Innovate Award Terms and Conditions

OFFICIAL RULES

NO APPLICATION FEE IS REQUIRED FOR GTIA MEMBERS. A NON-MEMBER APPLICATION FEE OF $195 USD APPLIES, WHICH INCLUDES A ONE-YEAR GTIA ITSP MEMBERSHIP.

1. Overview

The GTIA Innovate Award (the "Competition") is a skill-based competition organized by the Global Technology Industry Association ("GTIA" or "Sponsor") to recognize IT Service Providers ("ITSPs") that have developed and successfully deployed innovative AI solutions for their customers or for internal use. The Competition is governed by these Official Rules (the "Rules"). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Rules.

2. Sponsor

Global Technology Industry Association 1 Mid America Plaza, Suite 300, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181; [email protected]

3. Eligibility

The Competition is open to legal entities that meet all of the following criteria:

(a) The entrant is an IT Service Provider, including managed service providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs), solution providers, systems integrators, or IT/tech consultants.

(b) The entrant has an office or established place of business in the United States or Canada.

(c) The entrant's submitted solution is deployed in a production environment and has been operational for a minimum of ninety (90) days prior to the submission deadline.

(d) For entries in the Customer AI Solution category, the entrant has obtained written authorization from the customer referenced in the submission.

(e) The entrant is able to send at least one representative to attend ChannelCon 2026 (August 3–5, 2026) if selected as a finalist.

(f) The submitted solution must entail more than an implementation of a single vendor product on an out-of-the-box basis without customization or additional development. Submissions that primarily promote a specific vendor product without significant customization by the entrant will not be considered.

(g) Officers and employees of GTIA, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and members of the judging panel, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling) and persons living in the same household, are not eligible to enter. Any entity in which such persons hold a controlling interest is also not eligible.

(h) Void where prohibited by law.

4. Competition Timeline

Phase

Date

Competition Launch / Submissions Open

February 24, 2026

Submission Deadline (Stage 1)

April 21, 2026, 11:59 PM ET

Judging Period (Stage 1)

April 21 – May 19, 2026

Finalist Notification

May 19, 2026

Finalist Deep-Dive Materials Due (Stage 2)

June 2, 2026

Deep-Dive Review

June 2 – June 19, 2026

Finalist Confirmation / Public Announcement

June 19, 2026

Live Presentations at ChannelCon

August 3–4, 2026

Winners Announced

August 5, 2026

Sponsor reserves the right to modify the Competition timeline at its sole discretion upon reasonable notice to entrants.

5. Award Categories

There are two (2) award categories:

Category 1: ITSP – Customer AI Solution. Custom AI implementations developed and deployed by the entrant for one or more end customers.

Category 2: ITSP – Internal AI Solution. Custom AI implementations developed and deployed by the entrant for internal organizational use.

Each entrant must select one category per submission. An entrant may submit separate entries in both categories, provided each submission relates to a different solution.

6. How to Enter

(a) GTIA Members. Current GTIA ITSP members may submit an entry at no cost by completing the Stage 1 application at awards.gtia.org or gtia.awardsplatform.com before the submission deadline.

(b) Non-Members. Entrants that are not current GTIA ITSP members must pay a non-refundable application fee of $195.00 USD at the time of submission. This fee includes a one-year GTIA ITSP membership (valued at $450.00 USD). The application fee is non-refundable regardless of whether the entry advances in the Competition. Non-Member entrants may pay the fee and complete the Stage 1 application at awards.gtia.org or gtia.awardsplatform.com before the submission deadline.

(c) Stage 1 Application. Each Stage 1 submission must include the following:

  • Company name, address, and primary contact information
  • Customer profile (name, industry, size) and customer reference contact, or internal lead contact for Internal AI Solution category
  • Deployment timeline
  • Solution summary (approximately 200-500 words describing the problem, solution, and results)
  • Description of AI technologies used
  • Description of what made the solution innovative and the key challenge it overcame
  • Description of business impact and measurement methodology
  • Description of security and compliance details for the solution
  • Scalability and broader value to the channel community
  • One (1) supporting document: a customer attestation letter, customer email confirmation, or (for internal solutions) documentation of the solution's specifications and outcomes
  • The submitted solution is in production (not a demonstration or prototype);
  • The solution has been operational for a minimum of ninety (90) days;
  • Customer authorization has been obtained (Customer AI Solution category);
  • The submission is for an IT service provider (MSP, VAR, solution provider, tech consultant, systems integrator or other IT provider) company and not an individual
  • All information provided in the submission is accurate and complete; and
  • The entrant commits to fulfill all finalist obligations if selected, including attendance and presentation at ChannelCon 2026 in San Diego, August 3-5.

