FAQ
The practical, commercial and fairness questions we hear most often. If something is not covered here, get in touch before you enter.
JIMSO is an independent, global awards program for exceptional digital and software products. Entries are judged on evidence by independent jurors. This page answers the practical, commercial, and fairness questions we hear most often. If something isn't covered here, contact us before you enter.
Any team, company, or individual behind a digital or software product can enter - startups, established companies, agencies, and independent makers. There are no size, revenue, or geographic restrictions. What matters is the product and the evidence you can provide for it.
Software and digital products: SaaS and B2B platforms, AI products, consumer apps, developer tools, and similar. Our launch categories are Best B2B Software Product, Best AI Product, and Best New Product. Categories are reviewed each cycle, so check the current list before entering.
Create an account, choose your season and category, and complete the entry form with your product details and supporting evidence. Once you've reviewed everything and paid the entry fee, you submit for independent review. You'll receive confirmation by email.
JIMSO uses passwordless, magic-link sign-in. Enter your email and we send you a one-time link that signs you in - there's no password to create or remember. The link is time-limited and tied to your email, so keep access to your inbox secure. If a link expires, simply request a new one.
We run four seasonal cycles a year. The current cycle is the Autumn Awards, with an entry deadline of 29 October 2026. The Annual JIMSO Awards take place in late January. Deadlines are firm; pricing tiers change as the deadline approaches (see pricing below), so entering earlier costs less.
A product can be entered in more than one category. Each category is a separate entry, judged independently on its own evidence, and charged at the standard seasonal tier for the date you enter.
Judging is evidence-based, so your entry should show what the product does and what it has achieved - not just describe it. Useful evidence includes a clear product summary, a demo or walkthrough, screenshots, measurable outcomes or results, customer or usage signals where available, and anything that substantiates your claims. Specific, verifiable evidence carries more weight than adjectives.
You can include links (for example, to a live product, demo video, or documentation) and upload supporting files such as screenshots or a slide summary. Make sure links are publicly reachable or accessible with the access details you provide, and that they'll remain live through the judging period. Broken or gated links that jurors can't open can't be counted as evidence.
You can update and refine your entry up until the entry deadline for that cycle. After the deadline, entries are locked so jurors review a stable submission. If you spot a genuine error after the deadline, contact us and we'll help where we reasonably can.
Yes. You can withdraw an entry before judging concludes by contacting us. Note that withdrawing doesn't automatically create a refund - refunds follow the policy below.
Launch pricing for a seasonal entry is tiered by how early you enter:
Each category a product enters is a separate entry at the standard seasonal tier for the date you enter. Annual-only entries (for products that weren't seasonal finalists) are $249 or $299 depending on timing. Prices are per entry and shown clearly before you pay.
The fee covers independent review of your entry - the work of at least two jurors assessing it against the category on the evidence you provide. It pays for the judging process, not for a result. Paying to enter does not buy recognition, a finalist place, or a win.
Entry fees are normally non-refundable once you've submitted, because the review work begins from your submission. Exceptions are handled by our admin team: duplicate payments, genuine platform errors, and cases where a refund is legally required. If one of those applies to you, contact us.
Recognition that is verifiable and usable, including:
We're deliberate about what we don't promise: JIMSO does not guarantee press coverage, leads, customers, or investment. What you receive is credible, checkable recognition - what you do with it is up to you.
Yes. Agencies and partners can enter on behalf of the product they represent. Make sure you have the client's permission to enter and to share the evidence you submit, and that recognition is attributed to the product and its owner. If you'd like the client to hold the account, they can sign in by magic link and you can manage the entry together.
Yes. Each category is a separate entry, judged independently on its own evidence, and charged at the standard seasonal tier for the date you enter.
No. Your fee pays for independent review, not for recognition. Jurors assess entries on evidence, and there is no path to buy a finalist place or a win. An entry can be reviewed and not recognised - that's the point of a selective program.
Each entry is assessed by at least two independent jurors against the category criteria, based on the evidence submitted. Jurors evaluate the product on its merits; commercial factors such as who paid or how much play no part in the assessment.
Jurors declare relationships that could compromise their objectivity and are recused from entries where a conflict exists - for example, involvement with the product or its direct competitors. The aim is simple: no juror scores an entry they have a stake in.
Yes. If no entry in a category meets the standard, we can name fewer finalists or no winner at all. Up to five finalists and one winner are possible per category - but they are outcomes, not quotas. Withholding an award protects the meaning of the ones we do give.
Evidence you submit is used for judging and is seen by the jurors and staff involved in reviewing your entry. If your entry includes non-public material, mark it clearly. We don't publish your confidential details; the public profile and award page show what's needed to present and verify the recognition, not your private evidence.
Credibility comes from selectivity, evidence-based judging, independent jurors, and the willingness to give no award when the standard isn't met. Every recognition has a verifiable award page, so claims can be checked rather than taken on trust. We'd rather recognise fewer products well than dilute what a JIMSO award means.
Products named as finalists in a seasonal cycle are automatically qualified for the Annual JIMSO Awards in late January, at no additional cost. The annual round also accepts a limited number of annual-only entries (capped at no more than 30% of the field) so it stays anchored in seasonal results. From there, category winners are selected, and one is named Product of the Year.
Every finalist and winner has a verifiable award page hosted by JIMSO. Anyone - a customer, a buyer, a candidate - can open that page to confirm the recognition, the category, and the cycle. The qualified badge links back to it, so a claim can always be traced to its source.