New for 2024

When will awards be open? When will they close?

We will open the awards portal the week of January 22, 2024.  Look for the announcement email.  You can get a jump start on your award entries by visiting the Awards page and exploring the award categories.

TIP: Use the reference sheets, located under their respective categories to help prepare your application.

The call for entries will close on February 23, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.  No deadline extensions.  No exceptions.

I keep seeing these 'No Deadline Extension' notes. What is that about?

We try our level best to accommodate our members and partners but we have received feedback time and again that members want us to stick to the deadlines.  Thank you for adhering to these deadlines and ensuring we can stay on schedule.

Are video summaries required this year?

No.  Per participant feedback we have removed the option to submit video summaries this year.

What's different or new for 2024?

  • New Awards Submission portal?  You’ll create a new account in the OpenWater website and follow prompts.  Find the criteria and sample awards applications here.
  • Five new categories!  Explore them here.  We have grouped them in People, Process and Partnerships.  Review the awards criteria here.
  • NOTE: Provider = Training partner/consultant and Practitioner = Learning professionals employed by a pharmaceutical, biotech, medical or diagnostics company
  • Videos are not required
  • Only finalists will be asked to present Poster presentations at the Conference – these are not required.  Specs to follow.  Posters will be due in the weeks leading up to the conference.

Questions about judging, timing, winner selection and more can be found in our FAQs section.

Eligibility, Membership, Deadlines & Fees

Who is eligible? Does everyone nominated need to be a member?

All awards recognize trainers, organizations and industry partners for initiatives conducted within the past year. In the case of the 2024 awards, initiatives conducted anytime in 2023 are eligible. Initiatives begun earlier are eligible so long as demonstrable results can be documented in the current award nomination period.

Not everyone being listed or nominated for an award must be a member. The person submitting the application (nominator) must be an LTEN member and pay the application fee.

What is the time frame for nominations?

Call for entries closes on February 23, 2024, at 11:59 pm Eastern time.
No deadline extensions. No Exceptions.

How do I apply? What’s the difference between “nominator” and “nominee?”

The nominator is the person filling out the form. For example: If you are a training partner submitting the award on behalf of a client, you would be the nominator and your client would be the nominee. If you are submitting for your own company, you are the nominator.

nominee is a person or organization who would be recognized as the winner if selected. If you are nominating a department, please list the contact person for the department.

Is there a cost? How can I pay? What if I apply for multiple award categories?

  • There is a $295 application fee for each award category.
  • The application fee is per application.
  • The scholarships do not have application fees associated with them.

Once you finish filling out the online application, you’ll pay the application fee payment using a credit card.

Award Criteria & Judging

What is the judging process? Will the judging be “blind” and how do I submit a blind application?

Judging process

  • A panel of judges/award committee has been established for each of the categories of awards to ensure the entries can be judged consistently and fairly.
  • ‘Winners will be determined by averaging scores assigned by judges to each entry. In the event of a tie, a select group of judges will review entries to determine winners.
  • Judging to focus on innovation, planning, implementation, and impact. Nominees to provide concrete examples of stellar achievements with samples of their work, if possible.
  • Blind submissions are not required. We do require that each submission have a company name associated with the entry.
    • Any information considered “Not for Publication” should not be included in the applications for judging purposes.
    • Any information shared through the application process may be used for internal or editorial purposes, including possible inclusion in a special issue of Focus magazine spotlighting the LTEN Excellence Awards.

What is the award criteria?

