager, HR, CEO). A single company may nominate as many employees as she choses for an award.
The nomination for category 9, Special Award Young Entrepreneur, can be submitted by the candidates themselves.
3. Candidate assessment and evaluation
IMH will process all applications and confirm that they comply with the Award rules and regulations, before being set to the Awards Committee.
The Awards Committee will evaluate all complete and approved applications. Following the evaluation, the Committee will meet for a second time to discuss and then vote to select the four (4) candidates with the highest score in each category.
4. Announcement of the four (4) selected candidates in each category and public voting
Once the four finalists in each category have been decided by the Committee, they will be announced to the public for voting. Voting will take place on the Cyprus Business News portal (cbn.com.cy).
5. Winners
The award recipients will be determined based on the highest combined score, calculated using an equal weighting of the Committee and public votes:
Committee Vote: 50%
Public Vote: 50%
6. Awards Ceremony
The awarded recipients will be announced at a celebratory Awards Ceremony.
Candidates Nomination Criteria
The criteria for being nominated for the Awards are:
- Eligible candidates must be under 40 years of age (i.e. born in or after 1987)
- Candidates must be working full-time for a Cypriot company (registered with the Cyprus Registrar of Companies and based in Cyprus).
- Candidates must have been with the company making the endorsement for their nomination for at least 2 (two) years.
- Candidates can be working at any department and any level of their company.
- All nominations must be endorsed and submitted by the employer-company (supervisor, manager, HR, CEO), using the available, official, online template.
- Nominations must be for one of the pre-mentioned categories (see awards categories)
- Each company may nominate any number of candidates in each category. But, a single candidate can only contest in one category only.
Nominations must be for individuals, NOT teams.
Young Entrepreneur
(Special Category)
Selection Rules, Selection Criteria and Information for Candidates
The Special Young Entrepreneur Award aims to recognize an inspiring young business mind who has created his/her own new, successful business. The award will emphasize the achievements of the young entrepreneur, his/her potential for continued growth through his new business and impact in the business world.
Candidates Nomination Criteria
- Eligible candidates must be under 40 years of age (i.e. born in or after 1987).
- Candidates must be the founders/shareholders of the company.
- The company must be in operation for at least 4 years.
- The company must be based in Cyprus.
- Nominations for this award can be made through the candidates themselves or a third-person.
Selection Criteria
Financial Performance
The candidate company under the nominee’s guidance, should demonstrate consistent and sustainable revenue growth over time, driven by long-term strategy rather than reliance on short-term market trends. It must operate under a robust and resilient business model capable of withstanding market fluctuations and broader economic challenges. Financial performance should reflect stability, scalability, and a clear path toward profitability.
Disruption & Innovation
The young entrepreneur should demonstrate a strong track record of innovation and the ability to challenge established industry practices. The candidate should be at the forefront of their industry, introducing pioneering ideas, innovative products, services, or processes that create meaningful value and have the potential to drive significant change.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
The candidate should demonstrate a clear and compelling strategic vision for the future, together with a well-defined strategy for achieving it.
Community Impact
The candidate and their business should demonstrate a meaningful and measurable positive impact on the community. This may include creating employment opportunities, fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment, and inspiring others through strong leadership and value-driven actions.
The entrepreneur should demonstrate a clear commitment to ethical business practices, sustainability, and social responsibility. This may be reflected through local community engagement, charitable initiatives, mentorship, or programmes that support and empower underserved or disadvantaged groups.
The candidate’s contribution should extend beyond financial performance, reflecting a business philosophy that places value on community development, social responsibility, and long-term collective benefit.
Awards Judging Committee
An Awards Committee of fifty+ (50+) personalities from the business world in Cyprus will be set up. Members of the Awards Committee are active in specific award categories or have more diverse business backgrounds and experiences.
The Awards Committee is the ultimate decision-making body to determine the validation of nominees and decide on the final four candidates for each category.
The Awards Committee will be chaired by the CEO of IMH.
The Committee Members will meet on two occasions:
- 1st Meeting: Presentation and discussion of the Awards, including the objectives, selection criteria, procedures, and regulations, followed by agreement on the guiding principles and evaluation process.
- 2nd Meeting: Review and assessment of the submitted nominations and candidates against the established selection criteria, followed by a Committee vote to select the four finalists who will proceed to the public voting stage.
Awards Ceremony
The 3rd CBN Young Dragon Awards ceremony will take place in January 2027, declaring the winners in their 9 respective categories.
The ceremony, a theater-style award reception, followed by an after-event party, will be a celebration of young achievement and accomplishment.
The evening will feature:
- Welcome Cocktail Reception
- Prestigious Theater-style Awards Ceremony, followed by an After-Party
- 800+ distinguished guests
- Awards presented by a prominent figure
The professional event management team at IMH, renowned for its exceptional standards of personal service and meticulous attention to detail, designs and delivers this annual event as a truly memorable experience for Cyprus’s business community.