2026 IoT Ecosystem of the Year

Submission overview

The 2026 IoT Ecosystem of the Year recognizes an outstanding partnership, alliance, consortium, community, or multi-vendor program that advances connected technology through collaboration.

Eligible ecosystems may unite device manufacturers, platform providers, connectivity partners, systems integrators, software developers, customers, industry organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders around a shared technical or market objective.

Strong submissions will demonstrate that the participating organizations create greater value together than they could independently. Judges will look for evidence of meaningful partner engagement, interoperability, customer outcomes, shared execution, scalable governance, and long-term ecosystem health.

This award is a great fit if…

• Your ecosystem brings multiple organizations together to deliver connected technology solutions or shared customer value
• Your partners collaborate through integrations, standards, open APIs, shared technical models, joint deployments, or coordinated market programs
• Your ecosystem simplifies implementation, improves interoperability, accelerates deployment, or reduces friction for customers and partners
• You can demonstrate customer adoption, deployment outcomes, partner growth, integration activity, or other measurable ecosystem results
• Your program has clear governance, partner enablement, and a credible strategy for continued expansion and long-term value creation

Entry schedule

• Entries Open: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
• Early Bird Deadline: Friday, January 15, 2027
• Final Entry Deadline: Friday, February 12, 2027
• Winners Announced: Tuesday, March 9, 2027

Entries must be completed and paid by the applicable deadline.

Entry fees

• Early Bird Entry: $395 through January 15, 2027
• Standard Entry: $495 through February 12, 2027

Each category submission is treated as a separate entry.

What to submit

Your submission should give judges a clear understanding of the ecosystem, its participating organizations, its shared purpose, and the value produced through collaboration.

• Ecosystem overview: Describe the partnership, alliance, consortium, community, or program and identify its primary objectives
• Participating organizations: Identify the principal partners and explain the capabilities, technologies, services, or market roles they contribute
• Collaboration and governance: Describe how participants coordinate decisions, manage responsibilities, enable partners, and execute shared initiatives
• Interoperability and integration: Explain relevant standards, APIs, protocols, technical integrations, shared architectures, or compatibility efforts
• Evidence and outcomes: Include customer adoption, deployment results, integration metrics, partner growth, revenue impact, ROI, operational improvements, or other measurable benefits
• Scalability and long-term health: Explain how the ecosystem can expand across additional partners, customers, industries, geographies, or use cases
• Supporting materials: Provide relevant ecosystem diagrams, partner pages, customer examples, case studies, governance materials, technical documentation, or joint announcements

Optional supporting materials may include a partner statement, customer testimonial, ecosystem overview deck, demonstration video, or reference contact.

Judging criteria

• Evidence and Measurable Impact, 30%: Strength of the customer results, adoption data, deployment outcomes, partner growth, integration activity, ROI, or broader ecosystem benefits
• Leadership, Vision, and Industry Contribution, 20%: Quality of the ecosystem’s shared direction, governance, partner enablement, trust, and contribution to the broader IoT industry
• Innovation and Differentiation, 20%: Originality and effectiveness of the collaborative model, technical approach, integrations, or shared value proposition
• Execution and Scalability, 20%: Depth of partner participation, quality of shared execution, interoperability, repeatability, and ability to expand sustainably
• Category Fit, 10%: Clarity and strength of the case that the entry represents an exceptional collaborative IoT ecosystem

Eligibility

• Open worldwide to companies, organizations, partnerships, alliances, consortia, communities, and multi-vendor programs operating within the Internet of Things
• The entry should involve meaningful participation from multiple distinct organizations or stakeholder groups
• The ecosystem must have been launched, expanded, validated, or significantly advanced during the 2026 calendar year
• Entries may be submitted by an ecosystem leader, program administrator, participating partner, or authorized representative
• Submissions should include credible evidence of partner collaboration, customer outcomes, deployment success, adoption, interoperability, or market relevance
• Organizations may participate in multiple eligible ecosystems or enter additional categories when each submission represents a legitimate fit

Confidential partner, customer, or commercial information may be summarized or redacted, provided the submission includes enough information for judges to evaluate the ecosystem fairly.

Submission process

1. Select the IoT Ecosystem of the Year category in the 2026 Best of IoT Awards application.
2. Complete every required field and clearly explain the ecosystem’s collaboration, execution, and shared value.
3. Upload or link to supporting evidence and relevant ecosystem materials.
4. Submit the application and pay the applicable entry fee before the deadline.

Multiple entries are permitted, although each ecosystem or category submission requires a separate application and entry fee.