2025 Award Winners will receive prizes including:

• Product sampling placements with Placement (1st place prize = $4,500 value!)

• Participation in the awards ceremony onsite at Plant Based World Expo in NYC for winners (December 2025)

• A feature on VEGPRENEUR and Plant Based World Expo’s websites and social media

• A free booth at Plant Based World Expo 2026

• Hosted buyer meetings at Plant Based World Expo 2025

• A product feature at the official 2025 Expo after-party

• A VEPGRENEUR Awards Trophy

Even if your brand does not win an award, ALL award entrants receive a free two-day pass to attend the Plant Based World Expo in New York City in December 2025 (a $595 value)!

The regular submission deadline is November 1. Early submission is encouraged, in order to give your team more time to arrange your product shipping arrangements

Upon entry, you will receive instructions for mailing your product samples to either Los Angeles or New York City for the judges’ tasting events.

Samples will be due in either October or November, and exact deadlines will be shared once your brand has been assigned to a specific tasting event.

Both food and non-food products are eligible for submission.

A product is eligible for consideration if it contains no animal products (including honey) and does not use animal products as part of the product’s production process.

Categories of products that may be submitted include (but are not limited to):

• Plant-Based Meat/Protein (burgers, deli meats, sausages, etc.)

• Plant-Based Seafood (shrimp, fish, smoked fish, etc.)

• Plant-Based Frozen Dessert (ice cream snacks, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars, sorbet, etc.)

• Plant-Based Snack (bars, chips, jerky, etc.)

• Plant-Based Baked Good/Patisserie (doughnut, cakes, cookies, etc.)

• Plant-Based Cheese (artisanal cheese, cheese spreads, sliced cheese, etc.)

• Plant-Based Beverage (kombucha, non-alcoholic, sodas, drink pouches, etc.)

• Plant-Based Alcoholic Beverage (wine, beer, spirits, hard kombucha, cocktails, etc.)

• Plant-Based Milk

• Plant-Based Eggs

• Plant-Based Yogurt

• Plant-Based Ready Meals and Meal Kits

• Plant-Based Protein Powder

• Plant-Based Cleaning Materials (detergents, etc.)

• Plant-Based Shoes

• Plant-based Apparel

• Plant-based Toothpaste

• Plant-Based Shampoo + Body Wash

If you have questions about whether your product is eligible, send us an email: hello@vegpreneur.org

Judges will assess each product based on:

• Taste/texture/smell (50%)

• Innovation/novelty/ingredients (20%)

• Packaging/sustainability (10%)

• Market viability/feasibility/branding (20%)

Non-food products will only be judged on the bottom three categories.

To have your product(s) assessed by industry judges and considered for a VEGPRENEUR Award:

Non-Member // Non-Exhibitor Pricing
First Product: $179. Each Additional Product: $69.

VEGPRENEUR Member // Plant Based World Expo Exhibitor Pricing
First Product: $129. Each Additional Product: $69.
(Become a VEGPRENEUR Member here).

Brands must send at least 3 samples to the address provided after submitting the product entry form.

Our judges will gather in October and November in New York City and Los Angeles to test all of the products submitted, provide feedback, and rate them. Each product will be tasted by at least 3 judges.

All brands who submit are eligible for a 15 minute virtual call after the awards to receive the personalized feedback they received from the judges.

Sorry, the tasting events are private and can only be attended by the judges!

Sure thing, send us an email: hello@vegpreneur.org