CRN Fast50 2024

The CRN Fast50 2024 submissions are now open!

Enter the Fast50 now!

About the CRN Fast50

Now in its 17th year, the CRN Fast50 recognises the fastest-growing companies in the Australian IT channel, based on year-on-year revenue growth. The entry and judging process runs from July to September.

By adhering to a strictly numbers-based formula, we have ensured that the CRN Fast50 continues to earn respect and recognition as the only awards program in the Australian technology industry that truly recognises the best businesses based on hard numbers.

 

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Why do companies enter the CRN Fast50?

  • Stand out as a pillar of success
  • Boost your company's reputation
  • Get hunted out for deals
  • Celebrate your team
  • Raise your profile among top vendors

For questions or clarification please contact 
fast50@crn.com.au

Special Awards

In addition to the 50 fastest growing IT solution providers, the CRN Fast50 also honours partners across several special awards that champion outstanding efforts in a given year or over multiple years. These awards include:

  • Leader Award
    Recognises the Fast50 company with the largest overall revenue.
  • Young Leader Award
    The Young Leader Award is given to the youngest CEO whose company made the Fast50. 
  • Fast50 Icon Award
    Presented to the company that other Fast50 companies vote as having made the most significant contribution to the Australian channel, based on a list of nominees provided by the CRN news team.
  • Female Business Champion Award
    The Female Business Champion Award recognises the most outstanding contribution by a woman working for or with a Fast50 company, based on the business impact of the nominee’s work. Each Fast50 company can nominate one candidate. 
  • Resilience Award
    It's important to shine a light on the company with the best Fast50 performance over the last three years - this award does just that; based on how frequently the winning company made the Fast50, and then on the best performance. 

Eligibility

To be eligible to enter the CRN Fast50, your company must satisfy the below criteria:

  • Sell, resell, recommend, design or implement IT products and/or services to business end users;
  • Derive more than 50 percent of revenue in the financial year ending in June 2024 from selling, reselling, recommending, designing or implementing of IT products and/or services (but excluding internet connections) to business end users;
  • Have net sales revenue of at least $1 million (excluding GST) in FY23 — more information below)
    Please note - we do not accept any Government Stimulus (such as Job Keeper) to be included in the Total Sales Revenue. 
  • Have net sales revenue of at least $1.5 million (excluding GST) in FY24 — more information below; 
    Please note - we do not accept any Government Stimulus (such as Job Keeper) to be included in the Total Sales Revenue. 
  • Be headquartered in Australia (if you have offices overseas, only revenue of the Australian business will be considered);
  • Be established and have traded before 1 July, 2022;
  • Be prepared to supply documentation to support your performance (official letter from accountant and signed Directors Declaration).

Notes to the above criteria:

  • Vendors and distributors are NOT eligible to enter the CRN Fast50. Vendors and distributors are welcome to sponsor the event.
  • Companies that derived more than 50% of their revenue in 2022/23 selling via other resellers/dealers, rather than direct to end-users, may be asked to make a case for their eligibility.
  • Companies such as Independent Software Vendors or Mobile App Developers that develop their own products, rather than resell, recommend, design or implement IT products from other vendors, may be asked to make a case for their eligibility.
  • It is at CRN's discretion to decide eligibility.
 

Supporting Documentation

Upon completion of your submission you must also provide the following supporting documentation:

1. Either:
a) A statement/letter from an external certified accountant/auditor confirming the total sales revenue (excluding GST) for FY23 and FY24 as well as company ABN/ACN. 
OR
b) ASX or ASIC filings

NOTE: Accountant should be a member of one of the following associations: CPA, ICAA, IPA.

2. A signed Director’s Declaration by the company director. Download Director’s Declaration template here: Directors Declaration.

NOTE: This should be signed by at least one company director. It does not need to be witnessed by a Justice of the Peace.

Please email all supporting documentation to: fast50@crn.com.au by 5pm Thursday 22nd August 2024.

FAQ

1. How long do I have to apply?

Online nominations for the 2023 CRN Fast50 will be accepted until 5pm Thursday 22nd August 2024. Companies will be contacted in September.

Companies that do not produce supporting documentation, verifying substantiation of claimed FY2022 and FY2023 net sales by 5pm Thursday 22nd August 2024 will be removed from consideration of the list.

Please note that CRN reserves the right to extend the closing date as required. In such case the new date will be publicly announced.

2. How are you going to rank the companies?

The ranking will be done solely on the basis of the percentage growth of the net sales revenue from financial years FY23 and FY24. We will calculate the percentage growth rate for this period. Refer to Q17 to see how percentage growth is calculated.

3. What are the criteria for eligibility?

Your company must meet each of the following four criteria;

  • Be an IT solution provider that sells, resells, recommends, designs or implements IT products and/or services to business end users. More than 50 percent of revenue in the financial year ending in June 2023 must come from selling, reselling, recommending, designing or implementing of IT products and/or services (but excluding internet connections) to business end users.
  • Have net sales revenue of at least $1,5 million (excluding GST) in financial year 2023-2024;
  • Have net sales revenue of at least $1 million (excluding GST) in financial year 2023-2024, as per the rules of the 2024 CRN Fast50;
  • Be headquartered in Australia (if you have offices overseas, only revenue of the Australian business will be considered);
  • Be established and have traded before 1 July, 2022;

Vendors and distributors are NOT eligible for the list.

4. Will I be asked to supply supporting documentation?

When you apply for the CRN Fast50, you must submit:

Please email all supporting documentation to fast50@crn.com.au with words "CRN Fast50" clearly included in email subject line.

Supporting documentation must be provided within one week of the online submission deadline; otherwise submission will be removed from consideration of the list.

  1. Either:
    a) A statement/letter from an external certified accountant/auditor confirming the total sales revenue (excluding GST) for FY23 and FY24 as well as company ABN/ACN. 
    OR
    b) ASX or ASIC filings.
    Large companies — as defined by ASIC with more than $25 million of FY2024 revenue and/or more than 50 staff may be required to submit ASIC financial reports OR provide an explanation why the company is not required to submit annual report to ASIC.

    AND
  2. A signed Directors Declaration, signed by the company director on company letterhead confirming the sales figures – download the template here

5. My company’s revenue is growing rapidly, but we are not yet profitable. Does this matter?

No. The ranking will be based solely on revenue growth, not the degree of profitability.

6. Does it matter if my company is public or private?

No. The ranking is done solely on the revenue growth.

7. Does it matter how my company is structured?

As long as your company is independent and meets the other criteria listed above, it does not matter how it is structured.

8. What if my company used to be independent, but was acquired?

Then you are not eligible for the list unless your company was acquired after 30 June, 2024, in which case the parent company should enter, or see Q10 below for details on entering as a subsidiary.

9. What if my growth was through acquiring or merging with another company?

You are eligible to enter. We will ask you to provide details on any M&A and the impact it had on your company's revenue growth. We reserve the right to request further documentation to confirm the M&A has been fully completed within the appropriate period. Your entry may be ineligible if the revenue attained from acquisition/s was larger than the existing company's total prior year revenue.

10. What if my company is a division or subsidiary of a larger company?

Then you are still eligible for the list, but please make sure that your net sales revenue figures reflect only the net sales revenue of your division, not the entire company. In this case, you must supply sales revenue documentation from an independent accountant; internal sales figures are not acceptable.

11. What if my company was founded or commenced trading after 1 July 2022?

Then you are not eligible for this year’s list, although you may be eligible for future lists. Your company must have been trading from 1 July, 2022, so that we have a full year’s worth of sales revenue for FY22 to use as the base for calculating revenue growth rates. Partial-year revenues are not acceptable.

12. What if my FY2024 net sales revenue was below $1.5 million (excluding GST)?

Your company is not eligible for the list. This minimum level of sales will strictly be adhered to.

13. What if my FY2024 net sales revenue was above $25 million (excluding GST)?

If you are a private, unlisted company, ASIC may define your company as a "Large Company" — click here for definition — in which case you may be asked to submit an ASIC financial report.

14. What if my company has changed names?

Please fill out the application with your new name, followed by the previous company name in parentheses, followed by the financial year of change. Example: "Bill's MSP PTY LTD (William's MSP PTY LTD, FY23)"

15. What if my company’s fiscal year does not coincide with the Australian fiscal year (1 July – 30 June)?

Then you must only use the sales data from the time periods that correspond to the Australian FY22, which will then be compared to the Australian FY23 sales data — 1 July 2022-30 June 2023 will be compared to 1 July 2023-June 30 2024.

16. What if my company has different fiscal year ends for each year?

Adjust your net sales revenue figures to reflect periods for FY23 and FY24 in order to fill out the application. When you submit supporting documentation, it must include all relevant periods.

17. Can I submit sales figures based on cash accounting?

No. Before filling out the application, you must convert your net sales revenue figures to an accrual basis. To convert cash to accrual, start with cash receipts, subtract the beginning accounts receivable, and add ending accounts receivable.

18. How will the results of this study appear in CRN?

We will publish a list all companies that places in the 2024 Fast50 later in the year on CRN website. You can see the 2023 Fast50 finalists here.

The list of the fastest-growing companies will be published in order of rank and the results will include any or all data submitted in the online entry, including revenue figures provided.

19. How is the growth percentage calculated?

We divide FY2024 net sales revenue by FY2023 net sales revenue, subtract 1 and multiply the result by 100.

For example, say FY2024 net sales revenue totalled $10 million and FY2023 net sales revenue totaled $5 million.

$10,000,000/$5,000,000=2
2-1=1
1x100=100
Growth is 100%.

20. Will appearing in the CRN Fast50 reveal information about my company to competitors?

Your sales figures will be made public for the financial years relevant to the submission.

Every year we poll our entrants and they are overwhelmingly positive about entering the CRN Fast50. None have reported a negative experience with being published in the CRN Fast50.

In fact, past entrants often tell us about many benefits that appearing in the Fast50 had in terms of raising their profile among other resellers, vendors and distributors. 

21. What if I have another question?

For questions or clarification please contact fast50@crn.com.au.