Apply for the Catalyst Award
The 2026 Catalyst Award application is LIVE!
Applications are due April 24, 2025. See below for application instructions.
About the Catalyst Award
The Catalyst Award is the premier recognition of organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that drive representation and inclusion for women.
The global Catalyst Award attracts organizations from around the world. Every year, Catalyst identifies and receives applications from companies of all sizes, regions, and industries whose groundbreaking initiatives to advance women—including women from marginalized ethnic and racial groups as well as across other intersections of identity—make them eligible for the Award.
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a strategic imperative for organizational success. That is a proven fact. How you get there…that’s the real story. By applying for the Catalyst Award, your company or firm will:
- Benefit from an external perspective on your organization’s culture and D&I efforts.
- Showcase your internal and external strategies, talent, and progress.
- Learn how to continuously improve your efforts.
- Show your commitment to being an employer of choice.
Winning initiatives must show proven, measurable results that benefit women across a range of dimensions, among them race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, generation, nationality, disability, and Indigenous peoples.
Process and criteria
The Catalyst Award Evaluation Committee is a team of internal and cross-functional Catalyst staff who specialize in evaluating organizational behavior and D&I initiatives. The Committee assesses submissions through research that may include telephone interviews, then selects a small number of initiatives to examine further during intensive, onsite visits. Through interviews and focus groups with executives, senior women, human resources professionals, and other employees, the Committee gauges each initiative’s effectiveness and impact. Organizations selected for site visits 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 several eligibility criteria. Contact the Catalyst Award Chair to discuss whether your initiative meets them.
Once an initiative has been accepted for nomination, the Catalyst Award Evaluation Committee measures it on its own merit and against previous Award winners, the current pool of nominees, and the seven criteria listed below:
- Strategy & rationale
- Senior leadership activities
- Accountability & transparency
- Communication
- Employee engagement
- Innovation
- Measurable results
Timeline for the 2026 Catalyst Award
- April 24, 2025: Deadline for application submission
- April 28-30, 2025: Preliminary application review
- May–July 2025: Full application evaluations, including telephone interviews and additional data requests
- Early August 2025: Selection for site visits
- September - early October 2025: Site visits
- November 2025: Winner selection
- December 2025: Public announcement of winners
- March TBD, 2026: Awards Conference and Dinner
Apply for the Catalyst Award
To apply for the 2026 Catalyst Award, you must:
- Complete the application
- Provide metrics in a provided spreadsheet
- Submit your CEO/Managing Partner's signature confirming that if your initiative wins, they will attend the Catalyst Awards Conference & Dinner in March 2026
- Send your application fee
Contact the Catalyst Award Chair for the application packet.
The deadline to apply is April 24, 2025.
Please review the Eligibility Worksheet before completing your application to ensure that you are able to apply this year and use the Nomination Checklist before submitting to confirm that your application is complete.
If you are planning to apply for the 2026 Catalyst Award:
- We highly recommend attending the How to Apply for the Catalyst Award webinar on January 29, 2025, where Catalyst Award Chair Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon and representative(s) from 2025 Catalyst Award- winning company/companies will share best practices., and you will have an opportunity to ask questions.
- You must contact the Award Chair, Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, in advance of beginning your application. Applicants are required to speak with the Chair before applying.