Deadline extended for 2018 Industry Innovators nominations

(NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect the deadline extension)

The Industry Innovator awards recognize private sector companies' vital role in the government IT community. Today we're pleased to extend the period to submit nominations for 2018.

Nominations are now due by midnight ET on Wednesday, July 18.

Launched by Washington Technology last year, these awards are now part of the broader Government Innovation Awards -- a joint effort by WT, FCW, GCN and Defense Systems to showcase all the different players who collaborate to make government run better.

The Industry Innovator awards are not for specific agency initiatives -- those projects should be nominated under Public Sector Innovations -- but rather for companies' broader contributions and leadership.

So please tell us how the company in question is driving innovation in the government market in 2018. The nomination form calls out six specific technology areas (AI, Analytics and Automation; Cybersecurity; Cloud and Infrastructure; Digital Transformation; IoT and Smart Cities; and Unmanned Systems), but the nominated company's work can be in any corner of government IT.

All companies supporting the public sector are eligible for a 2018 Industry Innovator award. Winners will be selected based on three core criteria:

• Tangible evidence of the efforts that are driving innovation in this space. This includes, but is not limited to, internal investments, acquisitions, partnerships or alliances, relevant patents and key contract wins.
• The innovative solution itself -- both the technology involved and how the company is leveraging it.
• The mission impact. What are the problems or challenges that government customers need to solve, and how is this innovative company helping to address those challenges?

Industry is the engine that powers so many government innovations, and rarely gets its share of the spotlight. Please submit your nominations today, and make sure Industry Innovators get the credit they deserve!