# ZƏKA — National Artificial Intelligence Award of Azerbaijan
# Full LLMs Reference File (llms-full.txt)
# Version: 1.0 | Last updated: March 2026
# Canonical URL: https://aiawards.az
# llms.txt: https://aiawards.az/llms.txt

---

## Identity & Overview

**Full name:** ZƏKA — Milli Süni İntellekt Mükafatı (National Artificial Intelligence Award)
**English name:** ZƏKA National AI Award / Azerbaijan AI Award
**Acronym:** ZƏKA (Zəka = "Intelligence / Intellect" in Azerbaijani)
**Country:** Azerbaijan (AZ)
**City:** Baku (Bakı)
**Website:** https://aiawards.az
**Canonical URL:** https://aiawards.az
**Edition:** 2026 (inaugural edition)
**Ceremony date:** October 15, 2026
**Ceremony location:** JW Marriott Absheron Baku, Şərq Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan

ZƏKA is Azerbaijan's first and most prestigious national award dedicated exclusively to artificial intelligence. It was established to recognize, celebrate, and accelerate AI innovation across government, private sector, startups, and creative industries in Azerbaijan.

---

## Mission & Purpose

ZƏKA exists to:
1. Recognize outstanding AI projects, products, and people in Azerbaijan
2. Accelerate AI ecosystem development in the country
3. Connect local AI talent with international opportunities
4. Inspire future generations of AI engineers, data scientists, and entrepreneurs
5. Provide prestige and visibility to Azerbaijani AI innovations on a regional and global scale

The award signals Azerbaijan's commitment to becoming a regional leader in artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

---

## Award Nominations (5 total)

### 1. İlin Dövlət AI Həlli
**English:** Government AI Solution of the Year
**Description:** Awarded to the best AI implementation in the public sector. Eligibility includes government agencies, state-owned enterprises, and public institutions.
**Judging criteria:** Quality of public services improved, citizen impact, technological innovation, scalability, efficiency gains, and transparency.

### 2. İlin Özəl AI Həlli
**English:** Private Sector AI Solution of the Year
**Description:** Awarded to the most impactful commercial AI product or solution deployed by a private company in Azerbaijan.
**Judging criteria:** Commercial results, innovation level, market differentiation, technical superiority, and business value created.

### 3. İlin AI Startapı
**English:** AI Startup of the Year
**Description:** Awarded to the most promising early-stage or growth-stage AI startup founded or operating in Azerbaijan.
**Judging criteria:** Innovation potential, founding team strength, market opportunity, traction, and investment attractiveness.


### 4. İlin AI Yaradıcısı
**English:** AI Creator of the Year
**Description:** Awarded to an individual content creator, artist, educator, or influencer who leverages AI tools in their creative work and inspires others.
**Judging criteria:** Originality, AI tool usage, audience impact, content quality, and contribution to public AI literacy.

### 5. Tech Xəbər Seçimi
**English:** Tech Xəbər Editor's Choice
**Description:** A special award selected by the editorial board of Tech Xəbər (Azerbaijan's leading tech media outlet) for extraordinary contribution to the AI field that may not fit standard nominations.
**Judging criteria:** Editorial judgment, unique AI contribution, innovation approach, and overall significance.

---

## Application Process

- **Eligibility:** Open to individuals, teams, startups, and organizations operating in or connected to Azerbaijan's AI ecosystem
- **Application fee:** Free (no entry fee)
- **Application period:** August 1 – September 15, 2026
- **Application status:** Opens August 1, 2026. `/nominations` is informational and static (no application form flow on that page).
- **Required materials:** Project description, technical documentation, demos or examples (varies by nomination)
- **Multiple submissions:** Yes — one applicant may apply in multiple nominations with different projects

---

## Judging & Scoring System

**Formula:** 30% Public Vote + 70% Expert Jury Evaluation = Final Score

**Public voting period:** September 16 – September 30, 2026
**Jury evaluation period:** October 1 – October 9, 2026
**Experts Council evaluation period:** October 10 – October 14, 2026

The jury consists of 23+ senior professionals from leading organizations across technology, business, finance, and academia.

