2025 Made in Virginia Awards Terms & Conditions

Welcome to the Made in Virginia Awards 2025, presented by Virginia Living. Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. By submitting an entry, you acknowledge and agree to all terms and conditions outlined below.

Eligibility

• All products must be physically produced or assembled within the Commonwealth of Virginia to qualify.
  
• Products must be available for retail sale between Nov. 1–Dec. 31, 2025. Online sales are acceptable.
  
• Each entry must include a physical sample of the product. Entries without a sample will not be considered.
  

Past Winners

Businesses that have previously won a Made in Virginia Award may enter again if:

• They are submitting a new product that has not received an award in any previous year
  
• Their last win was not in 2024.
  

Repeat submissions of previously awarded products are not eligible.
Winning businesses from 2024 are not eligible to win this year.

Entry Fees

• Early Bird Entry Fee: $25 (available from 10:00 a.m. June 9 through 10:00 a.m. June 10)
  
• Standard Entry Fee: $35 (available from June 10 at 10:01 a.m. through July 7)
  
• All entry fees are final and nonrefundable, regardless of outcome or disqualification.
  

Product Samples

• A sample of the entered product is required for judging and must be shipped or delivered to:
  
  
  Virginia Living Magazine
  c/o Made in Virginia Awards
  109 E. Cary Street
  Richmond, VA 23219
  
  
• Office drop-off hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
  
• Samples must be received by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
  Late deliveries may result in disqualification, at the sole discretion of Virginia Living.
  
• For perishable products, we recommend shipping during the week of July 7, with clear “perishable” labeling and appropriate packaging to maintain freshness.
  
• All samples submitted become the property of Virginia Living unless prior arrangements for return have been made. Products may be used for photography, testing, or promotional purposes in both print and digital media.
  

Large or High-Value Submissions

For oversized, fragile, or high-value products, entrants may contact Virginia Living editorial staff in advance to discuss delivery or drop-off coordination.
Any such arrangements must be made before July 10, 2025, and must still allow the product to be physically reviewed by judges at our Richmond office (109 E. Cary Street).

Sample Returns

If you would like your product sample returned after judging:

• You must notify Hope Cartwright ([email protected]) at the time of mailing/delivery and confirm a return plan.
  
• You must either:
  
  • Include a prepaid return shipping label with your sample, OR
    
  • Pick up the item in person starting Monday, July 21, 2025.
    
• All returned items must be retrieved by August 11, 2025. Items not retrieved by this date will be discarded without notice.
  
• Virginia Living is not responsible for damage, loss, or deterioration of any samples during transport, handling, evaluation, storage, or return shipment.
  No guarantees can be made regarding the condition of returned products.
  

Judging & Awards

• Entries will be evaluated by an internal editorial panel and/or external experts selected by Virginia Living. All decisions are final and non-negotiable.
  
• A total of 20 winning products will be selected—five in each of the following categories:
  
  • Food
    
  • Drink
    
  • Home & Lifestyle
    
  • Style & Beauty
    
• One of the 20 winners will be named the Grand Prize Winner, receiving:
  
  • $1,000 cash
    
  • A prominent print feature in the December 2025 issue
    
  • Promotion on VirginiaLiving.com
    
  • A targeted social media campaign
    
  • Inclusion in our digital newsletter
    
  • Rights to the official 2025 Grand Prize badge
    
• All 20 winners will receive:
  
  • A print feature
    
  • Coverage on VirginiaLiving.com
    
  • Social media promotion
    
  • Rights to the 2025 Made in Virginia Award badge
    
• Virginia Living reserves the right to limit the number of awards per business to one product per year, even if multiple entries are submitted.
  
• Prizes are nontransferable and nonredeemable for cash (with the exception of the Grand Prize cash award).
  

Editorial Use & Rights

By submitting an entry, entrants grant Virginia Living the irrevocable, royalty-free right to use all submitted materials—including product names, promotional copy, descriptions, images, and any sample photography—for editorial, promotional, and marketing purposes in any format, print or digital.

Virginia Living retains full editorial discretion over content, layout, and category placement. We reserve the right to reassign entries to a different category if we determine a better editorial fit.

Agreement to Terms

Submission of the entry form indicates full understanding and acceptance of all rules, guidelines, and disclaimers stated above.

Virginia Living reserves the right to disqualify any entry that fails to comply with these terms or that violates the spirit of the awards.

For questions, please contact:
Hope Cartwright – Associate Editor
[email protected]

Thank you for entering the 2025 Made in Virginia Awards!