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: info@codieawards.com

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.

Finalist Selection

  • The number of finalists honored depends on the total entries in the category.

    Nominations in a Category
    Maximum Finalists
    2–32
    4–53
    6–104
    11–155
    16–206
    21–257
    26–308
    31–359
    36–4010


  • All finalists and winners must receive an average score of 70% or higher to qualify.
  • Winners are selected from each category’s finalist group and are included in the finalist count. Both distinctions recognize achievement through the CODiE Awards’ expert peer-review process.
  • Winners must have judge scores of 70% or higher to be honored.

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 info@codieawards.com 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 info@codieawards.com 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.

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All Rights Reserved.

CODiE Awards LLC
c/o Jennifer Baranowski
23986 Aliso Creek Road #718
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

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