OEDIT Innovation Award

• Nominations can be submitted through OEDIT’s Innovation Award application
• The application is open year round and awards are made on a rolling basis
• Applications will be reviewed based on the steering committee’s availability

• Qualifying Timeframe: Past 3-5 years
• Colorado Presence: The business must have a significant operational presence in Colorado and be considered a primary employer.
  • A primary employer are businesses that produce goods or provide services that are primarily sold outside the local region or community.
• Industry Focus: Preference given to businesses in Colorado's advanced industries (e.g., aerospace/defense, advanced manufacturing, quantum, semiconductor, infrastructure).
• Commitment to Colorado Talent: Demonstrated history of and commitment to creating jobs, recruiting, training, and retaining Colorado residents.

OEDIT’s Innovation Awards are given for categories, such as:

Innovation/Scalability

Recognizes a business that has developed and implemented a highly effective, scalable model for on-the-job training (OJT), apprenticeships, or internships in partnership either independently or with an education/intermediary partner.

Criteria

• Scalability: The training model is evidence-based and has the potential to be replicated or expanded to other roles, departments, or businesses.
• Innovation: Uses novel approaches to OJT, such as integrated classroom/workplace learning, leveraging technology for training, stackable credentials, or unique mentorship structures.
• Impact: Measurable success in transitioning trainees into full-time, quality careers within the company (e.g., high conversion rates, retention rates of program graduates).
• Opportunity Now Alignment: Demonstrated use of or alignment with Opportunity Now grant or tax credit principles (e.g., capital investment in training facilities, creating new training pathways).
• Ecosystem Thinking: Leadership in regional talent or industry coalitions to address shared workforce challenges.
• Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing talent data to identify gaps and design targeted training interventions.

Partnership/Collaborator Excellence

Honors a business that has gone above and beyond in collaborating with an education/intermediary partner to co-create curriculum, provide instructors for industry-essential courses and on-the-job training, share equipment and physical resources, and ensure training aligns with real-time industry needs.

Criteria

• Deep Collaboration: Evidence of joint curriculum development, faculty/teacher externships, or business leaders serving as adjunct instructors.
• Resource Sharing: Co-using equipment, access to company facilities for training, or financial support for program development.
• Responsiveness: The partnership has successfully adapted training programs quickly to meet changing technology or market demands.
• Sustainability: A long-term commitment to the partnership that goes beyond a single grant cycle or project.

Advanced Industry Catalyst 

For industry partners in key strategic sectors (see list in application) who are leading cutting-edge training efforts essential for Colorado's continued competitiveness.

Criteria

• Cutting-Edge Training: Delivering training on the absolute latest technologies and processes that are not yet widely available in standard academic curricula (describe populations trained).
• High-Wage Job Creation: Training leads directly to high-quality, living-wage jobs in advanced industry sectors.
• Capital Investment: Significant investment in specialized training facilities or equipment, potentially leveraging the Opportunity Now Tax Credit.
• National Leadership: Positioning Colorado as a national hub for talent in their specific advanced industry, demonstrating a sustained commitment to hiring large numbers of Coloradans to fill jobs.

The Opportunity Now Steering committee will meet at OEDIT’s request to consider applications, based on extraordinary contributions to innovation, including, but not limited to:

• Leadership in Industry Talent Ecosystem to shift the way an industry engages and trains talent to be more innovative and inclusive.
• Number of individuals trained and hired within an advanced industry.
• Living wage placing and training Coloradans into great jobs.
• Invest and sustainability in training commitments.
• Qualitative feedback from partners and program participants.
• Other information as relevant to talent innovation and economic development, such as filling a large number of jobs with local talent.

Additionally, OEDIT leadership and/or the Governor may select an award recipient based on discretion with consideration of an organization’s contribution to Colorado.