Companies entering the National Capital Business Ethics Awards Program are judged in one of four categories:
- Small – Companies with fewer than 100 employees.
- Medium – Companies with 100 – 250 employees.
- Large – Companies with more than 250 employees.
- Not-For-Profits – Trade and Professional Associations and Foundations
Categories are subject to change based on applicant pool in any given year. Any changes are made prior to judging.
Financial service companies are not eligible to participate. A financial service company is defined as one that earns more than 25 percent of its revenues from providing financial services or from the sale of financial products.
An independent panel of judges drawn from business, academia, public service, media, consulting and the ethics community will evaluate the entries and select the Finalists and Award Recipients.