Catalyst Award and Breakout Program Award

The Catalyst Award Evaluation Committee is a team of internal and cross-functional Catalyst staff who specialize in evaluating organizational behavior and inclusion initiatives. The Committee assesses submissions through research that may include virtual interviews, then selects a small number of initiatives to examine further during intensive interviews and focus groups with executives, inclusion leaders, and other employees across dimensions of identity to assess impact. Finalists receive more than 500 hours of review, and may request a meeting to discuss strengths and opportunities for improvement with Committee members. The Committee and Catalyst executive leadership then determine the winners.

To apply for the Catalyst Award, initiatives must meet the following eligibility criteria. Contact the Catalyst team if you are unsure whether your organization’s initiatives is eligible for the Catalyst Award.

• Eligible initiatives must be active for a minimum of three years in your organization, and you must show supporting evidence of your initiative’s impact over that time.
• The initiative must not primarily consist of work led or created by Catalyst (for example, advisory services significantly shaping your organization’s strategy or programming).
• Within three years of the nominated initiative, your organization must not be involved in a merger (completed or pending) with another organization or divested a significant portion of your business.
• If your initiative is selected as a Catalyst Award winner, your organization’s Global CEO, Managing Partner/Director, or other applicable senior executive must commit to attend either Catalyst Convene New York or Canada in 2027 and accept the Catalyst Award.

Once an initiative has been accepted for nomination, the Catalyst Award Evaluation Committee measures it on its own merit and the seven criteria listed below:

• Strategy & rationale
• Senior leadership activities
• Accountability & transparency
• Communication
• Employee engagement
• Innovation
• Impact

• July 1, 2026: Deadline for application submission
• July-September 2026: Full application evaluations, including virtual interviews and additional data requests
• Early October 2026: Selection for site visits
• October - November 2026: In-depth finalist interviews, either onsite or virtual
• January 2027: Winner selection
• March 2027: Public announcement of winners
• April 2027: Catalyst Convene New York Conference
• October-November 2027: Catalyst Convene Canada Conference

1. Contact the Catalyst team at [email protected] with your interest and eligibility.
2. Complete the application via Catalyst’s online submission portal. As of 2026, we no longer accept nominations in document form. All applications must be completed through the portal.

Download the 2027 Catalyst Award application.

Note that nominations must be submitted through the Catalyst Award online portal. Contact the Catalyst team ([email protected]) for the submission link.

The deadline to apply is July 1, 2026.

Winning the Catalyst Award is a significant milestone for an organization’s talent and inclusion efforts. It indicates that an organization is an employer of choice and demonstrates that senior leaders are serious about inclusion and its power in accelerating business performance. Catalyst recognizes this milestone by:

• Presenting the winning organization’s CEO / senior leadership with a Catalyst Award trophy.
• Offering opportunities to showcase the initiative’s impact and success factors at Catalyst Convene New York or Canada, annual gatherings of the world’s foremost inclusion experts and leaders.
• Publicly announcing the winning initiative(s) on Catalyst’s website and social media platforms.
• Capturing the winner’s inclusion story through a robust case study, accessible to Catalyst’s global Supporter community.

The Catalyst Breakout Program Award evaluation team consists of Catalyst staff who are experts in creating inclusive workplaces. The team evaluates nominations and selects programs that show evidence of an innovative approach for creating meaningful change. The team and Catalyst executive leadership then determine the winners.

A company may only nominate one program per year, and a given program may only be nominated once unless it has undergone substantive changes. However, you are welcome to nominate different programs in future years. You must be able to show measurable results for one year. You may not apply if you are a current nominee for the Catalyst Award.

The nominated programs will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Integration and accountability
• Impact
• Innovation

• October 1, 2026: Applications due
• October-November 2026: Application evaluations and additional information gathering
• December 2026-January 2027: Winners selected and notified
• March 2027: Public announcement of winners
• April 2027: Catalyst Convene New York Conference
• October-November 2027: Catalyst Convene Canada

Download the 2027 Catalyst Breakout Program Award application questions here. Note that applications must be submitted through the Breakout Program Award online portal. Contact the Catalyst team ([email protected]) for the submission link.

• Breakout Program Award winners will be presented with a trophy at Catalyst Convene New York or Catalyst Convene Canada. Note that your CDO/CHRO or an individual in a comparable role must agree to accept the award in person.
• Additional ways Breakout Program Award winners may be celebrated:
  • Public announcement posted on Catalyst’s website and social media platforms
  • Promotional video highlighting the winning programs at the Catalyst Convene
  • Virtual exhibit booth space featuring award winners
  • Description of the winning programs featured on Catalyst’s website