Trusted by 500+ organisations running open calls worldwide:
Every submission in one place, not scattered across inboxes
Artists upload images, video up to 4GB, audio, documents, and embedded content from Vimeo, YouTube, or SoundCloud. Everything lands in a single, organised dashboard. No more downloading attachments, renaming files, or chasing WeTransfer links that expired last Tuesday.
Your panel reviews on their schedule, you see progress in real time
Five panellists in three cities. Two have finished, one hasn‘t started.
Zealous shows you exactly where each panellist stands. Automated reminders nudge anyone who hasn‘t begun. Panellists pick up where they left off on any device, and their scores appear in your dashboard the moment they‘re submitted.
Learn how to structure rounds and assign panellists in our post on planning your selection process.
We were able to deal efficiently with a much higher number of submissions than anticipated. We will use Zealous again and would certainly recommend them to other organisations.
Jane Hackett, Project Director
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Anonymous review without manually redacting 300 PDFs
You want equitable selection, but stripping names from every portfolio by hand isn‘t realistic.
Toggle anonymous review on and Zealous hides artist names and personal details automatically. Your panel evaluates the work, not the CV. Scores are recorded before identities are revealed.
Explore all evaluation modes and anonymity settings on our features page.
Hosting our annual photography competition on Zealous was a revelation. The platform is incredibly easy to use at every stage of the process.
Imogen Bakelmun
UCL
From 50 submissions to 2,000, your process stays the same
Your first open call got 80 submissions and felt manageable. This year you‘re expecting 600. Next year, maybe more. Spreadsheets that worked at 80 collapse at scale, and your admin hours grow with every edition.
Zealous handles unlimited submissions without storage caps. Clone your programme for the next edition, carry over your settings, and keep a historical archive that builds your programme‘s reputation over time.
Plan for growth with our programme lifecycle planning guide.
Shared criteria so the shortlist reflects your programme, not personal taste
Without a shared rubric, each panellist brings their own definition of ‘strong‘. The shortlist ends up reflecting whoever reviewed last or spoke loudest. Criteria-based evaluation with configurable score ranges means every submission is measured against the same framework your programme set out to uphold.
Open calls promise equal access, but that promise falls apart if panellists can see institutional affiliations before they’ve assessed the work. Anonymous review strips identifying details so the portfolio speaks first. Scoring records across your panel provide a clear account of how the shortlist took shape.
Your data is protected throughout the process. See our security overview.
We’ve had around 5,000 users submit through Zealous and very rarely hear about any problems or complaints.
Matt Freidson, Deputy Director
Creative Future
Selection modes built for how open calls actually work
Mix and match these across rounds. Different panels, different criteria, different stages.
The software is very easy to use. We were able to set up our competition in no time at all.
Alisa Sacofsky
COBIS
Reclaim your admin hours
You started this role to support artists and shape cultural programmes. Somewhere along the way, it became file management and inbox triage. These tools give you back the time to focus on the work that matters.
Why organisations move their open calls to Zealous
Run your next open call on Zealous
Join 500+ organisations already managing open calls with less admin and fairer outcomes.
- Cancel anytime. Monthly billing, no annual contracts, no guilt trips.
- 20 free submissions to test everything before committing.
- Go live within 48 hours using ready-made templates.
Your open call, every stage covered
Before launch
- Build your branded programme page with logo, colours, and details
- Configure submission forms with text, file uploads, and embedded media fields
- Set criteria and score ranges for each round of selection
- Invite panellists and assign them to specific rounds or categories
- Create trackable links for each promotional channel
Entries open
- Artists submit multi-format portfolios with auto-save across devices
- Automated confirmation emails sent on every successful submission
- Monitor submission volume and revenue in your live dashboard
- Add or edit form fields mid-cycle with dynamic forms
Judging rounds
- Run screening, shortlist, and final panel review as separate rounds
- Toggle anonymous review to hide artist identities automatically
- Track each panellist‘s progress and send automated reminders
- Panellists skip entries where they have a conflict; admins unassign as needed
- Download PDF selection packs for offline review where required
Results and legacy
- Announce results in staged rounds, controlling what publishes and when
- Notify every applicant automatically, selected or not
- Publish selected artists on your programme page automatically
- Clone your programme for the next edition with settings intact
- Build a historical archive as past editions accumulate
Frequently Asked Questions
What is open call management software?
It‘s a platform that handles the full lifecycle of an open call: collecting submissions, managing selection panels, running evaluation rounds, and announcing results. Instead of juggling email, spreadsheets, and shared drives, everything lives in one place. Take a quick tour to see how it works in practice.
What file types and sizes can artists submit?
Artists can upload images (preserved with lossless compression), video up to 4GB, audio files, and documents. They can also embed content from Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Sketchfab for 3D models. There are no storage restrictions or limits on the number of files per submission.
Can our selection panel review anonymously?
Yes. Toggle anonymous review on and Zealous hides artist names and personal details automatically. Your panel sees only the submitted work and form responses. No manual redaction needed. Scores are recorded before identities become visible.
How does multi-round selection work?
You define each round separately: screening, shortlist, final panel review, or whatever stages your programme requires. Each round can have different panellists, different criteria, and different score ranges. Only submissions you move forward appear in the next round. Read more about structuring your selection rounds.
Can we run a free open call with no submission fee?
Absolutely. Many publicly funded open calls are free to enter. Free submissions incur no Zealous commission at all. If your programme does include a fee, Zealous charges 2.2% + 20p per paid submission, capped at £2 (from April 1 2026). Stripe processing fees apply separately.
How do we notify all applicants about results?
Zealous sends automated result emails with your branding. You control staged announcements, choosing which rounds publish and when. Every applicant, selected or not, receives a notification. No more composing 600 individual emails.
What if our panellists are in different cities and time zones?
Panellists review on their own schedule from any device. Auto-resume drops them back exactly where they left off. You track everyone‘s progress in real time and automated reminders nudge anyone who hasn‘t started, so you‘re not sending awkward chase-up emails.
How quickly can we launch our first open call?
Most organisations go live within 48 hours. Sign-up takes two minutes. Start from a template, add your branding and submission fields, set your criteria, and publish. Your first 20 submissions are free on paid plans, so you can test everything before your call goes public.
What does pricing look like for open calls?
Plans are based on submission volume, not the number of programmes you run. You get unlimited programmes on one subscription. Monthly billing with no annual contracts. There‘s also a 33% discount on annual billing. No setup or onboarding fees. See pricing for full details.
How quickly can we get help if something goes wrong?
Unlimited support is included on every plan at no extra cost. Live chat is available during UK business hours, and most questions are answered the same day. We also offer a free pre-launch review to check your programme setup before you go live.
Can we reuse our setup for next year‘s edition?
Yes. Clone your programme for the next edition and carry over your settings, forms, and criteria. Past editions stay as a historical archive, building your programme‘s reputation over time. Adjust what needs changing and publish again.
