FAQ

Questions about the Made in Alberta Awards? See our Frequently Asked Questions Below! Don’t see an answer to your question? Please reach out to info@madeinalbertaawards.ca.

Why should I submit my product to the Made in Alberta Awards?

  1. One overall winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize.
  2. The overall winner and category winners in each category will be featured in the Made in Alberta Awards coverage in Avenue‘s September/October 2024 print issue. Additionally, the winners and up to five runners-up in each category will be featured on social media and the Made in Alberta Awards website.
  3. Every single eligible entrant will be featured on the Made in Alberta Awards website for the Made in Alberta Readers’ Choice Award Presented by Southcentre. The winner of the Made in Alberta Readers’ Choice Award Presented by Southcentre will be determined by an online voting process. In 2023, more than 5,000 readers voted.
  4. The judging panel, including editors of Avenue, will review all entries, so you guarantee that your product is seen by experts in your field and the editors of Alberta’s largest lifestyle publication.
  5. All eligible entrants will be able to use the Made in Alberta Awards program logo on their entered product and packaging.⁠

When are entries due?

Entry submissions for the 2024 Made in Alberta Awards will open on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. Early-bird entries end at 11:59 p.m. MST on November 30, 2023. All entries will close at 11:59 p.m. MST on February 29, 2024.

What is the entry fee?

 

The Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans is free to enter. For all other categories, there is an early-bird entry fee of $80 until 11:59 p.m. on November 30, 2023. Starting December 1, 2024, a general entry fee of $150 per entry will apply. Entry fees for those products that are deemed ineligible will not be refunded so please read the eligibility criteria closely. Most entries that are deemed ineligible are either not manufactured in Alberta, are artwork or books (artwork and books are not eligible), or are not products (stores and services are not eligible). If you’re not sure if your product is eligible, reach out and ask us by email at info@madeinalbertaawards.ca.

That’s a lot of money, what do I get for $150?

 

The $150 administrative fee allows us to produce the Made in Alberta Awards program. In addition to the potential for winning the Made in Alberta Awards, each eligible entrant will have the opportunity to use the Made in Alberta program logo on their entered product and packaging. All eligible entrants will be included in the online Made in Alberta Readers’ Choice Award Presented by Southcentre voting round (in 2023 more than 5,000 readers voted). 

How can I pay?

We accept all major credit cards, including VISA, Mastercard, and American Express.

My product was deemed ineligible or I have changed my mind. Can I get a refund?

 

Entry fees are non-refundable so please read the eligibility criteria closely. If you’re not sure if your product is eligible, reach out and ask us by email at info@madeinalbertaawards.ca.

If my product is designed in Alberta but assembled elsewhere, can I still enter?

 

No. To qualify for the Made In Alberta Awards, your product must be physically manufactured in the province of Alberta. But our editors would still love to hear about your product. Email us at info@madeinalbertaawards.ca and let us know more about your locally designed work.

The materials or components of my product are from outside of Alberta, but the final product is assembled in Alberta, can I still enter?

Yes. To qualify for the Made In Alberta Awards, your product must be physically manufactured in the province of Alberta. The components, ingredients or materials your product is made from do not need to all be made in Alberta for it to be eligible, however the final production — for example, putting pieces of jewellery together, printing on clothing, or cooking and producing a food item — does have to be done in Alberta for the product to be eligible for the Made in Alberta Awards.

Should I enter my company as a whole or a specific product?

Each entry is for a specific product or a related group of products, not for a company. An example of a related group of products would be a jewellery collection, products of the same type in different colours, or various flavours of the same product. If you have multiple, unrelated products, you can enter them each separately by purchasing and submitting separate entry forms.

I have a series of related products (different flavours or colours of the same product or pieces in the same collection), do I enter them all together or as separate entries?

Each entry form is for a single product or a related group of products. A collection, line, series or related group of products includes different sizes, flavours or colours of the same overall product, or different items from the same jewellery collection for example. If you think your product is part of a collection, line, series or related group of products, you may enter them together on one entry form. If you see your products as completely separate and unrelated items — for example several separate and distinct pieces of clothing — then they should be entered in separate entry forms. Note that the judges may, at their discretion, select only one of the items as a finalist.

Can I enter more than once?

 

Yes. If you would like to submit multiple, unrelated products, you may purchase and submit multiple entries.

What category should I enter?

​Enter the category that you think best represents your product. If the judges determine that a product has been entered in the wrong category and that it is more suitable and more likely to win in a different category, they can, at their discretion, move the entry into another category.

Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans: This category is open to Indigenous artisans and companies owned by an Indigenous person that make their product in Alberta. Entries in this category should be products that would fall under another category covered by the awards, such as food, craft, furnishings, etc. Entries in this category can also be entered in another category. Entries in this category are free.

Beauty: Cosmetics, skincare and haircare. Note that wellness and healthcare products are not eligible.

Craft: Items that are handmade by a single maker that demonstrate craftsmanship, including paper goods such as stationery and journals, textiles, leather goods, baskets, musical instruments, woodwork and more. Craft kits should be entered in the Games and Leisure category, not the Craft category.

