What is the awards application fee?
The current fee is posted on the Awards web page of our website. There are no additional fees, no hidden fees, no credit card fees, no processing fees, no winner's fees, and no licensing fees. Everything is included!
How is a payment made?
Payment is made online securely at the time you submit your application. All major credit and debit cards are accepted. We are also able to accept payments by bank transfer. If you pay by bank transfer and one of the correspondent banks charges a fee, you will be obligated to also pay the bank's fee. We do not charge any additional fees to receive money. Regardless of your payment method, you will most likely be billed in Euros, so you should be prepared that your bank might charge you a processing fee or foreign exchange conversion fee. This is their fee, not ours.
Why is there a fee?
We are a small non-profit organization and 100% of our operating income comes from program revenue. We keep the application fee as low as possible to make it easier for more businesses and individuals to be able to apply. Still, we have operating and program expenses that need to be paid. And currently, there are no sponsors for the FoodTrekking Awards program. Therefore, we must charge an application fee to help offset the costs of producing the Awards.
Your application fee covers the following expenses related to hosting the Awards:
- A small stipend for each judge who reviews your individual application (this can be 1, 2, or 3 judges, depending on the complexity of your application and other issues that arise during the judging process)
- Bank processing fees
- Cost of the awards processing software
- Cost of website design, hosting, and content maintenance
- Cost to produce the physical awards and postage to ship them to winners
- Expenses for marketing and promotions
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
If your business, organization, or destination is interested in sponsoring the Awards to help offset program costs and reduce the fee for applicants, please get in touch by submitting a support ticket. We offer generous sponsorship visibility options and would be happy to custom-design a sponsorship package that meets your specific needs.