Tauranga's Engine Room Chartered Accountants has been selected as a finalist in the 2015 AUT Faculty of Business and Law Excellence in Business Support Awards.

Recognised for excellence in the Image Centre Group Business category, the company will join finalists across 10 categories at this year's awards.

Engine Room directors Philippa O'Mara and Margaret Holmes. Photo: Supplied.

Engine Room Chartered Accountants director Margaret Holmes says being a finalist is recognition of the hard work the team puts in to support business growth in the community.

'We know that being a business owner can be lonely and we work to provide a sounding board when they need it.”

Established in 2001, Engine Room Chartered Accountants supports small-medium sized New Zealand businesses and help them achieve their goals.

During the last decade the business has grown into a vibrant team of accountants and business coaches, with offices based in Pukekohe, South Auckland and Tauranga.

AUT University Dean of Business and Law, Professor Geoff Perry says the importance of excellent business support runs through everything the faculty does, from teaching to research to co-operative education and industry engagement.

'The large number of entries from technology companies this year highlights the important role technology can play in enhancing business support, and entrants in the two technology categories have achieved particularly strong scores at this stage,” says Geoff.

Finalists for each of the ten categories have until 17 July to submit their final applications, which will then be evaluated by academics from the AUT Business School. Evaluation of applications is overseen by the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation.

In evaluating applications the judges will consider: leadership and planning, customer and market focus, provision of business support and evaluation and improvement, with a focus on results.

Now into their tenth year the AUT Excellence in Business Support Awards are the only national performance measure for New Zealand business support organisations.

Winners of the ten category awards and the supreme award will be named at a gala dinner on October 29.