Rules & Eligibility

At the CODiE Awards, we are committed to providing a smooth and transparent experience for all participants. The policies below outline what to expect after submitting a nomination, including category placement, payments, refunds, and cancellations.

If you have questions, we’re here to help: [email protected]

Entries & Category Placement

The CODiE Awards may reassign nominations to a more appropriate category with the nominee’s consent.
Before judging begins, any nomination determined to be a poor fit—and unable to be placed in another category—will be refunded.

Product Nomination Eligibility

Products must be fully live (not beta) by the start of first-round judging.
(Beta products seeking early feedback may request an ad-hoc review.)
Each product must be nominated separately, and may be entered into any applicable category.
Multiple products from the same company may be nominated.
Nominations may be submitted by product developers, agencies, investors, or other authorized parties.

Leadership Nomination Eligibility

Each entry must be completed separately, and may be entered into any applicable category.
Multiple entries from the same company may be nominated.
Nominations may be submitted by the nominated party, agencies, investors, or other authorized parties.

Nomination Payments

All nominations are submitted through the secure OpenWater platform.
Payments are processed in USD by Stripe.
Accepted payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Link, and Apple Pay.

Refund Policy

Nomination fees are non-refundable once submitted, as they support administrative processing, judge coordination, and evaluation services.
If you believe a nomination was submitted in error or require special consideration, contact [email protected] within five (5) business days of submission. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Product Nomination Delivery of Services

Once your nomination and payment are received, your entry is considered fulfilled. You can expect:

Confirmation of nomination and payment
Assignment of expert judges for first-round review
Feedback upon completion of round one
Community voting participation if your product advances to the finalist stage
Finalist and winner assets (badges, press templates, digital certificates) delivered electronically to the primary contact

Leadership Nomination Delivery of Services

Once your nomination and payment are received, your entry is considered fulfilled. You can expect:

Confirmation of nomination and payment
Assignment of expert judges for panel review
Feedback upon completion of judge review
Winner assets (badges, press templates, digital certificates) delivered electronically to the primary contact

Cancellation Policy

To withdraw a nomination, contact [email protected] before judging begins.
Withdrawals made prior to judge assignment may be eligible for partial credit toward a future CODiE cycle, at the CODiE Awards team’s discretion.
Once judging is underway, cancellations are not eligible for refunds or credits.
If you are unable to participate as a judge after accepting an assignment, notify us promptly so evaluations can be reassigned.