Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026
Competition Regulations
1. General Provisions
1.1. The competition “Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026”, hereinafter referred to as the “Competition”, shall be governed by these Regulations and by generally applicable provisions of Polish law.
1.2. The Competition is conducted on the websites www.fresh-market.pl and www.freshmarket.eu, and during Fresh Market 2026, held on 24 September 2026 at MCC Mazurkas Conference Centre & Hotel, Ożarów Mazowiecki, Poland. In international communication, the venue may also be presented as Warsaw, Poland.
1.3. The Competition is an integral part of the promotional and communication activities related to Fresh Market 2026 and is intended to promote products and innovations presented by Fresh Market participants.
2. Organiser
2.1. The Organiser of the Competition is KJOW Sp. z o.o., with its registered office at ul. Marii 17/25, 05-803 Pruszków, Poland, entered in the National Court Register under KRS number 0000321131, hereinafter referred to as the “Organiser.”
2.2. The Organiser shall have the exclusive right to interpret these Regulations.
3. Purpose of the Competition
3.1. The purpose of the Competition is to select products and innovations in the fruit, vegetable and flower industry that gain the greatest recognition from:
a) the readers of www.fresh-market.pl, and
b) the participants of Fresh Market 2026.
3.2. The Competition is intended:
a) to identify products and innovations that receive the strongest market recognition,
b) to give participating companies promotional visibility before and during the Event,
c) to create additional product communication and engagement around Fresh Market 2026.
3.3. The results of the Competition reflect the preferences of the voters and not the opinion of an expert jury.
4. Duration of the Competition
4.1. The Competition runs from 1 June 2026 until 24 September 2026.
4.2. Product submissions are accepted from 1 June 2026 until 17 August 2026.
4.3. The final stage of the Competition, including voting by Fresh Market participants and the announcement of results, takes place during Fresh Market 2026 on 24 September 2026, during the Cocktail Dinner Party.
5. Product Entry
5.1. Products for the Competition Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026 may be submitted only by Fresh Market participants. The condition for submitting a product is prior registration for participation in Fresh Market 2026 and payment of the relevant participation fees.
5.2. A company may submit more than one product; however, the fee is charged separately for each submitted product.
5.3. In the event of cancellation of participation in Fresh Market 2026 by the company that submitted the product, the submitted product shall lose the right to participate in the Competition. Such cancellation shall not release the applicant from the obligation to pay the Competition fee already due.
5.4. Products may be entered into the Competition by:
a) production companies,
b) distribution companies,
c) companies offering services to the fruit, vegetable and flower industry.
5.5. Candidate products may include in particular:
a) fruit and vegetables as new varieties or known products presented in a new iteration,
b) packaging,
c) technical equipment,
d) services dedicated to the industry.
5.6. The product submitted to the Competition must be present on the European market in the 2026 calendar year.
5.7. All participants shall be solely responsible for taking steps to protect their innovations and intellectual property through patents, copyrights, registered names, trademarks or other intellectual property rights. The Organiser shall not be responsible for possible infringement of third-party rights resulting from the promotion of submitted products on the Organiser’s websites or in event materials.
5.8. Products shall be submitted by completing the Competition entry form made available by the Organiser on www.freshmarket.eu.
5.9. The submission form should include at least:
a) the name of the product,
b) the name of the company,
c) a short description of the product, up to approximately 1800 characters including spaces,
d) a link to a website where a more extensive description of the product can be found,
e) one or more photographs,
f) a short justification explaining why the product deserves the title Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026.
6. Product Registration Fee
6.1. Registration of one product in the Competition is payable.
6.2. The fee for registration of one product is EUR 490 net.
6.3. All Competition fees are subject to 23% VAT in accordance with Polish law.
7. Promotional Campaign
7.1. The Competition entry fee includes a promotional campaign for the submitted product and company. This is not only a nomination fee, but also a visibility package connected with Fresh Market 2026.
7.2. The promotional campaign includes in particular:
Online promotion
a) full information about the product and the company in Polish and English, together with photographs and contact details, published on www.freshmarket.eu in the Fresh Market Award candidates section,
b) banners promoting the Competition and the candidates on www.fresh-market.pl,
c) promotion of candidate products on Fresh Market online channels.
Mailings and PR
d) newsletters sent to portal users with information on candidate products,
e) information sent to the trade press regarding the Competition, candidate products and the winners.
Printed and on-site promotion
f) printed presentation of the product and company in the Fresh Market Folder,
g) a dedicated promotional display / Fresh Market Award stand during the Event, where nominated products may be presented to participants,
h) 1/4 page advertisement in the Fresh Market Catalog 2026–2027.
8. Nomination of a Product for an Award
8.1. From all submitted products, the editorial board shall select up to 10 products nominated for the title Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026. The companies whose products are selected shall hereinafter be referred to as the “Nominees.”
