Submit Your GITEC 2026 Award Nominations Here!

The GITEC Awards celebrate excellence in government IT by recognizing the innovative leaders and projects driving progress across the public sector. Honoring both individual and team achievements, the awards highlight forward-thinking solutions, effective collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to improving government services through technology.

Each year, the ceremony brings together federal, state, and local government innovators—alongside academia and industry partners—to celebrate the advancements shaping the future of public service technology.

Nominations close December 1 at 5PM ET. 

Award Categories for 2026: 

• Excellence in Cybersecurity
• Digital Transformation
• AI & Data Analytics
• Workforce Development
• Innovation in Acquisition
• Working Group Excellence

Nomination Rules & Eligibility

Who Can Nominate:

• Anyone may submit a nomination.

Who Can Be Nominated:

• Only government teams, agencies, or individuals (Federal, State, or Local Government) are eligible to receive awards.

Nomination Details:

• You must provide accurate contact information for the nominee’s point of contact so that we can notify them of their nomination.
• You may submit as many nominations as you wish for different individuals or teams.
• Individuals and teams may nominate themselves.
• Team nominations count toward one category only. Multiple identical nominations for the same person or team in one category will be considered a single nomination.
• The nominator’s name, title, and organization may be shared with the nominee upon request.

Project Eligibility Window:

• Projects that began in 2024 and finished in 2025.
• Projects that began in 2025 (finished or ongoing).
• Ongoing projects not yet finished by Dec 31, 2025 if there is tangible progress by that date.

Judging Process

The GITEC 2026 Awards are reviewed and selected by a panel of government officials who volunteer their time and expertise to evaluate nominations. Each judge applies a consistent set of criteria outlined in the nomination form, assessing the innovation, impact, collaboration, and outcomes demonstrated by each nominee.

Judges refrain from reviewing nominations where a conflict of interest may exist, such as teams or agencies they directly support or represent.

The deliberation period takes place in December 2025 and January 2026, during which judges carefully evaluate each individual and team nomination. If additional details are needed, ATARC will contact nominators or nominees on the judges’ behalf to obtain clarifying information.

Once the nomination period closes, nominees will be notified of their selection before judging begins.

Winners will be recognized in-person at GITEC 2026, held May 3–5, 2026 in Charlottesville, VA, during a special awards ceremony honoring excellence in public sector IT.

Get Involved!

If you are a government official interested in joining the GITEC 2026 Judging Panel, please reach out to Kim Eastridge (keastridge@atarc.org) for more information.

For any questions about the nomination process or timeline, contact the ATARC Events Team at events@atarc.org.