Frequently Asked Questions

Who should submit in Best in Biz Awards?

Any company can submit in Best in Biz Awards, regardless of its size, industry, funding or geographic location within the awards region. In addition to companies in various industries, PR, marketing and advertising agencies are encouraged to apply on behalf of their clients or themselves.

My company's headquarters is outside the U.S. and Canada, but the majority of our business is conducted within the region. Are we eligible to apply?

Yes. A company with multiple headquarters or international headquarters is eligible to enter Best in Biz Awards as long as it has business operations or presence in the U.S. or Canada. This includes companies whose headquarters might be located outside the U.S. or Canada, but which have offices or conduct sales in the region.

Can winners in prior Best in Biz Awards programs submit again?

Of course. Former winners of all Best in Biz Awards programs can submit again in the same or different awards program, and in the same or different award categories. Each year's program attracts a different pool of entries and is judged by a different judging panel, so former winners are certainly encouraged to compete again for the award.

How do I submit for Best in Biz Awards?

The submission process is simple both for award first timers and veterans of other international, national or local award programs. An entry in any of the company, product, department/team, executive, and PR, media and other categories, consists of three parts:
1) a description of the nominee's achievements in 2023-2024, that is from January 1, 2023 until day of submission (500 words or less);
2) a short biography and business background of the nominee;
3) hyperlinks to any news coverage, press releases or materials supporting the submission.

Entries can be submitted via the online entry system. American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Paypal are accepted methods of payment. If you prefer to pay by check or wire transfer, you can select the "Pay by invoice" option, which automatically generates an invoice with payment instructions. Entry receipts can be automatically downloaded as well.

Can I see examples of past Best in Biz Awards submissions?

Unfortunately, not. All Best in Biz Awards entries are strictly confidential and distributed only to the authorized media judges selected to review entries. The entries and the underlying information about the nominees are never released to anyone else or published on the Best in Biz Awards website or elsewhere - that promise of confidentiality is key to the integrity of the awards program. That said, when crafting your entries, please keep some of these tips in mind: 1) use bullet points for easy readability, 2) use data, numbers or statistics whenever available, 3) short case studies or customer/user/employee quotes can go a long way, 4) more does not always equal better - focus on the quality of your submissions or supporting links instead of the word count or quantity.

Can I know how many entries are in any given category in Best in Biz Awards?

Unfortunately, not. Best in Biz Awards never shares the specific numbers of entries in any individual categories - not during the awards submission period and not after the awards conclude. That said, after the awards conclude and winners are selected, Best in Biz Awards publishes the overall number of submissions in a given year's program.

Can I submit entries in multiple award categories?

Yes. You may submit entries in as many award categories as you and your company see fit. Every category is judged by a different subset of judges and every category garners a different pool of entries, some attracting 10 times more entries than others. The best way to increase your chances at winning is to enter multiple categories. It may not even be necessary to create an entirely new submission. Entries can be easily copied in the entry system, as the same entry may be perfectly applicable to multiple categories with minimal to no tweaks. Of course, feel free to completely refresh your submission as appropriate to tailor it for the additional categories and content you wish to highlight.

Can I submit entries in both award programs?

I am planning to submit more than five entries. Will I be eligible for a discount?

Companies submitting five or more entries will be eligible for a 10% discount. Additional discounts may be available if you are submitting more than 10 entries. Please email us for more information.

What is the fee schedule for Best in Biz Awards submissions?

Entry fees in Best in Biz Awards 2024 vary depending on the submission date. For detailed information on entry fees, please refer to the entry fees page. As the submissions in each award category are judged and scored by a judging panel, an entry fee does not guarantee that a submission will be recognized as a gold, silver, or bronze winner.

Is there any difference between the three deadlines?

The only difference between the three deadlines - early, regular and late - is the entry fee price. Entry fees get progressively more expensive (by $50), because the later deadlines offer entrants additional time to craft and fine tune their submissions and also because the judging panel is revealed during the later submission periods (with returning judges revealed during the regular entry period and the full judging panel announced during the late entry period). Of course, all entries are judged in the same way, regardless of when they are submitted.

What if I missed the deadline or can't finalize my submissions in time; can I get an extension?

