Judging Criteria

Each Final Plan submitted will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of representatives from Northeast Kingdom businesses and non-profit organizations. The judging panel will have expertise in Internet technologies, business, marketing and finance. Each plan submitted to the judging panel will be awarded points based upon the following four (4) judging criteria, A maximum total of 100 points is possible. The plan with the highest point total will be awarded the prize for Best Overall Plan. Prizes for the other three (3) award categories will be determined by a combination of how well a plan meets the objective of a specific category and the total points awarded to the plan.

Criteria 1 – Proposed use(s) of the Internet
A score of 0 to 50 points will be awarded based on how well the plan addresses:

  • What Internet applications will be used?
  • Is the proposal technically feasible?
  • How the Internet usage will be implemented and integrated into the business.
  • Sustainability of the proposed use of the Internet.
  • Potential for integrating additional Internet technologies in the future.
  • Outside services needed to implement this plan.  If the provider(s) of the needed services are identified, preference will be given to submissions using local service providers.
  • The expected outcomes of this plan (such as increase in sales and/or decrease in operating costs)
  • Judges will also consider:
    • Does the plan make significant use of the Internet?
    • Is the plan an innovative use of the Internet?
    • Will the plan encourage greater use of the Internet within the NEK?

Criteria 2 – Marketing and Training
A score of 0 to 20 points will be awarded based on how well the plan addresses:

  • Marketing plans for a public or customer application or training plans for an internal use of the Internet
  • The demographics of the intended customers
  • How customers will be reached
  • How the Internet will be used for marketing
  • How the success of the marketing and training plans will be assessed

Criteria 3 – Financial Projections
A score of 0 to 20 points will be awarded based on how well the plan addresses:

  • A description of the project’s revenues and expenses including, but not limited to, any equipment, software, services, supplies, insurance, contractual, and personnel.
  • The costs of implementing and maintaining the planned use of the Internet
  • The expected added revenues and/or cost savings generated

Criteria 4 – Judges’ Discretion
A score of 0 to 10 points will be awarded at the judging panels discretion.  The purpose of this criteria is to allow the judges to award discretionary points for a plan that has noteworthy aspects that are not considered within the other judging criteria.