Based on a possible maximum score of 100, each category will be awarded a maximum of 20 points:

1. Intellectual Achievement - The degree of intellectual achievement or quality of ingenious thinking and experiment to discover, create or conceive the innovation.
2. Uniqueness and Originality - Refers to the state of being original; the freshness of aspect, design or style utilized to produce the invention.
3. Development - Refers to the extent to which the idea or concept has been thought through to completion.
4. Commercialization - Refers to the degree of successful commercialization or quantifiable impact of the innovation.
5. Benefits - Refers to the economic and/or social benefit to Canada resulting from the innovation.

Important Note:

Each of the above five criteria are essential to the evaluation of your nomination.

• Proven impact is critical! If your innovation is not yet commercial or, in the case of social innovations, quantifiably in use by the people it is intended for, it will not be deemed to be a qualified nomination for that year's competition;
• The commercialization and benefits will be judged on factual outcomes to date, not projected sales or intended benefit;
• Failure to appropriately address any of these five criteria will mean your submission is not complete and thus not qualify for evaluation.