Guide · Awards and lists

How to get on 30 Under 30

Forbes 30 Under 30 is free to enter and open to self-nomination, and it is still one of the hardest lists for a founder to make. Nobody can get you on it. What you can do is build the record editors and judges look for, and nominate yourself in the right category at the right time.

By the Earned editorial team · Updated 2 October 2026

The short version

Check eligibility: 29 or younger on 31 December of the list year, based in the US or Canada for the North America list.
Know the window: nominations for the North America list have closed around early September in recent cycles. Plan a year ahead, not a week.
Pick one category where your work is clearly strongest, not the one that sounds most impressive.
Build proof before you nominate: numbers, coverage and third-party recognition editors can verify.
Write a short, specific nomination with your best three facts first.
Ignore anyone who sells placement. The list is free to enter and selection is editorial.

The basics

Who can be nominated	People 29 or younger on 31 December of the list year. The North America list covers the US and Canada; Forbes runs separate lists for other regions.
How to enter	Through the nomination form Forbes publishes each cycle. Self-nominations are accepted.
Cost	None. Be wary of any service that charges to "get you on the list."
Size	The North America list names 30 people in each of 20 categories, about 600 in total.
Timing	Nominations have closed around early September in recent cycles; the Class of 2028 window is expected to close in late summer 2027. Confirm the dates on the official page each year.
Who decides	Forbes editors and reporters research the field, and outside judges from each industry help choose the final 30 per category.

The live deadline is tracked in our free Startup Awards Calendar, alongside 70+ other awards and lists.

How honorees are chosen

Forbes describes its criteria as innovation, impact and leadership, judged by editors and industry experts. In practice, that means the people choosing are looking for evidence they can check: what you built, how big it got, and who outside your company has noticed.

Scale and trajectory. Revenue, users, funding raised, growth rate, or the size of the problem you have solved. Numbers carry more weight than adjectives.
Originality. Something you did first, or differently, that changed how a market works.
Outside validation. Credible investors, notable customers, press coverage, earlier awards, patents, published research.
Fit with the category. A strong founder in the wrong category competes against people whose work fits better.

A 12-month plan

12 to 9 months out

Pick the category

Read the last two years of honorees in your category. Note what their nominations would have said, and where your record is thin.

9 to 4 months out

Build the record

Land coverage in trade and regional outlets, enter smaller awards, and announce milestones publicly so there is something to verify.

4 to 1 months out

Line up the nomination

Ask an investor, customer or industry figure to nominate you, or prepare your self-nomination. Gather links for every claim.

When the form opens

Submit early

Submit well before the deadline, with your strongest three facts in the first lines and links to back each one.

Writing the nomination

Lead with your three strongest facts, each with a number or a name: revenue growth, a customer, a round, a result.
Say what is new in one sentence: what you do that others in your field do not.
Link to proof: coverage, filings, product pages, published results.
Keep it short. Reviewers read thousands of nominations. Plain and specific beats long and polished.
Nominate co-founders separately if each one has a distinct record; check the current rules on joint nominations.

Mistakes that sink strong founders

Nominating on deadline day with no supporting links.
Choosing a crowded category where your work is a weak fit.
Claims that cannot be checked, or numbers that do not match what is public.
Paying a consultant who promises placement.
Having no press or public record for editors to find when they search your name.

Build the record editors look for

Coverage is the proof that is hardest to fake. Describe your company in one sentence and see the 3 reporters most likely to cover it, with the angle to pitch each one. Free, no card. Members also join monthly sessions with former editors on how lists like this one are chosen.

See my 3 reporters

Startup Awards Calendar: deadlines, fees and eligibility for 70+ awards and lists.
How to announce your funding round.

Forbes and 30 Under 30 are trademarks of their owner. Earned is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forbes. Rules and dates change each cycle; check the official nomination page before you apply.