NSCA Opens Call for Entries for 2026 Excellence in Product Innovation (EPI) Awards

Entries are now being accepted for NSCA's 13th annual Excellence in Product Innovation Awards. For the second year in a row, the winners will now be announced at NSCA's annual Excellence in Business Operations (XBO) Experience, held in Tempe, Arizona, on November 10-11.

The awards are organized into divisions and categories that reflect the industry priorities shaping integrator success today. They highlight technologies that address real-world business, operational, and technical challenges. Each division within the program contains between three and six categories; one winner will be named for each category.

The divisions include:

*AI and Intelligent Automation: products that harness artificial intelligence, machine learning, and/or automated processes to enhance integrator and/or end-user experiences.

*Recurring Revenue and Service Enablement: technologies that empower integrators to build sustainable recurring revenue through service contracts, monitoring, and support platforms.

*Installation and Integration Excellence: products designed for easy deployment, retrofitting, or seamless integration to reduce labor, time, and/or cost in the field.

*Cybersecurity and Risk Mitigation: technologies that strengthen system security, protect data, and help integrators offer secure solutions to clients.

*Platform Power and Ecosystem Integration: technologies that serve as a central platform or integrate seamlessly with broader ecosystems to deliver scalable value.

*Next-Gen Innovation: products that are trailblazing and future-forward, redefining what's possible in the integration industry.

Any manufacturer that produces innovative technology solutions for installation by commercial integrators is eligible for this award. Industry manufacturers may nominate their own products and are encouraged to take advantage of early-bird pricing now through July 9, for savings of $100 per submission.

"The Excellence in Product Innovation awards continue to evolve alongside the rapid pace of technology and business transformation in our industry, so we're always recognizing the innovations that drive commercial integration forward," says Tom LeBlanc, NSCA executive director. "We strive to recognize not only breakthrough products but also solutions that solve critical business and operational challenges. These awards help integrators identify technologies that deliver measurable value, from improved efficiency to new revenue opportunities."

Winners will be recognized with onstage recognition at NSCA's XBO Experience event; a mention in Integrate (NSCA's quarterly trade publication); an online product showcase on NSCA.org; an NSCA press release; an article in Inside NSCA, NSCA's biweekly e-newsletter; social media posts; and mentions in Commercial Integrator and Security Sales & Integration articles.

All entries will be featured in a photo gallery on CommercialIntegrator.com, listed in NSCA's press release announcement, featured in an issue of Integrate (NSCA's quarterly newsletter), featured in NSCA's biweekly e-newsletter, and included in a Commercial Integrator e-newsletter. Entries are being accepted now through August 14. Each product entry is $697; however, NSCA members can save $200 per entry by contacting NSCA for a coupon code. (Call 800-446-6722 or email mjohnson@nsca.org for the code.)

To enter, visit epiawards.secure-platform.com. Products submitted for consideration must have been announced after July 1, 2025, and they must be available for sale and shipment on or before December 31, 2026.