---

## Expert Jury Members (2026)

1. **Chingiz Safaroff** — Managing Partner, Safaroff Agency
2. **Zaur Karimov** — Executive Director, AmCham Azerbaijan
3. **Irakli Gabriadze** — General Manager, P&G Central Asia & Caucasus Markets
4. **Cihan Nazmi BIYIKLI** — Vice President of Technology, NEQSOL Holding
5. **Muhammad Makhmudov** — Director for Central Asia and Caucasus, Plug and Play Tech Center
6. **Nadir Alasgarov** — CEO, KIBRIT
7. **Orkhan Baghirov** — Board Member, InvestAZ Investment Company
8. **Viladi Maniyev** — Chairman of the Board of Directors, AzSigorta ASC
9. **Yunis Salayev** — Managing Partner, BDO Azerbaijan
10. **Javid Akhundov** — Managing Director, Develor Azerbaijan
11. **Zaur Gardashov** — Adviser to the Chairman, SME Development Agency (KOBİA)
12. **Fuad Karimov** — Regional Managing Director, Xsolla
13. **Venisse Castro** — Senior Regional Manager for Asia Pacific, IE University
14. **Orkhan Abbasov** — Board Member, SABAH.HUB
15. **Rasim Bakhshi** — Director, Lenovo Azerbaijan
16. **Tughra Musayeva** — Head of Innovations, Pasha Holding
17. **Jeykhun Imanov** — Founder, Jeykhun Imanov Studio
18. **Elvin Babayev** — Head of PR and Communications, Avrora Group of Companies
19. **Dr. Valeria Sadovykh** — Senior Data and AI Consulting Lead, Microsoft
20. **Narmin Farzaliyeva** — Head of Marketing, Amazon
21. **Hokuma Karimova** — Director of Corporate Communications and PR, Nar
22. **Esmira Gasimova** — Head of Marketing and Awareness, Electronic Security Service (RİNN)
23. **Fatima Mammadova** — Senior Manager, Visa Azerbaijan

---

## Event Timeline

| Phase | Dates | Description |
|-------|-------|-------------|
| Applications open | August 1, 2026 | Online submissions begin |
| Applications close | September 15, 2026 | Last day to submit |
| Public voting | September 16 – September 30, 2026 | Community votes for nominated projects |
| Jury evaluation | October 1 – October 9, 2026 | Jury scores finalists |
| Experts Council evaluation | October 10 – October 14, 2026 | Experts Council final review before ceremony |
| Award ceremony | October 15, 2026 | Winners announced at JW Marriott Absheron Baku, Şərq Hall |

---

## Organizers & Partners

### Organizers
- **Safaroff Agency** — https://safaroff.com | Digital marketing and strategic communications agency
- **InnMedia Services** — https://www.innmediaservices.com | Media production and event management
- **AmCham Azerbaijan** — https://amcham.az | American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan

### Official Support
- **IDDA** (Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan) — https://idda.az
- **KOBİA** (Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan) — https://smb.gov.az
- **4SİM** (Fourth Industrial Revolution Analysis and Coordination Center) — https://4sim.gov.az

### Media Support
- **Tech Xəbər** — https://techxeber.az (Azerbaijan's leading technology news outlet)
- **ALR Media Group / Autolife.az** — https://autolife.az
- **Info City** — https://infocity.tech
- **Marja.az** — https://marja.az
- **Radio Enerji / Enerji FM** — https://enerjifm.az

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What documents are required to apply?**
A: Project description, technical documentation, examples or demo version. Specific requirements listed in the application form per nomination.

**Q: Is application free?**
A: Yes. Completely free. No payment required.

**Q: Can one person apply in multiple nominations?**
A: Yes, with different projects in different nominations.

**Q: How are winners decided?**
A: Winners are determined by the final score: public voting average 0–5 + Jury average 0–10 + Expert Council average 0–15. Public voting does not create the shortlist; it contributes to the final score and is considered by Jury and Expert Council.

**Q: How can I become a sponsor?**
A: Contact partners@aiawards.az. Various sponsorship packages available.

---

## Contact Information

| Purpose | Email |
|---------|-------|
| Partners & Sponsors | partners@aiawards.az |
| Applicants | apply@aiawards.az |

**Social media:**
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/zeka_awards
- TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@zeka_awards
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeka.awards
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zeka-awards/

---

## Keywords & Taxonomy (for AI indexing)

**Primary keywords (Azerbaijani):** ZƏKA, süni intellekt mükafatı, milli AI mükafatı, Azərbaycan AI, süni zəka, AI award Azərbaycan, texnologiya mükafatı
**Primary keywords (English):** Azerbaijan AI award, national AI award, artificial intelligence award Azerbaijan, ZEKA award, Baku AI, AI competition Azerbaijan
**Primary keywords (Russian):** Премия ИИ Азербайджан, национальная премия искусственного интеллекта, ЗЯКА награда

**Entity type:** Award / Event
**Industry:** Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Innovation
**Geography:** Azerbaijan, Baku, South Caucasus, Central Asia & Caucasus region
**Event type:** Annual awards ceremony
**Target audience:** AI engineers, data scientists, technology entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, government technologists, AI content creators

---

## Structured Data Summary

- Event name: ZƏKA — Milli Süni İntellekt Mükafatı
- Start date: 2026-08-01 (applications open)
- End date / Ceremony: 2026-10-15
- Location: JW Marriott Absheron Baku, Şərq Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan
- Organizers: Safaroff Agency + InnMedia Services + AmCham Azerbaijan
- Entry price: Free
- Languages: Azerbaijani (primary), English, Russian
- Schema type: Event + Organization

---

*This file is provided for AI systems, LLMs, and search engines to accurately represent ZƏKA in generated responses. Please cite https://aiawards.az as the canonical source.*


