All applications will be reviewed separately by each judge on the panel.  Judges will enter their official scores for each of the below criteria and assign impact/priority score.  Once each of the judges have reviewed the application and submitted their scores, the scores will be totaled and combined to form a cumulative score in each category.  The total score is then averaged to obtain the OVERALL IMPACT/PRIORITY score.

Innovation Awards will be awarded to the highest-rated products in each category, as long as the products surpass a previously determined minimum impact/priority score.  If the highest-rated products in a category does not surpass the minimum impact/priority score, there will be no Innovation Awards for that category.

ALL AWARD DESIGNATIONS BY OUR JUDGES ARE FINAL.

Entries are evaluated on the following criteria:

1. What extent does the entry demonstrate the health, wellness, and nutrition are part of the management strategy.
2. What extent does the entry provide evidence that the product is designed with the customer’s health, wellness, and nutritional needs in mind.
3. What extent does the entry provide evidence of successful communication of this strategy, design, and customer needs.
4. What extend does the entry provide evidence of the motivation to involve the company staff, external resources, and customers in the development of the product/service.
5. What extent does the entry provide documented evidence that the innovation is superior to similar products from competitors. Is it an industry innovation and not just the company.
6. What extent does the entry provide evidence that the innovation has made or will make a significant and quantifiable impact on promoting good health in the baking industry.
7. What extent is the innovation new and groundbreaking to the industry.

1. What extent does the entry demonstrate that sustainability is part of the management strategy.
2. What extent does the entry provide evidence that the product is designed with the customer’s sustainability needs in mind.
3. What extent does the entry provide evidence of successful communication of this strategy, design, and customer needs.
4. What extent does the entry provide evidence of the motivation to involve the company staff, external sustainability resources, and customers in the development of the product/service.
5. What extent does the entry provide documented evidence of environmental improvements as a result of these initiatives, and their impact on company profits.
6. What extent does the entry provide evidence that the company has investigated the carbon footprint up and down its supply chain and worked with suppliers and customers to reduce this accordingly.
7. Has the company taken advantage of any third party incentives of initiatives (i.e. Energy incentives, National Lab Development, Sustainability Institutes) to support sustainable sourcing and manufacturing.

1. What extent does the entry show that the innovation and continuous improvement are a priority for the company
2. What extent does the entry provide evidence of a properly devised design or innovation that is linked to bakery needs or market demands
3. What extent does the entry provide evidence of successful communication of this strategy, design, and customer needs.
4. What extent does the entry provide evidence of the motivation to involve the company staff, external resources, and customers in the development of the product/service.
5. What extent does the entry provide evidence that the innovation is superior to similar products from competitors?  Is it an industry innovation and not just the company?
6. What extent does the entry provide evidence that the innovation has made or will make a significant and quantifiable impact to the efficiency of bakery operations.
7. What extent is the innovation new and groundbreaking to the industry?

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