The World Summit Awards has been initiated in 2003 in the framework of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) held in Geneva. The declared aim of the conference was to make Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessible to everyone and to bridge the digital divide. The World Summit Awards (WSA) was established as a means to achieve this and has been working since then on putting the UN-WSIS goals into action.

  • The World Summit Awards are a HIGHLY DIVERSE AND DEMOCRATIC AWARD SYSTEM, that selects and promotes the world’s best digital innovation with impact on society.
  • WSA has been initiated in 2003 in the framework of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS). It contributes to the United Nations – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AGENDA by recognizing local digital content with an impact on society, demonstrating the richness and diversity of innovative applications.
  • To date more than 180 COUNTRIES are actively involved, making the World Summit Awards are a GLOBAL HUB for everyone who values the crucial importance of local content to make today’s information society more inclusive.
  • Be it an app to help the blind using smartphones, or a website reanimating history – the World Summit Awards offer A PLATFORM FOR THOSE, WHO THINK BEYOND THE BOX.

What is World Summit Awards (WSA) ?

WSA is a nomination based awarding system.

  • To apply you need to be nominated by the WSA National Expert as best national Digital Application in one of the 8 categories.
  • Each country can only nominate one project/solution per category.
  • Nominations to the international WSA are possible only through the National Expert’ selection.

Through this high-level selection system, please be aware that every country has their own deadlines for the call. The generally communicated WSA deadline is the timeframe of the global call and communicates the last possible date of a nomination by the national expert panel.

Eligibility

  • Any company, organisation or individual from all UN and UNESCO member states are welcome to apply.

Applications

  • WSA is strictly restricted to digital applications with a strong impact on society.
  • Submissions for the WSA can contain Mobile Applications, SMS based products, Web applications/pages, databases, kiosk installations, wearables, IoT, Blockchain applications etc.
  • There is no limitation regarding the platforms or channels the projects work with.
  • The projects can be maximum of 2 years old at the date of nomination.
  • No ideas, drafts, demonstrations or concepts are accepted, all submitted projects must be market ready or already on the market.
  • WSA evaluates and highlights the content, user value and local impact of digital solutions.

WSA Global Contest – Jury Process

1. Application & National Nomination

WSA eminent national experts from more than 189 UN member states nominate up to eight projects each – one for every WSA category. Once the nominees have completed their application in the WSA online contest database they are permitted by WSA Global head office to the Jury process.

2. WSA Online Jury Round

All permitted applications in WSA online contest database will be carefully reviewed and evaluated by an especially assembled Online Jury consisting of international experts. This Online Jury pre-selects the best 15 to 18 products in each of the eight WSA categories, the so-called Short List.

3. WSA Grand Jury Round

To evaluate the remaining projects which managed to pass the last stage, WSA Global head office assigns the Grand Jury Panel to reevaluates the Short List . The Grand Jury Members then select the five winners in each WSA category.

4. Results Announcement & WSA Global Congress

The winners of the WSA Jury Process are announced public and informed via mail. All winners are invited to join the WSA Global Congress. During the WSA Global Congress, the winners of the WSA get the invitation to pitch their projects in front of an international on-site Jury panel. Based on the project presentations, one Global Champion in each WSA category is selected, who is subsequently announced at the Award Ceremony and Gala.

WSA Global Contest – Evaluation Criteria

Technical Criteria

  • CONTENT | Quality and comprehensiveness
  • FUNCTIONALITY | Ease of use, user experience, appropriate interactivity
  • DESIGN | Navigation/orientation and visual appeal
  • TECHNOLOGY | State of the art in technology and quality of technical realisation
  • INNOVATION | Originality and newness to targeted users, Business model society and market

Strategic Criteria

  • IMPACT | Local Impact / Impact on society
  • GLOBAL / UN VALUE