Drink – alcoholic: Packaged alcoholic drinks.

Drink – non-alcoholic: Packaged non-alcoholic drinks.

Fashion and Accessories: Clothing, footwear, accessories and jewellery.

Food – Savoury: Savoury edible packaged food items, including ingredients.

Food – Sweet: Sweet, edible, packaged food items, including ingredients.

Furnishings and Home Decor: Furniture and home decor items for both home interiors and outdoors, including garden and patio.

Games and Leisure: Sporting equipment, outdoor gear, pet items, games and toys.

Unique Product: Products that do not fit any other category.

Can I enter my product into multiple categories?

Only entries in the Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans can be entered in a second category. Otherwise, each product can only be entered into one category. The Made in Alberta Awards team reserves the right to move any products into a category they think it has a better chance of winning in. Entries entered in more than one category will only be eligible in one category at the judges’ discretion. Entry fees for repeat entries that are disqualified will not be refunded.

What is the Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans?

This award was started in 2021 in memory of Amy Willier, co-owner of Moonstone Creation, who passed away in January 2021. It is a Made in Alberta Awards category that is open to Indigenous artisans who make their work in Alberta. This category is free to enter and will feature the same benefits and prizes as all the other categories. This is the only category in which entrants can also enter the same product into one other additional category if they wish. Entrants in this category are not obligated to enter another category. Entries in this category must be products that would be eligible under another category covered by the awards, such as food, craft, furnishings, etc. and must in all other ways also be eligible for the awards.

How do I enter the Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans?

The Amy Willier Award for Indigenous Artisans is free to enter and you can access the entry form here.

This is the only category where entrants may enter the same product into a second paid category as well. After you enter this category, you will receive a copy of your entry form by email. If you would like to enter your product into a second category for $150, please re-enter your product using this entry form. You can use the same answers for both forms.

Can I submit my application by mail?

No. All entries must be submitted through the Made in Alberta Awards website.

The Rules say the product must be available until the end of October 2024, but my product is seasonal and won’t be available then. Can I still enter?

 

No. To be eligible, products must be available through until the end of October 2024. But please let us know about your seasonal product as we write about Alberta makers all year long.

The food and drink categories say that the products need to be packaged. What do you mean by this?

Entries in the food and drink categories must be packaged goods. Restaurant dishes are not eligible.

Can visual artists submit their work?

It depends on what the product is. One-of-a-kind art does not qualify for the Made in Alberta Awards. But if you produce a product line where your visual art is reproduced onto a product (for example printed onto a pillow or T-shirt), the resulting product is eligible. Either way, our editors would still love to hear about your work. Email us at info@madeinalbertaawards.ca and let us know more about what you do. If you’re not sure if your work qualifies for entry, please contact us first — entry fees for ineligible entries will not be refunded.

I am an Alberta writer, can I enter my book?

No. Books are not eligible for the Made in Alberta Awards, but our editors would still love to hear about your work. Email info@madeinalbertaawards.ca and let us know more about what you do.

My product is technology based, can I submit my work?

It depends on what the product is and if it fits into one of our broader categories. For example, if you make an app-based game, you can submit that under the Games and Leisure category. If you produce a technology-based piece of home decor, you may enter it in the Furnishings and Home Decor category. If it is a service or a business-to-business technology, it is not eligible. If you’re not sure if your work qualifies for entry, please contact us first — entry fees for ineligible entries will not be refunded.

Are custom products, for example cabinetry, eligible?

The Made in Alberta Awards recognize products rather than companies. To be eligible, all entered products must be available for purchase through until the end of October 2024. Therefore, one-off pieces are not eligible. Products where elements such as style, shape, colour, size, etc. are completely customizable to a client’s desire, with no overall, similar product design, will most likely be deemed ineligible by the judges. Made-to-measure or made-to-order products with an overall, similar product design and product example are eligible. A line of products that are similar, with a set of customizations (size, material or colour for example) would be eligible. Email info@madeinalbertaawards.ca and let us know more about what you do so we can help you determine if your product is eligible. Please contact us before you enter — entry fees for ineligible entries will not be refunded.

When will I be notified if my product is being considered as a finalist?

Finalists will be notified by the end of May.

Do I need to mail in my physical product?

Entrants in the food, drink and beauty categories will be contacted for samples and must provide three samples per entry for the judging process. For entries in other categories you may be contacted if a judging sample is required. The cost and logistics of shipping or delivery of all samples are the responsibility of the entrant. Failure to supply samples may result in disqualification.

When will the final winners be announced to the public?

 

Winners and runners-up will be announced to the public online on the Made in Alberta Awards website and in Avenue’s September/October 2024 issue.

The Rules say that products that were winners or runners up of past Made in Alberta Awards aren’t eligible. I have a product that was a runner up, but I want to enter a different product. Can I still enter?

Yes. As long as you are entering a different product, it is eligible. Products that were listed as category winners or runners-up in a previous year aren’t eligible. Products that were selected as honourable mentions, but not as a runner-up or winner are also eligible to enter again.