GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards 2025

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Applications are now open for the GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards to recognise some of the most innovative and significant projects completed within 2024, across five key categories.

GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards Categories

Foundry Artificial Intelligence Award

This category celebrates and recognises achievements related to the application and impact of Artificial Intelligence technologies within the telecoms sector and adjacent verticals.
It focuses on acknowledging organisations that have demonstrated exceptional use of AI to innovate, improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, or drive significant business outcomes within telecoms and related sectors.

Foundry Non-Terrestrial Networks Award

This category recognises and celebrates achievements and innovations in the field of NTN, which includes satellite communications, high-altitude platform systems (HAPS), and other space-based network technologies.
These achievements help acknowledge the diverse aspects and contributions within the Non-Terrestrial Network industry, from technical innovation to policy leadership and environmental stewardship.

Foundry 5G Monetisation Award

This category recognises companies or organisations that have demonstrated outstanding innovation and success in leveraging 5G technology for commercial gain.
It highlights and promotes the best practices and success stories in leveraging 5G technology to drive business growth and innovation across various sectors.
Foundry Network Efficiency and Network Optimisation Award
This category celebrates exceptional achievements in enhancing network performance, optimising resources, and improving overall efficiency. It underscores innovations and best practices that ensure more reliable, faster, and cost-effective network services.
This award also highlights a commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and collaboration in achieving high network performance.

Foundry best industry vertical use case/industry project Award

This category acknowledges outstanding accomplishments and innovations that have profoundly influenced the telecommunications sector and related industries. Winning in this category demonstrates leadership, vision and the ability to drive substantial transformation within the industry.
It also sets a benchmark for future initiatives, inspiring others to innovate and contribute to the industry’s growth and development.

Eligibility Criteria for GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards

The GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards are open to any company operating in, or adjacent to, the telecoms industry worldwide, who have completed a Foundry project/initiative within 2024 – entries can be submitted for Foundry initiatives/projects that are still in progress and completed no later than December 31, 2024.
If you have an existing Foundry project, service, or initiative in progress, let us know quickly, and they’ll determine whether it can be incorporated and counted as a Foundry project.
They retain the right to withdraw any submitted applications whose project, service or initiative has not been complete by the 31st December 2024.

Criteria/Evaluation

Innovation and creativity: extent, uniqueness, originality, proprietary rights and centrality of the initiative.
Achievement & recognition: market traction and technology readiness.
Potential/Commercial use: clear roadmap to scalability, potential for growth and sustainability of the project.
Impact: contribution towards solving a real-life challenge, whether it’s overcoming a specific obstacle or providing a solution to a prevalent issue, emphasize the practical impact of your work.
Timelines: for initiatives completed in the calendar year 2024.