Frequently Asked Questions
KEY DATES
October 10, 2023 – Final Deadline ($999)
Late-October 2023 – All applicants will be notified via email if they were chosen as one of Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies
November 16, 2023 – Winners will be announced on Fast Company Middle East’s website – fastcompanyme.com
What is the Most Innovative Companies Award?
Since 2008, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies has been the definitive source for recognizing organizations transforming industries and shaping society. Fast Company Middle East will now recognize organizations from the Middle East, that have earned this esteemed recognition, ranging from major corporations to fledgling startups with only a handful of staff.
With innovation more important than ever this year, Fast Company Middle East looks forward to recognizing the organizations driving change and moving the world forward.
Every submission for the 2023 Most Innovative Companies will be individually evaluated by a team of Fast Company Middle East’s editors and reporters.
How Do I Apply?
Start your application here.
Who Can Apply?
Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes. Organizations may apply under 33 industry and regional categories and must demonstrate how their innovation from the past year has impacted their business, their industry, and the broader culture. Companies and non-profits of all sizes will be considered.
This is an awards program, open to companies headquartered in the Middle East. We request that entries are submitted in English.
Why Apply?
Brand Exposure – Fast Company Middle East’s editorial staff will see and evaluate every company that applies. All of the industry’s top 3 lists will be featured on fastcompanyme.com
Recognition – As part of this community, there is year-round recognition of your organization’s achievements. Executives will be considered for speaking opportunities at Fast Company Middle East events and exclusive invitations to influencer-only parties and networking. There could be opportunities to host Fast Company Middle East’s influencers in your innovative space.
Credibility – Companies chosen for the Most Innovative Companies list will appear on fastcompanyme.com.
Attract & Keep Talent – Public recognition of the team that makes your organization a Most Innovative Company helps recruit and retain top talent.
Competitive Advantage & Fundraising – Public recognition of being named a Most Innovative Company can boost product sales, marketing, and fundraising and M&A efforts.
How Many Times Can I Apply?
You may submit multiple nominations for the same organization highlighting different innovations.
I’ve Applied Before, Can I Apply Again?
I applied last year to Fast Company but didn’t win. Should I apply again? Yes! Tell us how your company has evolved and impacted innovation over the previous year. The biggest tip we can give you is to use firm evidence (data if you have it) to show how your innovations have made or will impact the future.
I won on Fast Company last year. Can I apply again? Yes! Tell us how your company evolved and had an impact through innovation over the previous year.
How Do I Write a Successful MIC Nomination?
Get the attention of the editors and writers who’ll decide the 2023 honorees by following these 10 tips:
Lead with 2022 innovations: Do not start by telling us your company’s history. Most Innovative Companies is not a lifetime achievement award. A successful application crisply details what your company did in 2022 to stand out in its category. The centrepiece of a company’s case can be an initiative that started before this year, but you need to identify how the company built upon that work successfully in 2022.
Focus on a project: Tell us about a particular initiative in your company. It’s not enough to state that your product or strategy is innovative. The key is to isolate the novelty in what you’re doing and delineate how and why it’s different from what’s come before.
Be specific: Use details to build a strong case for innovation. What makes you most excited when you think about what you’ve developed? What are the features of what you’re doing that your customers are buzzing about?
Demonstrate impact: Provide metrics—user numbers, revenue growth, customer satisfaction rates, and the like—that illustrate the positive impact of your innovation on the company and beyond.
Connect the dots: There should be a clear, recent connection between the innovation and the impact of that innovation. We judge companies on a sliding scale of impact and innovation. Some company’s innovations are so bold that they don’t need to show massive impact just yet. In other instances, the story is about the breakthrough performance of a previously introduced innovation.
Put your dent in the universe: How are your innovations impacting your industry? Society? How are they driving a public conversation? The more you can make the case that you’re leading a significant change—again, with data to support it—the better your application.
Frame your story in a larger context: We love a good story and a surprising, perhaps unsung, contributor who’s shaping the future. Are you championing a new approach to an old problem? Are your innovations transforming how we think about a segment of our society? How are you reframing a civic debate about the future with your innovative products and strategy?
Finish the job: If you’re an architecture firm, completed buildings will garner more attention than renderings. If you’re a pharmaceutical company, an FDA-approved drug matters more than a promising clinical trial. In-progress ideas will certainly be considered, but completing the work counts.
Give us a sneak preview: If there are new products or announcements that you know will be released before the end of the year which can improve your case, please share this information so we can follow up at the appropriate time to learn more.