No deadline extensions are given for the early and regular deadlines, since additional time is available to submit before the subsequent deadlines. The late deadline is sometimes officially extended by two weeks, due to popular demand. If that is not the case, deadline extensions may be granted for the late deadline. Please email us to inquire about an extension.

How is Best in Biz Awards different from other awards programs?

Best in Biz Awards is the only independent business awards program judged each year by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications, from North America and around the world. From Associated Press to Yahoo Tech's David Pogue - and including Businessweek, CNET, Consumer Affairs, Fast Company, Financial Times, Inc., Forbes, Fortune, Network World, PC Magazine, Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Wired and more - Best in Biz Awards each year assembles a judging panel composed of a who's who of prominent reporters and editors from the most respected publications.

Why are only members of the press judging the competition?

Best in Biz Awards' uniqueness stems, in part, from the composition of its judging panels. Each year, only editors, writers and contributors to business, consumer, financial, trade and technology publications, as well as broadcast outlets, are invited to serve as judges. Structured this way, Best in Biz Awards can best leverage the expertise, experience and objectivity of its influential judges to determine award winners. Having researched and covered numerous successful companies, we believe these judges are best suited to objectively evaluate the entry pool and choose the very best from among the submissions.

How are the entries judged?

Entries in each category are judged by at least five media and industry analyst judges, with each judge providing scoring and other feedback. Each judge can award a score from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating an entry the judge deems worthy of a gold win, 9 indicating a silver contender, and 8 indicating an entry deserving a bronze. The scores are then aggregated and averaged by the Best in Biz Awards staff and the winners selected based on these results.

Why do some categories not have a gold winner?

The highest-scoring entry in a given category does not necessarily automatically become the gold winner in that category. To maintain a standard of excellence in Best in Biz Awards, to be selected as a gold winner, entries require to have scored at least two 10's from the judges or to have achieved a similarly high cumulative score threshold.

My company is small. What if much bigger companies submit in my category?

All entries are judged on their own merit, recognizing achievements and successes while taking into account the companies' size, resources and competitive industry landscape. The judges don’t play favorites and honor the best work in the region, regardless of size and budget. As a result, small companies are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies, putting everyone on a level playing field. Several of the most popular categories, such as Company of the Year, Fastest Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year and Executive of the Year, are already divided into size subcategories, with winners determined in each of the three company size subcategories, i.e. Large, Medium and Small. If necessary, the judges can decide to divide entries in other categories into further subcategories based on size as well. Additionally, Local Company of the Year category is specifically dedicated to smaller companies with limited geographic reach.

Are entry forms kept confidential?

Yes, absolutely. Best in Biz Awards organizers distribute award entries only to the authorized media and industry analyst judges selected to review entries. The entries and the underlying information about the nominees will never be released to anyone else. Furthermore, no entries, including the winning entries, will ever be posted in whole or in part on the Best in Biz Awards site or elsewhere without prior approval by the entrant.

I am a member of the press or industry analyst. How do I judge Best in Biz Awards?

Please email us your credentials. We will verify the information and contact you with any questions or, if you are selected, to provide you with the judging information.

What regions is Best in Biz Awards conferred in?

Best in Biz Awards is currently conferred in two programs: North America and International. The North American program runs from May until September, and the International program runs from January until April. Any company based in or operating in the U.S. or Canada is eligible to apply in the North American awards program. This includes companies whose headquarters are outside North America but which have offices or otherwise conduct business in the region. The International program is our broadest and is open to any company from any industry operating in any country in the world. Entrants need not be conducting business globally; in fact, many past winners operate locally, nationally, or regionally.

Will there be an awards ceremony for Best in Biz Awards 2024? Do I have to attend to be named a winner?

While Best in Biz Awards staff were busy planning a ceremony for our 10th annual awards in 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately meant having to cancel those plans. We are hoping to organize an in-person awards ceremony in 2025, in time for our 15th annual edition.

What are the benefits of winning Best in Biz Awards?

Winning business awards is great for business, on both strategic and tactical levels.

» Top-tier exposure:

» Nationwide recognition:

» Industry affirmation:

» Huge recruitment visibility:

» Energize the team:

On a tactical level, Best in Biz Awards winners receive:

» Press release:

» Website placement:

» Award logos:

» Judges' quotes:

» Trophies:

» News page:

» Quotations:

» Social media: