Following nominations, a two-step process will be used to determine the finalists and winner in the following categories:
Step 1 - Entrants to submit a Written Submission
Entrants are required to submit a written response addressing the submission questions. These are listed within the Entrant Guidelines.
Within the awards portal, there will be text boxes for you to enter your responses into. You will not be required to upload a document. You can either prepare your responses offline and copy/paste them into the awards portal or draft your responses directly within the portal and save your progress as you go.
Each question will have a word limit which is also outlined in the Entrant Guidelines and will be enforced via the awards portal.
Please ensure your responses relate to achievements during the qualifying period, from 01 July 2025 – 30 June 2026.
Nominee Announcement
Entrants that submit their written submission by the deadline will be announced as Nominees. Nominees will be announced in late July.
Submission Scoring & Finalist Determination
All submissions will be scored by an Independent Assessor.
Each submission question will be scored out of 10; nominees will receive a score out of 50 for their submission.
The top 5 scoring nominees will be announced as Finalists.
Step 2 - Industry Judging
Should your business be confirmed as a finalist, your original submission will be re-assessed by a panel of 2 – 3 judges. Each judge will submit their own set of scores. No further action is required from the finalist.
Submission Scoring & Winner Determination
The finalist with the highest combined score (assessor + judges’ scores) will be confirmed as the winner and announced at the NTIA Gala Dinner and Awards presentation.