In the web portal each category has a number of criteria and questions for entrants. It is important to clearly answer the questions. For all categories attachments must be included to support your entry. Where categories require demonstrable evidence of benefits, please ensure that these are clearly laid out either in words or graphical form.

In the product categories, judges will specifically look for entries that provide real end user benefits, new capabilities/functionality. The judges will expect to see supporting evidence of this. In the “Best Use of” categories, these are expected to be new or recent deployments and there are new rules for 2026 to enforce this. All entries in these categories must also be supported by the end user organisation, and any case studies must be evidence based and factually correct. In some categories, responses to questions have a word count limit. Please ensure your responses are clear and concise and abide by this word limit.

The International Critical Communications Awards judging process follows a clear policy to determine the shortlist and winners. Judging decisions are made following a rigorous process, in line with the judging principles and guidance outlined below.

If a conflict of interest is perceived, a judge will not be permitted to judge in the affected category.

The rigorous nature of the Awards judging process is key to maintaining its excellent reputation around the world.

The process for judging is as follows:

1. All submissions must be made in electronic form via the portal (www.critical-communications-world.com/iccas).
2. Following the closing date, entries are allocated to a number of judges from the panel who will independently and in isolation from one another without conferring score each category. Judges may be asked to score multiple categories.
3. Over a set period of time defined as the ‘scoring period’, judges will score each entry with one of the following scores - 0,3,5,8,10.
a. A score of 0 will be allocated for non-compliant entries.
b. A score of 3 is for those that nearly met the criteria but not quite.
c. A score of 5 is given to those entries that did meet the criteria.
d. A score of 8 is for an entry that demonstrates additional value.
e. A score of 10 allocated for those entries considered to be outstanding.
4. At the end of the scoring period the scores from each judge will be sent to the ICCA admin team.
5. All scores will be added up by a member of the ICCAs admin team.
6. The top 60-70% (depending on the number of entries submitted) scoring entries will be shortlisted. The shortlists will be published within 10 working days of the scoring period closing, and those shortlisted promoted by the ICCA admin team.
7. Following the shortlisting, scoring is reviewed to determine the winner and any
highly commended entries. These will be announced at the ICCAs event on Tuesday 16 June 2026, London.

1. You may enter as many categories as you wish, but you can only enter up to two submissions per category.
2. When preparing your submission, please review the category criteria carefully and ensure that your entry contains sufficient robust and relevant information, meets the criteria and answers the questions clearly.
3. Due to the high volume of entries in the following categories additional criteria have been added. In the “Best use in Public Safety” category, the solution must have entered operational service within the last 12 months, and must include either TETRA or MCX technology. All other “Best Use” categories must have entered operational service within the last 18 months. Entries in these categories must include contract award date, and build completion or operational go-live date. Entries not providing these dates, or outside the described time period will be rejected.
4. The judges will be looking for a good story, well told, and backed up with solid metrics and real world evidence.
5. All entries must provide supporting material for any claims, end user support etc. See the “Supporting Material” section below for further detail. Entries with no attachments supporting the entry will be rejected by the judges.
6. Where you are representing another organisation or end user or submitting an entry on a project you have previously worked on as an individual, do include a letter of support. Entries that mention other organisations without permission will be rejected where support is not proven.
7. If you have previously entered the ICCAs and won a category, do not re-enter the same category with the same submission and product. Your submission will be rejected.
8. Adhere to any stated word count. Supporting pictures and video links (no longer than four minutes) may be attached. Submit graphics, tables, URLs etc with supporting materials, not as part of the submission text.
9. Use Cases must include key dates including Contract Award Date, Build completion date and Go-Live Date.
10. Use Cases must have been deployed within the required and stated timescale in the criteria for award. Use cases operating outside of this timescale will not be scored.
11. Do not include confidential or sensitive information.

1. The ICCAs are easy to enter and open to anyone involved in critical communications. Entry is free.
2. Due to the international composition of the panel all entries including attachments should be in English. Where the original material is in another language (e.g. a customer testimonial for Best Use awards) an English transcript must be provided.
3. When the entry system opens, please go to the Categories page and click on the ENTER NOW button beneath the category you wish to enter. The deadline for entries is on the front page of the website.
4. You must register on this website to enter the ICCAs. Your details will not be shared
with any third party and will only be used by us for awards-related communications.

1. All entries must provide supporting material for any claims, end user support etc. Entries with no attachments supporting the entry will be rejected by the judges. Due to the international composition of the panel all entries including attachments should be in English. Where the original material is in another language (e.g. a customer testimonial for Best Use awards) an English transcript must be provided.
2. Please keep attachment titles as short as possible.
3. Supporting materials should back-up or expand on statements made in the online
submission. They should not be used to provide additional information.
4. Supporting documents should be in PDF or Word doc format. Any video submissions should be in English, or with English subtitles and no longer than four minutes. Videos should be in a standard media format viewable on a web browser.
5. Supporting material may include photographs, tables, documents containing statistics, testimonials, Curriculum Vitae, supporting research, evaluation/inspection reports, press cuttings and promotional material. Please highlight any sections you believe are particularly relevant.
6. If including a URL, please use a full link, and no hyperlinks.
7. Best Use of Awards are to include a customer testimonial

Any information submitted outside these guidelines will not be considered as part of the submission.

• Evidence presented: judging decisions are made based on the evidence presented in submissions.

• Evaluation criteria: for each ICCAs category, we provide criteria for entrants as the basis for judging. These criteria are based on characteristics that distinguish outstanding performance in each ICCAs category.

• Scoring system: judges use the scoring system above to make an assessment against the criteria for each category.

• Open and accountable: by acting in line with the ICCAs’ judging policy and principles, judges maintain the integrity of judging and are open and accountable.

 

• An international panel of judges will be appointed by the chair of judges, in conjunction with TCCA’s CEO

• Judges will be independent of the TCCA Board.

• Those nominated for an award cannot be a judge.

• Judges cannot submit entries.

• Judges cannot judge their own company’s or organisation’s awards.

• The chair of judges must be informed of any conflict of interest.

•  All material will remain confidential to the judges. All judging discussions are confidential and will not be shared or discussed with anyone outside of the judging panel ahead of the ceremony or thereafter.

• Judges will not share confidential material, judging papers or entries with anyone. Judges will securely delete all judging materials immediately after the judging period or give materials to the ICCA Admin Team.

• Judges can only access entries in categories that they have been asked to to score.

• Winning case studies may be used in post-event materials to promote best practice. Permission will be sought from entrants before publishing these.