2017 Washington Technology Industry Innovators

Washington Technology’s Industry Innovator Awards program will honor companies that are transforming themselves to meet new industry and customer needs.

Companies that are picked as Industry Innovators will be featured in a special report on WashingtonTechnology.com and honored at the dig IT Awards gala this October.

To be selected as an Industry Innovator, we are looking for information about the actions your company has taken to become a true Industry Innovator.

The deadline for submitting your application is Aug. 25.

How will your company be evaluated?

Companies will be evaluated across four categories of transformation: Acquisitions, Restructuring, Internal R&D and Technology Alliances, and Strategic Hires. Below is an explanation of what we are looking for in each category.

ACQUISITIONS

If your company has closed an acquisition, how did this affect your business? For example, did it add new capabilities, new customers, new contract vehicles, etc. Can your company now compete for contracts or customers that it could not compete for prior to the acquisition? Why are acquisitions an important part of your company’s strategy?

RESTRUCTURING

How has your company changed its structure to meet customer needs? Have you created a new line of business or consolidated business lines? For example, pulling all of your cyber or cloud capabilities into a new practice. Why has this been important to your company? Have you created new internal processes? For example, have you created ways to share best practices internally or changed how you incentivize employees?

INTERNAL R&D and TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCES

Where are your R&D dollars going? What impact have these investments had on your company? What new technologies are you bringing to your customers? Have you formed new alliances with commercial technology vendors to add capabilities to your offerings? How have these moves brought new opportunities for your company or helped your customers?

STRATEGIC HIRES

This is a people business so what talent have you brought into your company and why? Have strategic hires resulted in new contract wins or deeper penetration into new market areas or access to new customers? What expertise did these strategic hires bring to your company?

In a final question in the application, we ask that you consider all the transformations that your company has undertaken and describe how it has made your organization more innovative. This is an opportunity for you to make your final case as to why your company should be recognized as an Industry Innovator.

What are the judges looking for?

As you describe these transformative actions in your application please take the time to be as specific as possible. Details often help separate the great applications from the simply good ones. The judges are looking for examples that illustrate how these innovative moves have impacted your company and helped your customers. It is important to think about and describe how your company has changed and how it has helped you win more business and better serve your customers.

How are the winners chosen?

Winners will be selected by Washington Technology editors and they will be looking for companies that are doing something new and innovative that truly set them apart from others in the market. Again, specific examples make the most compelling applications—details count!

Other FAQs:

Can I see the entire application as a single document? Yes, download it as a PDF but remember to use the online form to submit your application.

Can I submit supporting documents? Yes, email them to nwakeman@washingtontechnology.com. But make sure you connect the narrative to the documents. For example, if you are describing a new service or process, say something like, “As you can see in Chart 1…” And then make sure that Chart 1 is labeled as Chart 1. You want to make sure that it is easy to connect the narrative in your application to any supplemental materials you submit.

Do customers need to be public sector customers? Yes, but it is OK to reference private sector customers if that customer serves the government. So if you are a subcontractor or service provider to a prime contractor, you should feel free to apply. Just remember that the ultimate customer should be the government.

We are looking forward to learning more about some of the best and most innovative companies in the market today.

Good luck!

Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions to nwakeman@washingtontechnology.com