Discovering awards
Match scores explained
What the percentage next to each award means, which profile fields move it, and why a high score is not the same as a likely win.
Updated
The match score is the percentage shown next to an award in Browse and Recommended. It estimates fit between the award and your company profile — not your odds of winning.
browse-match-scoreHow it is calculated
Every award starts from a neutral baseline and is adjusted by how well it lines up with your profile:
| Signal | Effect |
|---|---|
| Award category is one you selected as interesting | Largest single bonus |
| Your industry has affinity with the award's category | Moderate bonus |
| Your revenue band suits the award's tier | Moderate bonus |
| Your headcount fits the award's expected size | Small bonus, or a penalty for large awards if you are well under |
| The award serves one of your stated goals | Small bonus |
Two things follow from this. First, the score is relative to you — the same award scores differently for two different companies, which is the entire point. Second, it is computed from your profile, so it is only as current as your profile is.
Reading the bands
Scores are colour-coded in the interface:
- 80% and above — strong fit. Your profile lines up with what this award is looking for on most signals.
- 60–79% — reasonable fit. Usually worth a look, often with one signal pulling it down.
- Below 60% — weak fit. Not disqualifying, but you should be able to say why you are entering anyway.
What the score does not know
This is the important part, and it is where teams get burned by over-trusting the number.
Warning
A high match score is not permission to skip the eligibility section. The score works from your profile, not from the award's full entry criteria — and entry fees are rarely refundable.
It does not read the entry criteria in full. Eligibility rules can be specific in ways a profile can't capture — a regional restriction, a founding-date cutoff, a requirement to be privately held. Always read the eligibility section on the award page before paying.
It does not measure quality of your submission. A 92% match with a rushed entry loses to a 64% match with a strong one.
It does not account for competition. A perfectly-fitting award that ten thousand companies enter is still a long shot.
It says nothing about whether the award is worth winning. That is what prestige and risk ratings are for. Read them together: a high match score on a low-prestige, high-risk award is a well-fitted waste of money.
Why a score looks wrong
Almost always, the profile is out of date. Check your company profile first — particularly the revenue band, which moves scores more than anything else.
If your profile is current and a score still looks clearly wrong, flag the award using the flag icon on its detail page. Those reports go to our data team and are how the scoring rules get corrected.
Availability
Match scores require a Pro or Agency plan. On Free, the score is hidden and the award list is sorted by deadline instead.
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