{"id":67051,"date":"2026-02-26T09:16:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T09:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zealous.co\/about\/?page_id=67051"},"modified":"2026-03-04T17:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:57:10","slug":"competition-platform","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/zealous.co\/about\/competition-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition Platform – Submissions to Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Platform<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Competitions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A competition platform that gets entries judged and winners announced on time<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Capterra (52 reviews)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shared inboxes full of ZIP files. Judges who vanish mid-review. Midnight spreadsheets trying to reconcile scores before the board meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zealous gives you one place to collect entries in any format, assign judges by category, track scoring in real time, and publish results when you\u2018re ready. You stop chasing people and start running your programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Started<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Quick Tour<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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20 entries free. No credit card required.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Trusted by 500+ organisations running programmes worldwide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"UAL<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"British<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Pearson<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Design<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"T.S.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Royal<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Young<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Every format, no compromises on quality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your entrants submit photography, video, 3D models, audio, documents, or all of the above. Zealous handles files up to 4GB with lossless image compression, so judges see exactly what was uploaded. No downscaled previews, no missing attachments, no frantic re-sends the night before judging starts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Judges who actually finish their reviews<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2018ve recruited a brilliant panel. Half of them haven\u2018t logged in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zealous sends automated reminders, shows you a live progress dashboard, and lets judges review on any device. They can work on the train, at home, or in the office. You see who\u2018s behind before it becomes a crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UK National Awards saw a 22% increase in submissions year-on-year after moving to Zealous. See how it works<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Team<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Judy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What I appreciate most is how Zealous supports clarity \u2014 for entrants, judges, and organisers alike. When systems are clear, people can focus on creativity rather than logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judy Holm, Founder and Director<\/strong>
The Global Climate Design Awards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Businesswoman<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Scoring that holds up to scrutiny<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When every judge uses their own mental rubric, results get messy and hard to defend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Define criteria for each round. Set the score range for each one – give impact a score out of 20 and presentation a score out of 10, so your priorities are reflected in the final result. No more copying numbers between tabs at 1am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore all assessment options on our features page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Paola<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It\u2019s been a pleasure to work with Zealous. The system is easy to use and intuitive for participants, judges and administrators. The dashboard allowed me to quickly manage the entire process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paola Lucente, Director<\/strong>
Procreate Project<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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One programme this year, five next year<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your first edition had 200 entries and a small panel. Now you\u2018re running multiple categories across regions, with different judges for each. The spreadsheet approach doesn\u2018t survive that growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assign judges to specific categories so they only see what\u2018s relevant. Clone your programme for the next edition instead of rebuilding from scratch. Real-time dashboards scale with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the complete guide to managing awards and competitions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Audience<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Employee<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fair results that people trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Competitions live or die by credibility. If entrants suspect bias or vote manipulation, your programme\u2018s reputation takes the hit. Anonymous judging hides personal details from panellists automatically. Public voting includes fraud detection that flags suspicious patterns before results go live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switch on anonymous mode and judges see only the submitted work \u2014 no names, no affiliations, no assumptions. Scoring records capture every panel member\u2019s assessment, so you can back up your results with evidence rather than reassurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All data encrypted in transit and at rest. GDPR compliant. See our security overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Vanessa<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I found your judging process a pleasure, it was very easy to follow. I judge many awards and some are difficult to navigate and clunky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa Brady OBE, Founder & CEO<\/strong>
The Society of British & International Interior Design<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Five ways to evaluate entries, used alone or combined<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Different programmes need different approaches. Pick one mode or layer several across rounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Criteria-Based Scoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Set specific criteria for each round with configurable score ranges. Give impact a score out of 20, presentation out of 10. Every entry gets measured the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defensible results that stand up to questions from entrants and boards alike.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Quick Selection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes you just need a yes or no. Select or reject entries yourself to shortlist quickly, without setting up scoring rounds or waiting on a panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear thousands of entries before judges even get involved, so they only review what\u2018s worth their time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Anonymous Judging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Personal details, institutional affiliations, and identifying information are hidden automatically. Judges evaluate the work on its own merits, not on who submitted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduces unconscious bias without extra admin. Switch it on per round so you can reveal identities later if needed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Public Voting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Open a vote to your audience alongside expert judging. Public results and panel scores are shown separately so they can inform each other without overlapping. Vote totals stay hidden until voting closes, and built-in fraud detection blocks suspicious activity automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audience engagement and expert credibility, each with their own clear outcome.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Multi-Round Review<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Screen entries first, shortlist the strong ones, then send finalists to a specialist panel. Each round can use different judges, different criteria, and different scoring methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structure the process to match how your organisation actually evaluates work, not how the software dictates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Imogen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hosting our annual photography competition on Zealous was a revelation. The platform is incredibly easy to use at every stage of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imogen Bakelmun<\/strong>
UCL<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Reclaim your weekends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You didn\u2018t start running competitions to spend every evening chasing judges and reconciling spreadsheets. These are the tasks that eat your week, handled automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Launch your competition in minutes (yes, really)<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Stop building entry forms from scratch or juggling between platforms. Get your call for entries live today with templates designed specifically for competitions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro members get a pre-launch audit – catching issues before entrants find them. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Showcase work, not just files<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Let entrants tell their story with rich media submissions – images, videos, documents – all viewable directly in the platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give your judges the full picture they need to evaluate properly, without downloading a single file.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Scoring judges actually enjoy completing<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Turn scoring from a chore into clarity. Criteria-based evaluation, anonymous options, and progress tracking mean higher completion rates and fairer results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automated reminders handle the chasing so you can focus on the outcomes.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Grow without breaking the budget<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Flexible pricing built for seasonal programmes – pay only during active months, freeze between cycles. No annual lock-ins that force you to pay year-round for competitions that run quarterly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save thousands in admin hours while delivering competitions that build your reputation. Scale from a single category to an international programme without changing platforms.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Zealous<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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