(d) Certifications. By submitting an entry, each entrant certifies that:

(e) Stage 2 Materials. Entrants selected as finalists may be required to submit additional documentation within two (2) weeks of notification, which may include detailed technical architecture, before/after evidence, detailed measurement methodology, video testimonials, expanded implementation narratives, and presentation draft outlines.

7. Judging Criteria and Process

(a) Judging Panel. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of eight (8) expert judges selected by the Sponsor. Judges will have recognized expertise in AI/ML technologies and no conflicts of interest with entrants.

(b) Scoring Rubric. Entries will be scored on a 100-point scale as follows:

Criterion

Points

Innovation & Technical Excellence

25

Business Outcome & Value

25

Deployment Maturity & Validation

10

Scalability & Broader Applicability

Security & Compliance

10

20

Presentation Quality at ChannelCon

10

(c) Judging Process.

  1. Stage 1 Review (April 21 – May 19, 2026). Judges score all Stage 1 applications on a blind basis (company names not visible), with a maximum of 75 points available.
  2. Finalist Selection (May 19, 2026). The top-scoring entries (6–10 total, approximately 3–5 per category) are selected as finalists and notified. Stage 2 materials are requested.
  3. Deep-Dive Review (June 2 – June 19, 2026). Judges review Stage 2 materials and may score up to 10 additional points to verify finalist claims.
  4. Finalist Confirmation (June 19, 2026). Finalists are publicly announced.
  5. Live Presentations (August 3–4, 2026). Finalists deliver five (5)-minute presentations at ChannelCon 2026. Judges score presentations (up to 10 points).
  6. Final Scoring (August 5, 2026). The winner in each category is determined by combining judge scores (weighted at 70%) and ChannelCon attendee votes (weighted at 30%). The entrant with the highest combined score in each category wins.

(d) Tie-Breaking. In the event of a tie, the entrant with the higher judge score (excluding attendee votes) will prevail. If a tie persists, the judges will convene to select the winner by majority vote.

(e) Approximate Odds. The odds of winning depend on the number and quality of eligible entries received.

8. Verification

(a) The Sponsor reserves the right to verify all information submitted by entrants, including by contacting customer references.

(b) The Sponsor may disqualify any entry that contains unverifiable claims, missing customer attestation, solutions that appear to be demonstrations rather than production deployments, inflated or unrealistic ROI claims, or material inconsistencies between the application and customer references.

(c) Any entrant found to have provided materially false or misleading information will be disqualified and, if already awarded a prize, must return the prize in full.

9. Prizes

Prize

Per Category

Total

Cash Award

$20,000 USD

$40,000 USD (2 winners)

Each category winner will also receive:

  • Custom trophy
  • "GTIA Innovate Award Winner" designation for marketing use
  • Speaking slot at a future ChannelCon event on a mutually agreed upon topic and date within two years of winner announcement.
  • Press release and social media campaign
  • Recognition at ChannelCon 2026
  • Use of “GTIA Innovate Finalist” designation for marketing use.
  • Digital content created about their solution (to be determined by Sponsor)
  • Invitation to GTIA Board Chair's Dinner at ChannelCon 2026

Each finalist (including winners) will receive:

No prize substitution, transfer, or assignment is permitted, except that the Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the advertised prize becomes unavailable. All prizes are awarded to the entrant entity, not to individual persons.

10. Prize Conditions and Taxes

(a) United States. Prizes may be subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes depending on the winner's entity classification. Each U.S.-based winner will be required to complete and return an IRS Form W-9 prior to prize disbursement to establish the winner's tax classification and taxpayer identification number (TIN). The Sponsor will issue IRS Form 1099-MISC to the extent required by applicable law based on the winner's entity classification. Winners classified as partnerships, sole proprietorships, or disregarded entities for U.S. federal tax purposes will receive a Form 1099-MISC reporting the prize amount. If a winner fails to provide a valid TIN, the Sponsor may withhold twenty-four percent (24%) of the prize amount for backup withholding as required by law. Each winner is solely responsible for determining and fulfilling its own federal, state, and local tax obligations with respect to the prize.

