2026 RTIH Innovation Awards entry deadline is Friday, 2nd October: here's why you should enter
The 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards is now open for entries.
Our latest winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
The star studded judging panel includes representatives from Walmart, Amazon, JD Sports, East of England Co-op, Boots, Holland & Barrett, PoundFun, Austen & Blake, and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants.
Key dates for 2026
Friday, 20th February: Awards open for entries
Friday, 2nd October: Awards entry deadline
Tuesday, 6th October: 2026 finalists revealed
Wednesday, 7th October - 20th October: Judging days
Wednesday, 4th November: Winners announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London
FAQs
Is there a fee to enter the awards?: It is free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.
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 October, 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 Wednesday, 4th November (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? 2nd October 2026.
When will the 2026 winners be revealed? Our 2026 winners will be announced at an event at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November (consisting of a drinks reception, three course meal and awards ceremony).
Who will be judging the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards?
Christiana Hawes, Senior Director Retail Experiences Technology, Worldwide Studio Tours & Retail, Warner Bros. Discovery
Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports
Prabhat Johl, Director of Data Science, Walmart
Yatin Garg, Senior Manager, Product & Engineering, Amazon
Glen Richardson, Non-Executive Director, PoundFun, former COO at The Range and CMO at Fruugo
Melissa Moore, Host of The Retail Tea Break podcast
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
George Hayworth, Retail Director, Bringg and former Head of Q-Commerce Development, Co-op
Becky Lombardo, Founder, Londra Consulting
Ben Miller, Founder, Bryher Bay Ventures
Christine Russo, Industry Analyst and Retail Influencer
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 any entry related queries, email: scott.thompson@retailtechinnovationhub.com
Become a 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards sponsor
For further information on how to become a 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards sponsor, please complete the below form and we will get back to you asap.
Why become a sponsor?
✓ Position your brand alongside leading retailer and retail technology brands
✓ Network with retail executives both during the run up to and during the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November
✓ Gain access to post-event data capture and analytics with detailed feedback on sponsorship activities
✓Showcase your innovative solutions to help retailers thrive in an omnichannel world via the likes of promotional articles both on our website and in our printed magazine, emails to our database of daily e-newsletter subscribers, and social media posts.
