Sign up for a Zealous account; no onboarding or credit card is required to get started.
Create your first opportunity (competition, award, exhibition, etc.) in draft mode. None of the information is public at this stage, allowing you to configure details privately.
Customize application forms, set submission requirements, and enter key dates for when submissions open and close. Zealous automates the schedule, opening and closing submissions, and publishing results at the right time.
Once satisfied with your setup, click "publish" to make your opportunity public. The system will list it on the Zealous opportunity page if you choose.
Submissions automatically open based on your scheduled dates. You can market your call and begin accepting entries immediately.
Manage submissions, communicate with candidates and judges via automated emails, and monitor progress with real-time analytics. You can edit most opportunity details even after submissions open.
Run one or multiple rounds of judging as per your schedule. Judges score entries, and results are managed and published automatically.
Zealous can be customized extensively to fit a wide variety of business needs, particularly for organizations running exhibitions, competitions, awards, residencies, commissions, and fairs12. Here are the main ways Zealous supports customization:
Customizable Application Forms:
Design forms to collect exactly the information you need, including text, images, videos, documents, and even 3D models.
Customizable Fields and Templates:
Adjust form fields, templates, and questions to match your unique program requirements and branding.
Flexible Scheduling:
Set custom key dates for submissions, judging, and result publication; Zealous automates the opening/closing of submissions and publishing of results according to your schedule.
Multiple Evaluation Rounds:
Run one or more judging rounds with customizable scoring criteria, including scales (such as a 7-point scale) and anonymous/blind judging options.
Customizable Branding:
Personalize your opportunity pages with your organization’s logo, colors, and other branding elements for a professional and cohesive look.
Role-Based Access and Permissions:
Define roles and permissions for admins, judges, and applicants to control access and workflow.
Automated Workflows and Emails:
Automate routine tasks such as email notifications, reminders, and status updates for candidates and judges.
Built-in Payment Options:
Integrate with Stripe to customize payment collection, invoicing, and entry fee processing to suit your financial workflow.
Public Voting and Polls:
Enable or disable public voting and customize how the public participates in your selection process.
Data Export and Reporting:
Export data in CSV format and access real-time analytics to track program performance and customize reporting as needed.
Third-Party Integrations:
Integrate with other business tools via API, Zapier, and webhooks to automate and sync data with external systems.
Unlimited Opportunities and Judges:
Run unlimited programs and invite unlimited judges, scaling the platform to fit your organization’s growth without extra fees.
Accessible and Mobile-Friendly:
Customize the candidate and judge experience for accessibility and mobile use, ensuring inclusivity for all participants.
Zealous is designed to be easy to use for administrators, judges, and applicants, minimizing the need for formal training. Most users can set up and launch opportunities within minutes, thanks to the platform’s intuitive interface.
New users can start using Zealous immediately onboarding process or a credit card is required to begin. This allows organizations to test and explore the platform without barriers.
Zealous provides technical support for both candidates and judges. Users consistently rate Zealous highly for its customer support, and help is available if any issues arise during setup or program management.
The platform includes accessible FAQs and help documentation to answer common questions and guide users through setup and management tasks.
All data in transit is protected using TLS 1.2 with SHA-256 signed certificates and AES encryption, ensuring secure connections between user devices and the platform.
Data at rest, including all databases and media storage, is encrypted. Passwords are stored encrypted by default.
Server and Infrastructure Security
Zealous data is securely stored on Google Cloud servers in the UK, with a twin data center in the EU for failover. Google Cloud infrastructure is certified to ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018, 27701, and is fully PCI DSS compliant.
Servers have SOC 1, 2, and 3 reporting and comply with HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA standards.
Access to servers is restricted to authorized staff only, using SSH key-based authentication via VPN into a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
Only a small number of senior employees have access, managed via Identity and Access Management (IAM) and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Access is immediately revoked when no longer required.
All payment processing is handled by Stripe, which provides industry-leading security and PCI DSS compliance. Zealous uses automated anti-fraud checks to block suspicious transactions.
Core data is backed up multiple times daily in separate locations, accessible only via SSH key-based authentication by disaster recovery personnel. This ensures rapid restoration in case of an incident.
Zealous is built on a highly scalable cloud architecture, maintaining 99.98% uptime and the ability to handle peak loads without service disruption.
Zealous is fully GDPR and CCPA compliant, with transparent privacy policies and support for EU Standard Contractual Clauses for international data transfers.
Users can download reports to satisfy information requests, add consent options, and candidates can revoke access or permanently delete their data at any time.
