RAYE Awards 2027
The Entry
Guide.
Every rule, date and format for the RAYE Awards 2027, on one page. Applications and nominations open 4 October 2026.
- Applications open
- 4 October 2026
- Applications close
- 1 March 2027
- Written responses
- 5 × 400 words
- Gala
- 1 May 2027
How it works
Six stages from category to Gala.
- 01
Choose your category
Read the category pages and pick the titles that match the shape and stage of your business.
- 02
Check eligibility
Confirm you meet the standard rules and any conditions on your category page.
- 03
Build your Evidence Pack
Gather the numbers, outcomes and references your entry relies on. One PDF, maximum 5 pages, maximum 10 MB.
- 04
Write your responses
Five written responses, up to 400 words each.
- 05
Submit in the Awards portal
Entries are written, uploaded and paid for in the RAYE Awards portal, a separate system to RAYE Haus.
- 06
Judging and the Gala
Eligible entries are assessed independently. Finalists are announced 21 March 2027. Winners are named at the Gala on 1 May 2027.
Eligibility
Who can enter.
- Registered and trading in Australia with a current ABN.
- Trading for at least 12 months as at 4 October 2026, unless the category states otherwise.
- The standard assessment period is 1 January 2024 to 28 February 2027, unless a category carries an approved override.
- Entrants may enter more than one category where eligible.
- Nomination only titles are awarded by the Haus and cannot be entered, sponsored or bought.
- Category pages carry any additional conditions that apply to that title.
- Applications open
- 4 October 2026
- Applications close
- 1 March 2027
- Assessment period
- 1 January 2024 to 28 February 2027
Criteria
What every entry is assessed against.
Categories carry their own questions and their own focus. Across the Awards, assessment covers five broad areas. Each category page explains what those areas look like for that title.
01 · Foundation
Category fit, business context, purpose and the foundations of what has been built.
02 · Results
The measurable outcomes achieved during the relevant assessment period.
03 · Decisions
The choices, strategies and execution that produced progress or answered a challenge.
04 · Leadership
How the entrant leads themselves, their people, clients, community or industry.
05 · Impact
Value created for customers, team, community or industry, and the credibility of the direction ahead.
- Written responses
- 5
- Words per response
- Up to 400
- Evidence Pack
- 5 pages · 10 MB
Judging
How judging is run.
Judging is independent of RAYE Haus membership, Awards partnership and the Founding 20 campaign. Judges assess the written entry and the Evidence Pack.
Judges are practising business people and specialists. They come to each entry without prior knowledge of the business, so the entry needs to carry its own context.
- Judges cannot enter the RAYE Awards.
- Judges cannot hold a commercial Platinum, Gold or Silver Awards partnership.
- Judges must declare conflicts of interest and step out where a conflict exists.
- Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards partners cannot enter or judge the RAYE Awards.
- Entrants cannot judge, and cannot hold a commercial Platinum, Gold or Silver Awards partnership.
- Founding 20 is a separate recognition campaign and sits outside the judging process.
Strong entry
What a strong entry does.
Specific over broad
Name the result, the number and the period it covers.
Before and after
Show the starting point so the distance travelled is visible.
Backed by something
Each claim should trace to a document, a figure or a referee.
Written for a stranger
Judges come to the entry cold. Explain the business plainly.
What weakens an entry
- Adjectives standing in for numbers.
- Claims with nothing attached to verify them.
- The same answer pasted across every question.
- Marketing copy lifted straight from a website.
Evidence Pack
The document behind your claims.
Format rules
- Evidence Pack: One PDF, maximum 5 pages, maximum 10 MB.
- Judges assess the written entry and the Evidence Pack only.
- Judges do not research entrants outside the submitted application.
- Every claim should be traceable to a figure, a document or a person who can confirm it.
Evidence judges accept
- Financial information
- Customer or client outcomes
- Operational data
- Survey results
- Testimonials with specific outcomes
- Third-party verification
- Appropriate supporting documentation
AI and authenticity
Using AI on your entry.
Entries must reflect the entrant's real experience, decisions, results and voice. AI may be used to help organise, edit or clarify an entry. Claims, experience, evidence, judgement and lessons must remain accurate and specific to the entrant.
Acceptable
- Tidying grammar, structure and length in answers you wrote.
- Turning your own notes into clearer sentences.
- Summarising your own data before you check it.
Not acceptable
- Inventing results, figures or client outcomes.
- Fabricating testimonials, references or supporting documents.
- Submitting an answer you have not read and cannot stand behind.
Dates
The 2027 season.
4 October 2026
Applications and nominations open
Categories, criteria and the entry form go live in the RAYE Awards portal.
31 December 2026
Early bird pricing ends
Last day for the early bird application fee per category.
1 January 2027
Standard application pricing begins
The standard application fee per category applies from this date.
1 March 2027
Applications and nominations close
Final deadline. Nothing is accepted after this date.
21 March 2027
Finalists announced
Finalists are contacted and published ahead of the Gala.
15 April 2027
Ticket sales close
Last day to secure tickets to the festival and the Gala.
29 April 2027
Conference + VIP Night
The RAYE Festival opens in Brisbane.
30 April 2027
Conference + Cocktail Party
Day two of the conference, followed by the cocktail party.
1 May 2027
RAYE Awards Gala
Winners are named on the night in Brisbane.
The RAYE Festival · 29 April to 1 May 2027
- 29 April 2027
- Conference + VIP Night
- 30 April 2027
- Conference + Cocktail Party
- 1 May 2027
- RAYE Awards Gala
Brisbane · Venue to be announced
FAQs
Questions entrants ask.
Where do I submit my entry?
In the RAYE Awards portal, a separate system to RAYE Haus. Every Enter the RAYE Awards link takes you there.
When do applications and nominations open?
4 October 2026. They close 1 March 2027.
Do I need to be a RAYE Haus member to enter?
No. The Awards are open to Australian businesses. Haus members receive category entries included with their membership.
What does a standard entry involve?
Five written responses, up to 400 words each. You also attach an Evidence Pack: one pdf, maximum 5 pages, maximum 10 mb.
What period should my evidence cover?
The standard assessment period is 1 January 2024 to 28 February 2027, unless your category carries an approved override.
How long does my business need to have been trading?
Trading for at least 12 months as at 4 October 2026, unless the category states otherwise.
Can I enter more than one category?
Yes, where you meet the eligibility conditions for each one.
What are nomination only titles?
Titles awarded by the Haus. They cannot be entered, sponsored or bought.
Can I edit my entry after starting it?
Entries can be edited in the Awards portal up to the entry close date.
Can a partner influence the result of the category they present?
Presenting partners do not score, select or influence entrants. Judging is run independently.
When will I know if I am a finalist?
Finalists are contacted and announced on 21 March 2027. Winners are named at the Gala on 1 May 2027 in Brisbane.
Still deciding where you fit? Browse every category.
Ready when you are.
Entries are submitted in the RAYE Awards portal, a separate system to RAYE Haus. Read the Entry Guide first, then head across.