(b) Canada. Prizes received by a business entity in connection with its business activities may constitute taxable business income under subsection 9(1) of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Sponsor will not issue Canadian tax forms or withhold amounts from prizes awarded to Canadian-based winners. Each Canadian winner is solely responsible for determining and fulfilling all applicable Canadian federal and provincial tax obligations with respect to the prize, including any obligation to report the prize as business income.

(c) Prize Acceptance. All winners must cause an authorized representative to execute and return a prize acceptance and release agreement on behalf of the winning entity within fifteen (15) days of notification. The prize acceptance and release agreement must be executed by an individual authorized to bind the winning entity. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize, and an alternate winner may be selected at the Sponsor's discretion.

11. Intellectual Property

(a) Each entrant retains all ownership rights in the intellectual property embodied in its submitted solution and materials. For the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor does not acquire any ownership interest in any entry, submission materials, or the intellectual property described therein by virtue of an entrant’s participation in the Competition. All intellectual property rights in each submission remain with the entrant or other original owner, as applicable.

(b) By submitting an entry, each entrant grants the Sponsor a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, and distribute the entrant's submission materials (including company name, logo, solution descriptions, images, and video) for purposes of administering and promoting the Competition, GTIA, and ChannelCon, in any media now known or hereafter devised. This license survives the conclusion of the Competition. Nothing in this section 11(b) constitutes an assignment or transfer of ownership of any intellectual property from the entrant to the Sponsor.

(c) Each entrant represents and warrants that its submission does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party and that the entrant has the right to grant the license described in Section 11(b).

12. Publicity

By entering the Competition, each entrant consents to the Sponsor's use of the entrant's company name, logo, and a description of the entrant's submitted solution in promotional and marketing materials related to the Competition, GTIA, and ChannelCon, without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. Finalists and winners may be featured in press releases, case studies, blog posts, social media campaigns, and other GTIA publications.

13. Confidentiality

(a) The Sponsor will treat all proprietary and confidential technical information contained in submissions as confidential and will not disclose such information to third parties other than the judging panel, except as required by law.

(b) Judges will be required to execute confidentiality agreements prior to reviewing submissions.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sponsor may publicly disclose non-confidential summary information about entries and finalists (e.g., company name, solution category, general solution description) for promotional purposes.

14. Limitation of Liability

(a) By entering, each entrant, on behalf of itself and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives, agrees to release, discharge, and hold harmless the Sponsor and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives (collectively, "Released Parties") from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, or expenses arising out of or related to the entrant's participation in the Competition, acceptance or use of any prize, or any activity related thereto.

(b) In no event will the Released Parties be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising out of or related to the Competition.

(c) The Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) late, incomplete, misdirected, or illegible entries; (ii) technical failures, malfunctions, or errors in the submission process; (iii) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the Competition; or (iv) any injury or damage to persons or property arising from participation in the Competition.

15. Disqualification and Termination

(a) The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant that violates these Rules, provides false information, engages in fraudulent conduct, or acts in a manner that is disruptive or unsportsmanlike.

(b) The Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Competition if fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond the Sponsor's reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Competition.

16. Disputes and Governing Law

(a) These Rules and any disputes arising out of or relating to the Competition will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

(b) Any dispute arising out of or relating to the Competition that cannot be resolved informally will be submitted to binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will be held in Chicago, Illinois.

(c) Entrants agree that any claims relating to the Competition will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action.

17. Privacy

Personal information collected in connection with the Competition will be used by the Sponsor for the purposes of administering the Competition, including entry processing, judging, finalist and winner notification, prize fulfillment, and promotional activities. The Sponsor's privacy policy, available at https://gtia.org/policies/legal, governs the collection and use of personal information. By entering, each entrant consents to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information as described herein and in the Sponsor's privacy policy.

18. General Provisions

(a) The Sponsor's decisions regarding all aspects of the Competition are final and binding.

(b) These Rules constitute the entire agreement between each entrant and the Sponsor with respect to the Competition.

(c) If any provision of these Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

(d) The Sponsor's failure to enforce any provision of these Rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision.

(e) Winners list: For a list of winners (available after August 5, 2026), send a request to: 1 Mid America Plaza, Suite 300, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, Attn: Events Team; or email [email protected].