The award 2026
An award with an open methodology: it is decided by a named jury and verifiable criteria — not by your advertising budget.
Public methodology
Criteria, weighting and process are openly available. The methodology of each edition remains permanently accessible.
Named jury
The jury is published with names and qualifications. In case of a conflict of interest, the member withdraws from the assessment.
Verifiable seal
Every seal carries the year, city and category and leads to a public verification page confirming the award.
Not for sale
Payments never influence the assessment at any point. Only clearly named services such as the certificate and materials are paid for.
How the award works
Five steps from application to award — each of them transparent and documented.
- 1
Submit application
You sign in with your account — we take your company details automatically from your listing. Businesses with several locations apply per location: each branch is assessed individually.
- 2
Digital-Check
An automated check records verifiable facts: availability and quality of the website, completeness of the listing, verified reviews and how you respond to customer feedback. If a sub-check fails, it is reviewed manually — nobody fails because of a technical error.
- 3
Jury-Bewertung
A jury named publicly assesses the applications against fixed criteria with published weighting. Each jury member assesses independently; in case of a possible conflict of interest, the application is handed over to other members.
- 4
Decision and announcement
The digital check, jury assessment and facts result in a transparent overall score. Businesses that reach the quality threshold of their category receive the award — the award winners are published, not rankings of all participants.
- 5
Seal, winner page and press kit
Awarded businesses receive the digital seal with verification link, their own winner page in the public directory and, on request, a certificate, plaque and a prepared press kit.
The award itself is not for sale
Only named services are paid for: certificate, plaque and marketing materials. Payment data never influences the assessment at any point — the scoring logic technically has no access to it. A paid package does not improve your assessment — the methodology is here.
The schedule of the edition
Each edition goes through four phases. After the application deadline, no further applications are accepted — the same deadlines apply to everyone.
Bewerbungsphase
Registration and application via this page. Drafts can be saved and continued later.
Digital check and jury assessment
Automated check of all applications, followed by an independent assessment by the jury.
Bekanntgabe
All applicants are informed personally, and the award winners are then published.
Auszeichnung
Presentation of seal and certificate. We announce the exact dates of the current edition here and by email.
Categories
Awards are given per city and category. A business can apply in several categories with one application.
Hauptkategorien
The core award per industry and city — for example hospitality, trades or healthcare.
Spezialisierungen
For businesses with a particular focus within their industry.
Employer, training and leadership
Honours businesses that excel in training, employee retention and leadership culture.
Newcomer
For young businesses that have made a measurable impact in a short time.
Awards carry a descriptive name with year, category and city — for example "Awarded 2026 — Hospitality, Munich". We deliberately avoid sweeping superlatives such as "test winner" or "No. 1".
How the assessment works
The overall score is made up of three sources. Each criterion has a published weighting; the full breakdown is always stored, never just a final grade.
Digital-Check
Automated and the same for everyone: website, availability, listing quality, verified reviews and responsiveness.
Jury
The average of the independent jury scores per criterion. Biased votes are excluded.
Fakten
Verifiable details from the application — such as apprenticeships, qualifications or years in business.
Public and versioned
Criteria, weighting, quality threshold and the tie-break rule are published on the methodology page. The version of each edition remains permanently accessible so that every award can be traced even years later.
The jury is named
All jury members are published with name, role and qualifications — before the assessment phase begins. If a member declares a conflict of interest, their vote is excluded from the scoring.
A seal you can verify
Every seal carries the name of the award, the year, the city and the category — and leads to a public verification page that confirms the award: with the business, the deciding jury and the methodology version that applied.
- Digital seal as web embed with verification link for your own website
- Print-ready versions for shop windows, vehicles and print
- Your own winner page in the public directory of award winners
Requirements
Required
- An active listing on Die Besten der Stadt
- Correct, up-to-date business details
- Based in Germany, Austria or Switzerland
- A free user account for the application
- Application within the application phase
Not required
- A premium listing or advertising booking
- A minimum business size
- A minimum duration of membership
- A paid package
Businesses with several locations: each branch is assessed individually and needs its own application — simply select the location in the form below.
Transparent terms
The marketing package only applies if you receive an award.
Taking part in the application and assessment is free. Costs arise not for the award itself but only for the associated marketing and communication services — and only if your business receives an award.
The choice of plan has no influence on the assessment: the scoring logic technically has no access to payment data.
Vorauszahler-Tarif
1.290 €
per awarded location
Zahlung mit der Bewerbung
Standard-Tarif
1.490 €
per awarded location
Rechnung erst im Auszeichnungsfall
If no award is achieved, the prepayment plan is fully refunded — with the standard plan, nothing is charged.
Optional special categories (e.g. Top Employer, Female Leadership, Social Commitment): +290 € per selection.
All prices plus VAT.
Apply now
Taking part in the assessment is free. The application takes about 15 minutes, is saved automatically and can be continued at any time via a link from your email — no account needed. Businesses with several locations apply per branch.
Start applicationIn the application you choose the plan for the marketing package in case of an award — without any influence on the assessment. If no award is achieved, no costs arise.
Already awarded
A look at awarded businesses of the edition.
Berlin
Hamburg
Frequently asked questions
- Can I buy my way into the award?
- No. Payments never influence the assessment at any point — the scoring logic technically has no access to payment data. Only named services such as the certificate, plaque and marketing materials are paid for.
- How is the assessment done?
- The overall score consists of the automated digital check, the assessment by the named jury and verifiable facts from the application. Criteria and weighting are published on the methodology page.
- We have several branches — how does that work?
- Each location is assessed and awarded individually. An application with three branches results in three separate assessments.
- What happens if I do not receive an award?
- Then we inform you personally — a list of businesses that did not receive an award is not published. Paid packages are fully refunded in that case.
All other questions are answered in the detailed FAQ.