The scoring has been set up to be consistent across the award categories and judges will provide numerical scores for each of the following criteria:

  • 9-10 (Breakthrough and/or Role Model): For learning practitioners or supplier companies considered “breakthroughs” and/or “role models” for the learning and development industry. The challenge is considered to be extreme (across an entire industry) or global (large numbers of learners, many stakeholders, very difficult to accomplish), and the nominees have demonstrated role-model leadership.
  • 6-8 (Outstanding): For learning practitioners or supplier companies who did an outstanding job, met or exceeded all of the criteria as described and accomplished all goals. The complexity was significant and/or the nominees demonstrated clear leadership.
  • 3-5 (Meets the criteria): For learning practitioners or supplier companies whose initiatives met the criteria, but did not or could not provide clear or reliable evidence to identify initiatives as breakthrough or outstanding.
  • 1-2 ( Provided some evidence but does not meet the criteria)  For learning practitioners or supplier companies whose initiatives contributed to the criteria, but did not or could not provide clear or reliable evidence to identify initiatives as breakthrough or outstanding
  • 0 (Does not meet the criteria): Did not meet the criteria established or failed to document how the criteria were met.

Will I receive feedback on my submission?

The judges will provide feedback to applicants who would like to receive comments or suggestions from the judging panel.

Can I send LTEN tangible documents or documents via USB, CD in an addendum to my application?

All applicants are encouraged to submit all materials through the online portal. For those with technical issues or other concerns, LTEN award organizers will work with you to ensure we receive all materials. Please email awards@L-TEN.org for any questions or special requests.

Will I receive a submission confirmation?

Yes, all applicants will receive notification of when their applications have been received. If you do not receive your confirmation, please check your spam or junk folder. You may also contact technical support. Be sure to have your IT team add info@L-TEN.org to your safe senders list.

Is the video summary required this year?

No.

We aren’t asking for nominees to include a video this year. In response to the valuable feedback we received from our 2023 entrants, we have decided to discontinue the option to include a video with your entry.

Winners & Finalists

When will winners be announced?

Finalists will be announced publically the second week of April 2024 via email, social media, LTEN website and LTEN Focus On Training magazine, during our Announcement Week.

Finalists will be recognized and winners announced at the LTEN Excellence Awards in-person ceremony on June 12, 2024, at the LTEN Annual Conference in Kissimmee, FL.

What do award winners receive, and how will they be recognized?

Winners will be announced at the  LTEN Excellence Awards ceremony on June 12, 2024, in Kissimmee, FL.

  • Winners will receive trophies at the ceremony and finalists will receive certificates afterward.
  • Winners and finalists will be highlighted in LTEN Focus on Training magazine
  • Winners will also be recognized with:
      • Acknowledgment on the LTEN website, conference website, and across all LTEN communication channels
      • Email announcements, digital banners, and press releases
  • All award finalists will be invited to deliver a digital poster presentation live at the LTEN Annual Conference.
  • Award finalists will also have their digital posters showcased online at L-TEN.org.
  • Winners may be invited to be Guest Presenters at an LTEN Webinar – sharing best practices of the award.
  • Use of the LTEN Excellence Award winner and finalist logos

Will finalists be required to attend the conference?

Finalists are not required to attend the conference but attendance is highly encouraged. Registration discount codes will be distributed to finalists in April 2024.

If you attend the conference, you’ll be asked to sit in the finalists section during the awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. All finalists and winners will take a group photo on stage after the ceremony and general session.

Find complete details about the conference here.

If awarded, are there duties or requirements expected for me or my organization to perform?

Winners and finalists are not required to participate in any activities but are strongly encouraged to present a poster which will be hosted at the LTEN Annual Conference on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 before the awards ceremony.

All awards participants are encouraged to share their poster artwork with LTEN, so that we can highlight your entries in advance of the conference online at L-TEN.org and across the conference communications.

We also would love to feature our winners by having them host a future LTEN webinar and share their key to success and winning ideas with LTEN members. Again, this is a request but not a requirement. We respect your time and simply want to highlight your training team’s efforts.

Have more questions or feeling a little stuck?

For questions about the awards process not answered here, please email our team at awards@L-TEN.org.

Join our Power-Up Hour” every Wednesday from 4–5 PM ET to get help navigating the awards quest. It’s your chance to unlock strategies for a victorious submission! 🎮🏆