8.2. The nomination process is inherently subjective. No participant may claim the right to be included on the nomination list, nor claim that the Competition results should reflect any criteria other than the voters’ preferences and the Organiser’s editorial selection process.
8.3. The Organiser reserves the right not to grant any nominations if the submitted products do not meet the expected standards of innovation, quality or relevance to the Competition.
8.4. The Organiser shall inform participants of the nomination results in writing or by e-mail after evaluation of the submitted applications.
8.5. Nominees will be given the opportunity to present their product at the Fresh Market Award promotional display during Fresh Market 2026. Nominees shall be responsible for the condition of the product during the exhibition and for its timely delivery and installation at the exhibition area, in accordance with arrangements made with the Organiser.
8.6. The Organiser reserves the right to use submitted materials in publications, magazines, event materials and websites related to Fresh Market.
9. Rules of Voting
9.1. The Competition consists of two parallel voting paths:
a) Readers’ Choice Award – based on online voting by readers of www.fresh-market.pl,
b) Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026 – based on voting by participants of Fresh Market 2026 during the Event.
9.2. The list of nominated products shall be published on www.fresh-market.pl and www.freshmarket.eu.
9.3. Voting for the Readers’ Choice Award shall be conducted online on www.fresh-market.pl until the deadline specified by the Organiser before the Event. Votes submitted after that deadline shall be invalid.
9.4. Voting for the title Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026 shall be conducted during Fresh Market 2026 on 24 September 2026. Event voting takes place during the Cocktail Dinner Party.
9.5. Each eligible voter may cast only one vote in a given voting path.
9.6. Casting a valid vote means completing the applicable voting form and selecting one product.
9.7. The product that receives the highest number of valid online votes shall receive the title “Fresh-market.pl Readers’ Choice Award 2026.”
9.8. The product that receives the highest number of votes cast by Event participants shall receive the title “Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026” and a Competition statuette.
9.9. Products ranked 2nd and 3rd in the Event voting shall receive commemorative plaques. Products that do not win the Competition may receive a diploma stating “Product commended in the Fresh Market Award 2026.”
9.10. Counting of votes shall be supervised by a representative of the Organiser and two persons selected from among Fresh Market participants not nominated in the Competition.
9.11. In the event of a tie, the Organiser shall decide the winner.
10. Prizes
10.1. The winners of the Competition shall be honoured during the Award presentation held at Fresh Market 2026 on 24 September 2026, during the evening part of the Event.
10.2. The winner selected by the readers of fresh-market.pl shall receive:
a) the title “Fresh-market.pl Readers’ Choice Award 2026”, and
b) an advertising package in Fresh Market / fresh-market.pl communication channels, in accordance with the Organiser’s current offer.
10.3. The winner selected by the participants of Fresh Market 2026 shall receive:
a) the title “Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026”,
b) a statuette of the Competition, and
c) an advertising package in Fresh Market / fresh-market.pl communication channels, in accordance with the Organiser’s current offer.
10.4. Companies whose products win the Competition shall be entitled to use the logo “Fresh Market Award – Product of the Year 2026” and the title connected with the winning product in their marketing materials, provided that the year 2026 is always indicated together with the title.
10.5. The winning products shall be presented on www.fresh-market.pl and www.freshmarket.eu.
10.6. The Organiser may additionally award prizes to participants of the Event who took part in the voting, subject to separate rules announced by the Organiser.
10.7. If prizes are awarded to voters, only those persons who voted in accordance with these Regulations and provided the data required by the Organiser shall be eligible.
10.8. The Organiser reserves the right to publish the Competition results and the list of awarded persons on www.fresh-market.pl and www.freshmarket.eu.
11. Results of the Competition
11.1. The results of the Competition will be announced during Fresh Market 2026 on 24 September 2026 and published on www.freshmarket.eu and www.fresh-market.pl.
12. Final Provisions
12.1. Entering the Competition shall be deemed equivalent to acceptance of these Regulations.
12.2. These Regulations are the only document defining the rules of the Competition.
12.3. The Organiser shall not be responsible for the inability to collect a prize for reasons attributable to the winner.
12.4. The content of these Regulations shall be available on the Organiser’s website.
12.5. The Organiser will make every effort to safeguard products, documentation and promotional materials submitted for the Competition while they remain in the Organiser’s possession; however, the Organiser shall not be liable for damage, loss or other risks, except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence.
12.6. Complaints and correspondence concerning the Competition should be addressed to the Organiser at: KJOW Sp. z o.o., ul. Marii 17/25, 05-803 Pruszków, Poland.
12.7. Any complaint shall be considered by the Organiser within 14 days of receipt. Information regarding the complaint shall be sent to the address or e-mail address provided by the participant.
12.8. The Organiser’s decision regarding the complaint shall be final.
12.9. Prizes may not be exchanged for their monetary equivalent.
12.10. These Regulations have been drawn up in two language versions. In the event of any discrepancy between the Polish and English versions, the Polish version shall prevail.