Email and Communication Security
Transactional emails are sent via Mailgun, which is GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS certified, ensuring secure and compliant email delivery.
Zealous releases updates and new features on a regular, ongoing basis to ensure optimal performance, security, and user experience. The platform is cloud-based, so all updates are managed and deployed automatically by the Zealous team; users do not need to manually install or take action for updates to take effect. Updates include enhancements to automation, scheduling, integrations, and security, as well as bug fixes and performance improvements. Zealous also integrates user feedback and industry best practices into its update cycle, ensuring the platform evolves with customer needs. Maintenance and updates are designed to be seamless and non-disruptive, allowing organizations to benefit from the latest features and improvements without service interruptions.
Zealous explicitly states that users retain full ownership of all their contributions and any associated intellectual property. The platform does not claim any ownership rights over user-submitted content, including applications, submissions, or portfolio materials. Users maintain control and legal rights over their data at all times.
Zealous acts as the data controller under GDPR, meaning it is responsible for how personal data is held and used, but this does not affect users’ ownership of their own content.
Users can access, manage, and remove their data from the platform as needed, supporting user autonomy and control.
Data Portability:
Zealous supports users’ rights under GDPR, including the right to data portability. This means users can request a copy of their personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and can request that their data be transferred to another service provider when technically feasible.
Requests for data access, export, or deletion can be made by contacting Zealous directly. Zealous will respond to such requests as required by law, ensuring users can move or erase their data as needed.
Zealous pricing is based on the number of submissions you expect to receive annually, not on the number of programs, judges, or opportunities you run. This makes it easy to scale your usage up or down by simply adjusting your expected submission volume for the next billing period.
All plans include unlimited judges, unlimited file storage, and unlimited programs, so you can increase or decrease your activities without incurring extra costs for these aspects.
You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. If your needs change, you can move to a plan that matches your new submission volume, and your features will adjust accordingly.
There are no setup, onboarding, or maintenance fees, so scaling up or down does not trigger hidden charges.
If you stop paying, Zealous will freeze ongoing submissions and judging, but you retain dashboard access and can download your collected data. You can unfreeze/reactivate your account at any time by purchasing a new subscription.
Submission counts reset annually on your subscription anniversary, allowing you to reassess and adjust your scale each year.
A contract with Zealous is established when your Package Payment Form is accepted and payment is received in full. The contract covers the provision of services for the agreed period or package.
Some Zealous services, such as Premium Services, are offered as automatically-renewing subscriptions (e.g., monthly or annual plans). These subscriptions renew at the end of each period at the then-current price unless you cancel before the renewal date.
Zealous will notify you of any pricing changes for Premium Services, allowing you to cancel before the new rate applies.
You can cancel your subscription or contract at any time by notifying Zealous in writing or by email. Zealous provides a sample cancellation form, but you are not required to use it; any written notice is sufficient.
If you purchased a subscription through a third-party store (like the Apple App Store or Google Play), you must cancel through that store’s process.
Deleting your account or the app does not automatically cancel your subscription; you must follow the cancellation process.
If you cancel, you may continue to use your subscription until the end of the period you have paid for, but your subscription will not renew, and you will lose access to Premium Services after the period expires.
Generally, Zealous does not offer prorated refunds for unused portions of a subscription period unless otherwise specified in their refund policy.
You are required to pay all outstanding amounts due under the contract in full, without deductions or set-offs, up to the date of cancellation.
Zealous reserves the right to terminate your account or subscription immediately if you breach the terms, misuse the service, or for other reasons deemed appropriate by Zealous.
Upon termination, your access to the account and all related content is removed.
Zealous meets several leading international compliance standards to ensure data privacy, security, and regulatory alignment:
Zealous is fully compliant with the EU’s GDPR, providing features for data access, consent management, and the ability for candidates to revoke access or permanently delete their data at any time. The platform enables hosts to download reports to satisfy information requests and supports additional consent options for submissions.
Zealous data is hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure in the UK and EU, which is certified to ISO/IEC 27001 (information security management), 27017 (cloud security), 27018 (cloud privacy), and 27701 (privacy information management).
Payment processing on Zealous is handled by Stripe, which is fully PCI DSS compliant, ensuring secure handling of all payment information.
The underlying Google Cloud servers have SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3 reporting, assuring the effectiveness of security controls and operational practices.
The infrastructure is HIPAA compliant, supporting the secure handling of health-related data where required.
Zealous infrastructure is also compliant with CCPA, providing protections for California residents’ personal data.
