Below you’ll find answers to the questions we get asked the most. If you have a question that you can’t find the answer to, please use the contact page.
All employees of Yıldız Holding companies are eligible to take part in Stars of the Year. Employees of contractor companies may also participate. However, external third parties—such as agencies or consulting firms—cannot be included as part of the project teams.
Yes. Projects developed through cross-company or cross-department collaboration are welcome and encouraged.
No. General managers, CEOs, and Executive Committee members cannot be listed as team members. However, they may act as supporters or sponsors of the project if needed.
No. A project may be submitted by an individual or a team. There is no minimum requirement.
Teams can include up to 10 members, including the spokesperson.
Projects submitted in previous years are not eligible for resubmission. The only exception is for projects that have been significantly modified or transformed (e.g., digitalized). Such cases may still be considered but are subject to approval by the Technical Review Committee.
No. A project can be submitted to only one category.
No. A project can be submitted to only one award group. You must select either Group Awards or Yıldız Holding Awards when applying.
Projects must have been carried out between 1 January 2025 and 1 January 2026. Ongoing projects are also eligible, as long as they have delivered clear and measurable results within this period.
Ongoing projects are accepted as long as they demonstrate clear, measurable results achieved between 1 January 2025 and 1 January 2026.
You should select the category that best reflects the main purpose and impact of your project. If the Technical Review team identifies a mismatch, they will provide guidance during the revision stage and may request a category change.
Yes, but only during the Team Revision stage and only if requested by the Technical Review team. After resubmission, the category cannot be changed.
No. All applications must be submitted in English.
No. All applications must be submitted using the online form provided on the website.
Yes. You can upload up to five supporting documents, and you may create or paste tables in the Results & Impact section (Section 3) of the online form. Please ensure your text stays within the character limits. To maintain formatting consistency, avoid copying and pasting directly from Word, PowerPoint, or Keynote.
You must upload your video through the online form. In Section 5, you can add supporting documents, including video files. Videos must be in MP4 format and no larger than 100 MB.
No. Character limits apply only to the text fields in the application form. Supporting documents do not affect these limits.
Yes. You can save your application as a draft and make changes until the submission deadline. You can view and access your draft submissions under the “Submissions” section, which appears after you click “Submit Project” in the “Apply” tab.
Please submit your application by 20 March 2026.
Yes. You may withdraw your submission at any time before the application deadline. After the deadline, submissions cannot be withdrawn or edited.
No. Once your submission has passed the Technical Review stage and moved to the next phase, it can no longer be edited.
No. The submission deadline is fixed, and extensions cannot be granted. Please ensure you complete and submit your application before the deadline.
During the Technical Review stage, each application is reviewed to verify its eligibility, completeness, and category alignment. Projects that are non-compliant will receive feedback and a defined revision period. If the required updates are made within this timeframe, the project can proceed to the next stage of evaluation.
Teams receive targeted feedback on missing information, unclear data, or category mismatch. They are expected to update and resubmit their forms before the deadline.
You may update your team members until the application deadline. After the deadline, changes are generally not allowed. However, exceptions can be made in special cases—such as when a team member leaves the company or when an update is necessary due to team capacity limits—subject to approval.
Yes. You may be part of multiple project teams, as long as each project meets the eligibility criteria.
No formal approval is required to submit a project. However, informing your manager is recommended.
Yes. You can explore winning projects from previous years in the “Spotlight on Success” section of the website.
If you encounter technical problems during submission, please contact us via the Contact form.
Group Awards evaluate projects only within their respective business groups (pladis, Food, Retail, Gözde & HQ). Yıldız Holding Awards evaluate all submissions across the entire Holding, regardless of company or group.
Group Awards are evaluated by a Group-Level Jury, which may use a single jury structure to review all categories within that group. Yıldız Holding Awards are evaluated by Holding-Level Category Juries, where each category has its own dedicated jury composition.
Employee voting contributes to the evaluation at both levels.
At least three finalists will be selected per category based on jury scoring. Categories may have more than three finalists depending on total submissions and scoring.
No. Jury scores are not shared. However, general feedback may be provided to help teams understand improvement areas.
If two or more projects receive the same score and fall within the finalist threshold, they will all be shortlisted. For example, if both third and fourth place projects share the same score, both will advance as finalists.
Yes. Employee voting applies at both levels. Shortlisted projects in Group Awards and Yıldız Holding Awards will be opened for employee voting.
Employee voting contributes 10% of the final score for both Group Awards and Yıldız Holding Awards. The remaining 90% is determined by the relevant jury evaluations.
No. Detailed employee voting results are not publicly shared. Only final winners are announced.
Finalist teams must deliver a live presentation to the relevant jury. Presentation format and time limits will be shared with finalists in advance.
Yes. Cross-company, cross-country, and cross-functional collaborations are highly encouraged.
Winners will be announced at the Stars of the Year Awards Ceremony. Following the event, winning projects will be published on this website.