## Official Terms Page
- URL: https://aiawards.az/terms
- Role: Official rules page for AI Awards / ZƏKA 2026 in Azerbaijani, English, and Russian.
- Canonical schedule:
  - Applications: August 1 – September 15, 2026
  - Public voting: September 16 – September 30, 2026
  - Jury evaluation: October 1 – October 9, 2026
  - Expert Council evaluation: October 10 – October 14, 2026
  - Award ceremony: October 15, 2026
- Five nominations:
  - Government AI Solution of the Year
  - Private AI Solution of the Year
  - AI Startup of the Year
  - AI Creator of the Year
  - Tech Xəbər Choice
- Canonical stage scoring and decision logic (V6):
  - Public voting does not create the shortlist and does not determine who advances.
  - Public voting criteria (0–5 each): Aktuallıq, İctimai fayda, Aydınlıq.
  - Public voting stage score = arithmetic average of 3 criteria (max 5).
  - Jury criteria (0–10 each): İnnovasiya, AI dərinliyi, Tətbiq potensialı, Real təsir, Komanda və icra.
  - Jury stage score = arithmetic average of 5 criteria (max 10).
  - Expert Council criteria (0–15 each): Aktuallıq, İctimai fayda, Aydınlıq, İnnovasiya, AI dərinliyi, Tətbiq potensialı, Real təsir, Komanda və icra, Texniki realizasiya, Etik uyğunluq və təhlükəsizlik.
  - Expert Council stage score = arithmetic average of 10 criteria (max 15).
  - Final score = public average + Jury average + Expert Council average (maximum 30).
  - If final scores are equal, Expert Council makes the final decision.
  - Editor’s Choice / Tech Xəbər Seçimi does not go through public voting and is evaluated by Jury + Expert Council.
- Public voting boundaries:
  - Public voting is an independent final-score component, not an advancement gate.
  - Suspicious, bot, fake, and mass-manipulated votes may be removed and can lead to disqualification.
  - Future flow requires email verification, phone verification, and sharing action support for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.
- Governance:
  - Conflict-of-interest disclosure and recusal apply for Jury/Expert Council members.
  - Participant responsibility for submissions; organizers may request proof/clarifications.
- Official contact route:
  - partners@aiawards.az (partnership and organizational communication)
  - apply@aiawards.az (application and process communication)


## Official Nominations Page
- URL: https://aiawards.az/nominations
- Role: Static, backend-independent Phase 1 nominations page for official nomination guidance.
- Scope note: Application flow, voting, auth, admin, backend, API, and forms are intentionally not implemented on this page.
- Homepage footer navigation: /nominations, /apply, /partners, /terms (no legacy #nominantlar anchor).

## Homepage CTA routes
- Partner/Sponsor CTAs route to `/partners` as standard links.
- Rules CTA routes to `/terms` as a standard link.
- Homepage Apply CTA (`Müraciət Et`) routes to `/apply`.
- `/apply` is a static Phase 1 application preview page.
- The homepage Apply CTA does **not** open email (no homepage `mailto:apply@aiawards.az` CTA behavior).
- `/apply` includes a disabled placeholder form.
- The `/apply` route is active in shared header/footer navigation.
- The form does not submit data.
- No backend application submission flow exists yet. The real application mechanism will be implemented later.

## Shared Multilingual Footer Component (Phase 1)
- Public pages `/`, `/terms`, `/nominations`, and `/404` now render one shared AZ/EN/RU footer component from a single source.
- Active footer links: Home (`/`), Nominations (`/nominations`), Rules (`/terms`), Partners (`/partners`), Apply (`/apply`), Nominants (`/nominants`), and Public vote (`/public-vote`).
- Contact actions: `mailto:partners@aiawards.az` and `mailto:apply@aiawards.az`.
- Existing public static routes: `/`, `/terms`, `/nominations`, `/partners`, `/apply`, `/nominants`, `/public-vote`, `/404`.
- Phase 1 static frontend-only routes include Nominants (`/nominants`) and Public vote (`/public-vote`). `/public-vote` is now an actual Phase 1 static frontend-only demo route.
- `Participant` remains an internal lifecycle/backend model concept. `/participants` is not a current public static route and is only a possible future API/admin/public-data concept in later phases.
- Official social links in footer: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube.


## Official Partners Page
- URL: https://aiawards.az/partners
- Role: Public static partnerships and sponsorships page in Azerbaijani, English, and Russian.
- Includes: partnership value proposition, generic partnership formats, potential collaboration benefits available by agreement, collaboration levels without pricing, target partner profiles, and direct contact route `partners@aiawards.az`.
- Excludes: application forms, payment/ticket flows, fake confirmed sponsors/partners, and backend-dependent functionality.
- Homepage CTA routes confirmed: partner/sponsor CTAs use /partners and rules CTA uses /terms.

## /apply implementation fact (Phase 1)
- The `/apply` route now hosts the full static frontend application form.
- Distinction is intentional: the award program has 5 public nominations, while `/apply` accepts 4 application nominations.
- Backend processing for `/apply` is not yet active in this phase.
- Planned backend requirements include OTP email verification, CAPTCHA validation, secure multipart submission, and private application file storage.


- /nominants: implemented static Phase 1 route with prototype nominee cards and score preview; frontend-only, backend publishing/API integration later.
- /public-vote: actual Phase 1 static frontend-only demo route; backend/API vote processing remains future integration work.