The FiltXPO™ Innovation Award, with three award categories, recognizes and rewards innovation within the entire filtration value chain particularly those that utilize nonwoven fabric/technology. Presented every 18 months at FiltXPO™, eligible products include, but are not limited to: filter media, machinery, process technology, components, fibers, additives, and packaging.

The three award categories are:

• Air/Gas Filtration Media
• Water/Liquid Filtration Media
• Filtration Equipment (Converting Equipment, Filtration Systems Using Nonwoven Filter Media, Testing Equipment, etc).

Product Eligibility:

Companies are encouraged to nominate their own product(s) for the FiltXPO™ Innovation Award, but only one (1) product per company will be selected as a finalist for each category. To qualify for consideration as a nominee for the FiltXPO™ Innovation Award, all nominated products must:

• Be involved in some portion of the process and production of a nonwoven filtration product. Competition is open to all filtration utilizing a nonwoven fabric.
• Have been introduced to the consumer market, or to the trade, within the 24 months preceding the event date.
• Not have been nominated in any previous FiltXPO Innovation Award™ competition. Products may have been nominated, finalists and/or winners of other INDA awards per the requirements for those awards.
• Finalists must agree to present their product in person at FiltXPO™ and to provide a digital 300 dpi/1MB high resolution image of their product for promotional purposes.

Product Criteria:

Nominated products should demonstrate advancements in one or more of the following categories:

• Creativity (Was there imaginative skill used to create a solution to a known problem?)
• Novelty of approach (Is the method or thought process used to create the product new?)
• Uniqueness (Is this the only product of its type in the marketplace?)
• Technical sophistication

Finalist Selection:

INDA's Technical Advisory Board (TAB) will choose finalists that, in their view, exemplify innovation within the filtration value chain and advances the use of nonwovens. If TAB determines that a product or technology nominated for the FiltXPO™ Innovation Award is better suited for an alternate INDA Award (e.g., RISE^® Innovation Award) TAB will remove the candidate from the list of nominations and submit it for consideration in the applicable award category.

TAB, consisting of INDA's President and Technical Director plus industry members with a technical background, shall first select the award finalists from all submissions and then vote on the finalist that best embodies the award criteria. Product scores will be the percentage of TAB votes obtained carried out to two (2) decimal places. INDA personnel will vote on which products make the Finalist category, but not on which shall be the winner of the Award.

Voting Methodology:

The industry may vote via the International Filtration News website at https://www.filtnews.com to determine the winners. The INDA website will also contain a link to International Filtration News for voting. The winners shall be determined by totaling the on-line votes.

Legal disclaimer:
Each company whose products are nominated shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless INDA, its directors, officers, members, employees, and agents, and all other individuals involved in the voting process from and against any and all claims, actions, judgments, demands, liabilities, losses, injuries, costs and expenses arising out of or relating to such company's products, including the manufacturing, packaging, labeling, advertising, sale, and use of such products.