Less is more: We know this is counter-intuitive, but trust us: Focus on what best reflects how your company approaches innovation rather than rattling off a laundry list of initiatives that may not be as important. Including everything you did this year will weaken the case for your most notable achievements. Bring your biggest ideas to life.
What Happens After I Apply?
The editors of Fast Company Middle East select winners. Entries will remain confidential and will not be shared with third parties. Category selection is for general guidance. Our editors may choose a different category if the entry wins. Categories are subject to change per editorial discretion.
All applicants will be notified late-October 2023 if they are a Most Innovative Company. All winners will be announced on fastcompanyme.com.
What Are The MIC Category Definitions?
Click here to view all MIC Categories and their corresponding definitions.
Refund Policy: If you need to cancel your application, just get in touch with us by replying to your confirmation email or emailing us at marketing@fastcompanyme.com. All sales are final. Refunds are unavailable, but you can receive an application credit if canceled before the final deadline.
Have any questions or concerns? Email the Most Innovative Companies Team at marketing@fastcompanyme.com
Click the link to apply to 2023 Most Innovative Companies
Rules
ELIGIBILITY: The Fast Company Middle East 2023 Most Innovative Companies Competition (the “Competition”) is open to all organizations based in the Middle East region (The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, The Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, and Yemen). Either the Entrants would be headquartered in the Middle East region, or a significant part of the project should have been executed in the region.
Employees or agents of Vibe Projects, LLC (“VP”) (the “Publisher”) and the Publisher’s parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising/promotional agencies, and the members of their immediate families and households are not eligible.
Entrants must have a valid email address to enter.
The Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is not available to those residing in jurisdictions where such competitions are prohibited.
UNACCEPTABLE MATERIAL
Entries that contain pornographic material, propagate “hate” messages, make defamatory statements, or are otherwise extraordinarily offensive are not eligible.
OFFICIAL RULES
Entry into the Most Innovative Companies (the “Competition”) by or on behalf of a company (“Company”) constitutes Company’s full and unconditional agreement to accept and be bound by the following Official Rules:
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
- By submitting the Entry Form, Company represents and warrants that the person identified as Primary Contact has the authority to submit the Entry and that all information submitted supports the Entry.
- Company acknowledges that by submitting the Entry, it grants VP the right to exhibit, publish, and promote in any and all media all information submitted by Company in connection with the Entry.
- The company acknowledges that the information provided in the Entry is subject to Fast Company Middle East’s privacy policy at https://www.fastcompanyme.com/privacy-policy. Further, the Company consents to having all such information shared with, and to receive information directly from, VP sponsors and authorized partners.
DISQUALIFICATION
Ineligible entries may be disqualified at any phase of the Competition without notification. In such an event, the entry would not be refunded.
REVIEW OF ENTRIES
The company will receive an email acknowledgment when an Entry and accompanying Entry Fee have been received.
Timely submission of an Entry meeting the eligibility requirements and payment of the Entry Fee as stated herein ensures that the Entry will be reviewed and considered for recognition. No other representation or warranty is made by the Publisher concerning Entries and all implied warranties are hereby expressly disclaimed.
If an Entry receives an award, the manner and details of announcing such nomination and award are strictly within the discretion of the Publisher. The company acknowledges that all awards may not be given or publicized in the same manner, and some might be presented in a ceremony and others might not.
ENTRY FEES
October 10, 2023 – Final Deadline ($999)
DETAILED ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS
Entrants must complete and submit the Official Entry Form on this page before 11:59:59 PM (GST) on October 10, 2023 (“Entry Period”). An Entry is considered processed after a completed Entry Form is received by the Competition and payment for the Entry Fee is received. The publisher reserves the right to recategorize Entries and to create new Categories if appropriate.
Entries delivered in person, by mail, fax, or other means will not be accepted.
CONTACT
For questions or comments related to the Fast Company Middle East Most Innovative Companies Call for Entries, or to notify the Publisher of any change in the email address for the Company Contact(s) identified in the Entry Form, please contact marketing@fastcompanyme.com.
The Publisher is not responsible for malfunctions of electronic equipment, computer hardware, software, malfunctions of the Entrant’s email provider, lost, late, incomplete entries, or entries not received in time for the judging. Entries not containing the required information and entries submitted or received after the Entry Period will be disqualified. Any attempted form of entry other than that described herein is void.
