2026 RTIH Innovation Awards opens for entries with deadline for submissions Friday, 11th September

The eighth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards is now open for entries. The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our latest winners were revealed at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 16th October.

Key dates for 2026

Friday, 20th February: Awards open for entries

Friday, 11th September: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 15th September: 2026 finalists revealed

Wednesday, 16th September - Wednesday, 30th September: Judging days

Thursday, 15th October: Winners announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London

2025 RTIH Innovation Awards winners announced. Congrats to our winners including @poqcommerce @LiveRamp @Nextail_co @currys @hanshowofficial and thanks to our sponsors, judges, event attendees and the legend that is @tiffstevenson for hosting #RTIHAwards25 https://t.co/YtWksWh6NE

— Retail Technology Innovation Hub (@RTIH_RetailTech) October 17, 2025

FAQs

Is there a fee to enter the awards?: It is free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories*.

Can I enter across multiple categories: Yes.

Do I need to complete all the sections in the entry form? No, but the more information you provide, the better chance you have of producing a successful submission.

Is there a certain timeframe for nominated projects, initiatives etc? Yes, nominated projects, initiatives etc should have been completed (or substantially completed) during the last 12 months.

Who has visibility of our completed entry form and what information will be public should we win or be shortlisted? Only our Editor, Scott Thompson, and judging panel will view submissions. The information provided in the summary section of the entry form will be made public.

Do you only accept entries from UK-based companies? No, we accept entries from all parts of the world.

What is the shortlists process? Shortlists will be announced in September, then shortlisted entries will be sent to our independent judging panel who will decide upon the winners and highly commended submissions.

Shortlisted companies will be invited to attend an event at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October (consisting of a drinks reception, three course meal and awards ceremony).

Do winners and highly commended companies receive post-event coverage? Yes, post-event coverage includes articles on our website and also an in-depth awards review in our printed magazine. There is also the opportunity for a company profile type piece to be published on our site.

Who won what in 2025? Check out our 2025 winners here.

When is the deadline for 2026 submissions? 11th September 2026.

When will the 2026 winners be revealed? Our 2026 winners will be announced at an event at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October (consisting of a drinks reception, three course meal and awards ceremony).

*There is no charge for companies entering directly via in house teams. For those companies making submissions via third parties (for instance, PR agencies), there will be an admin fee of £250 for one entry or £350 for multiple entries. This will be deducted from the ticket price should your submission be shortlisted and you choose to attend our awards ceremony on Thursday, 15th October.

Who will be judging the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards?

Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports

Glen Richardson, Non-Executive Director, PoundFun, former COO at The Range and CMO at Fruugo

Graham Broomfield, Managing Director, Austen & Blake

Rob Smith, Technology Officer, East of England Co-op

Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett

Nadine Neatrour, Chief Marketing Officer, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

Mike Cadden, Chief Technology Officer, Marie Curie

Carole Kingsbury, Chief Technology Officer, C&C Group

Nina Mimica, Board Advisor and Former Studenac Executive

Becky Lombardo, Founder, Londra Consulting

Christine Russo, Industry Analyst and Retail Influencer

Oliver Banks, Retail Transformation Director & Consultant, OB&Co

Jack Dowling, Former Post Office and Frasers Group executive, Transformation Leader (Strategy, Product, Operations & AI)

Matt Taylor, CTO of Global Managed Services and VP of SecDevOps, NCC Group

Paula Bobbett, Chief Data and Digital Officer, Boots

Scott Thompson, Editor and Founder, Retail Technology Innovation Hub

Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner, IGD

For further information on the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, please complete the following form and we will get back to you asap.