---
title: "Entry and submission process"
url: https://internationalgamingawards.com/records/entry-and-submission-process/
description: "Most cycles follow the same broad sequence regardless of size. The stages below are described generically; any given programme will compress or extend them."
---

# Entry and submission process

[Index](https://internationalgamingawards.com/) › [Judging and Criteria](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/judging-and-criteria/) › Entry and submission process

*Record details*

| Branch | [Judging and Criteria](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/judging-and-criteria/) |
|---|---|
| Record | records/entry-and-submission-process |
| Subject scope | The ordinary sequence from published slate to announced outcome |
| Format | Reference record with a staged outline |

Most cycles follow the same broad sequence regardless of size. The stages below are described generically; any given programme will compress or extend them.

## Slate publication

The divisions and their criteria are published together. Publishing criteria after the entry window opens is generally treated as poor practice, because entrants cannot write to a standard they have not seen.

## Entry window

A fixed period during which submissions are accepted. Windows usually carry a hard close because the verification stage downstream cannot begin while entries are still arriving.

## Eligibility check

An administrative pass that removes submissions falling outside the stated period or trade area. This is separate from judging and normally carries no score.

## Scoring and shortlist

Panels score against the published criteria and a shortlist is drawn from the results. Shortlist length is generally fixed in advance so that a strong field cannot quietly expand it.

## Verification

Claims in shortlisted submissions are checked against supporting material. An entry that cannot support a claim is normally rescored rather than removed, unless the claim was central to its case.

## Announcement

Outcomes are released at the end of the cycle. The gap between final scoring and announcement exists so that results can be prepared under embargo.

## Elsewhere in the tree

- [Award Categories](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/award-categories/) (6)
- [Judging and Criteria](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/judging-and-criteria/) (6)
- [Industry Sectors](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/industry-sectors/) (6)
- [Regions and Circuits](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/regions/) (4)
- [Terminology and Process](https://internationalgamingawards.com/glossary/) (15)

## Resource records

- [Award category terminology](https://internationalgamingawards.com/records/award-category-terminology/)
- [Judging panel structures](https://internationalgamingawards.com/records/judging-panel-structures/)
- [Responsible play in category design](https://internationalgamingawards.com/records/responsible-play-context/)

## Directory tools

- [Full A-Z index](https://internationalgamingawards.com/index-a-z/)
- [Glossary of terms](https://internationalgamingawards.com/glossary/)
- [All categories](https://internationalgamingawards.com/categories/)
- [How this index is arranged](https://internationalgamingawards.com/help/)