The Publisher is not responsible for problems downloading or accessing the Entry Form from the website or for other technical issues related to website entries. The Publisher reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Competition in the event that it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired and award prizes from among all eligible entries received before cancellation or termination.
In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting an online entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person whose name the email account is registered. Normal Internet access and usage charges imposed by your online service will apply.
JUDGING/SELECTION OF HONOREES: Honorees will be selected from all eligible entries by Fast Company Middle East editors. Applications will be judged on relevancy, ingenuity, and current and potential cultural and business impact.
The winners will be announced on Fast Company Middle East’s Website – fastcompanyme.com.
GENERAL: Neither the Publisher nor its parent, subsidiary, or affiliate companies, nor their respective promotional agencies shall have any obligation or responsibility with regard to (i) entries that contain inaccurate information or that do not comply with these instructions; (ii) entries or notifications that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, damaged, or otherwise not received by the intended recipient, in whole or in part, due to computer or technical error of any kind; (iii) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties; or (iv) any damages or losses of any kind caused by any award or resulting from the acceptance of any award. The Publisher, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process or otherwise disregarding these instructions. Publisher further reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Competition if it cannot be completed as planned because of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, or technical failures. Entry materials/data that have been tampered with or altered are void.
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES: Selection and recognition to the list are at the sole discretion of the Fast Company Middle East team, and by submitting the entry, entrants agree to abide by any and all decisions. In the event of any dispute or claim arising out of or connected with the Entry or the Competition, the parties shall make a good faith effort to resolve that dispute or claim, with or without the assistance of a mediator.
These Official Rules supersede any prior oral or written agreements relating to rules or procedures for the Competition. These Official Rules may be changed at any time, but only by the Publisher and only by posting new rules at https://event.fastcompanyme.com/apply/most-innovative-companies-middle-east-2023
Please see the FAQs for further details.
Have any questions or concerns? Email the Most Innovative Companies Team at marketing@fastcompanyme.com
Click the following to apply to 2023 Most Innovative Companies
How Do I Pay Now and Edit Later?
Final deadline to submit your application: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. GST
Final deadline to make edits to your application: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. GST
Below is also information on how to continue working on your Most Innovative Companies application even before the final deadline on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. GST.
- Log in to your application and input placeholder copy (e.g., “XX”) in each question.
- On the last page of the application, you’ll see a checkbox labeled “finalize entry.” Make sure not to check that box.
- Then submit payment as normal and you’ll be able to log back in to keep working on your application as often as you’d like until the final extended deadline of October 10, 2023.
Once you have paid for your application, please follow the below steps to make any edits:
- The application you previously paid for can be found in the “complete” section of your profile on the left side of the screen or by logging into your completed application here.
- Under “Action” click “Edit” and make as many changes as you would like until the final extended deadline on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. GST. Please remember to click save upon making any adjustments.
Refund Policy: If you need to cancel your application, just get in touch with us by replying to your confirmation email or emailing us at marketing@fastcompanyme.com. All sales are final. Refunds are unavailable, but you can receive an application credit if canceled before the final deadline.
Have any questions or concerns? Email the Most Innovative Companies Team at marketing@fastcompanyme.com
Click the following to apply to 2023 Most Innovative Companies
Why Should My Company Apply?
Companies chosen will feature in the Most Innovative Companies list published in Fastcompanyme.com (1.8 million unique monthly visitors), receive a verified company bio page on Fastcompanyme.com, and an automatic entry into Fast Company Middle East’s influencer community.
Brand Exposure – Every company that applies will be seen and evaluated by Fast Company Middle East’s editorial staff. All of the industry’s top 3 lists will be featured in the magazine and on fastcompanyme.com (1.8 million unique monthly visitors)
Recognition – As part of this community, there is year-round recognition of your organization’s achievements. Executives will be considered for speaking opportunities at Fast Company events and exclusive invitations to influencer-only parties and networking. There could be opportunities to host Fast Company Middle East’s influencers in your innovative space.
Credibility – Gain the Fast Company Middle East stamp of approval for creating a breakthrough technology, product or service.
Attract & Keep Talent – Public recognition of the team that makes your organization a Most Innovative Company helps with the recruitment and retention of top talent.
Competitive Advantage & Fundraising – Public recognition of being named a Most Innovative Company can boost product sales, marketing, and fundraising and M&A efforts.
Have any questions or concerns? Email Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies Team at marketing@fastcompanyme.com
Click the following link to apply to 2023 Most Innovative Companies
