Understanding eligibility criteria

Most wasted award effort comes from applying to something you were never going to win — not because the entry was poor, but because the eligibility criteria ruled you out before judging started. Awardica surfaces eligibility fields explicitly so you can check them before you start writing.

What eligibility fields exist

Revenue range — Some awards are for businesses over a specific turnover, or capped for emerging companies. If your revenue falls outside the range, your entry is usually disqualified regardless of quality.

Headcount — Particularly common for SME-targeted awards. A "small business" category at one award might cap at 50 employees; another might cap at 250.

Geography — Awards are often regional, national, or sector-specific by country. An award tagged "UK only" won't serve you if your primary market is the US.

Industry / sector — The match score accounts for this, but it's worth checking the raw eligibility field. Some awards list a narrow set of eligible SIC codes rather than broad industry categories.

Years trading — Many startup or early-stage awards require you to have been trading for at least a year; some require less than five years. Established companies are ineligible for these categories.

Submission requirement — A few awards require a nomination from a third party rather than a direct application. These are flagged and can't be entered directly.

How to check eligibility

Open an award's detail page and look at the Eligibility section. Fields that conflict with your company profile are highlighted in amber. This is a heuristic, not a guarantee — double-check against the publisher's own entry pack for anything you're serious about.

What to do if you're borderline

If you're close to an eligibility boundary — just over a revenue threshold, or just under a headcount cap — read the publisher's official criteria carefully. Publishers sometimes have discretion on borderline cases, and contacting them before applying is usually better than finding out after you've submitted.

Eligibility vs. match score

These are different things. The match score estimates fit and likely competitiveness; eligibility is a binary pass/fail. An award might have a high match score but an eligibility criterion that rules you out. Always check both.