Submitting an Entry
How to submit your entry to an award program on AwardKit. Sign in, fill out the form, add team members, choose your category, pay any entry fee, and submit.
The program organizer will share an entry link with you. Click it to open the entry form.
Sign in to AwardKit
Submitting an entry requires a free AwardKit account so your entry stays tied to you. If you're not signed in when you click the entry link, you'll be redirected to a sign-in page where you can:
- Sign in with email and password (you'll get a magic link to confirm your address the first time)
- Sign in with Google
After signing in, you'll land back on the entry form automatically. Entrants don't need to upgrade or pay anything to AwardKit; the only money involved is the program's entry fee, if it has one.
The entry form
The form collects information about your entry:
- Your name and email are filled from your AwardKit account
- Entry title and description
- Category that your entry is being submitted to (you pick one)
- Team members (optional) with name and email for each person
- Custom questions the organizer added: short answer, paragraph, URL, dropdown, and so on
Adding team members
Click Add a team member and enter each member's name and email. Solo entries are fine: just leave this section empty.
The person who submits the form becomes the lead. All team members appear on the entry page and receive their own certificates if the organizer publishes results.
Choosing a category
Your entry is submitted to exactly one category (for example, "Best Innovation" or "Leadership Excellence"). The organizer should describe each category on the program page. If you're unsure, contact the organizer before submitting; categories cannot be changed after the entry deadline closes.
URL fields and embeds
When you paste URLs into URL fields (like "Case study video" or "Project website"), AwardKit automatically detects and embeds content from supported platforms:
| Platform | What happens |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Video player embedded inline |
| Loom | Video player embedded inline |
| Twitter/X | Post embedded inline |
Other URLs display as clickable links. Embeds appear on your entry page and are visible to judges and organizers.
Sharing files
For portfolios, decks, photos, or supporting documents, upload your file to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or a similar service and paste the public link into a URL field. Make sure the link is set to "anyone with the link can view" so judges can open it.
Tip: If your entry has a case-study video, paste a YouTube or Loom link into a URL field. Judges will be able to watch it directly on your entry page without clicking through to another site.
Paying an entry fee
If the program charges an entry fee, you'll see the amount on the form. After clicking Submit, you'll be redirected to a secure Stripe Checkout page where you enter your payment details and confirm.
The fee may vary by:
- Category: Some programs charge different amounts for different categories
- Pricing tier: Programs may offer Early Bird discounts or charge Late fees as deadlines approach
- Discount code: If the organizer gave you a discount code, paste it on the entry form before submitting to see the adjusted total
After payment, you'll be redirected back to AwardKit and your entry is officially submitted. You'll see a confirmation banner ("Payment confirmed. Your entry has been submitted") and receive a confirmation email with a payment receipt.
If your payment fails
If your card is declined, the entry stays in a "pending payment" state. You can:
- Resume payment from the entry page using the link in your email or by signing in to AwardKit
- Try a different card by using the resume link, which generates a fresh Stripe Checkout session
- Contact the organizer if you believe there's an issue (they can refund any partial charge or resolve other concerns)
Your form data is preserved while payment is pending, so you don't have to retype anything.
After submitting
After you submit (and pay any fee), two things happen:
- You'll see a confirmation page with a link to your entry
- You'll receive an email confirming your entry, with a link back to it
You can always sign in to AwardKit to view your entry. See Managing your entry for what you can do there.
Editing your entry
You can edit your entry as long as entries are still open. Sign in to AwardKit, open your entry, and click Edit Entry. Once the organizer closes entries or the deadline passes, editing is locked.
Deadlines
If the organizer set an entry deadline, you'll see the deadline date and time on the form. After the deadline:
- The form shows an "Entries closed" message
- Existing entries are locked for editing
- You can still view your entry by signing in