Innovation in Credit Rating Methodologies Award

Evaluation

90% automatic · 10% by the award committee

Minimum score to win

70 / 100

Measurement period

The last full financial year (2025); for impact measures, a comparison of the twelve months before implementation with the latest twelve months after it

Who can apply

• A rating agency, credit bureau, financial institution or technology firm that developed a credit rating or scoring methodology or tool
• The methodology used to issue real ratings or scores for at least 12 months
• A written methodology document approved by the methodology committee or management
• No final material regulatory or judicial sanction against the nominee during the measurement period

Indicators and weights

1. Discriminatory power uplift

   Difference in percentage points between the Gini of the new methodology and the previous one on an out-of-time sample

   20%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 10 – < 100 percentage points 100
   • 5 – < 10 percentage points 80
   • 2 – < 5 percentage points 50
   • 0 – < 2 percentage points 20
   • -100 – < 0 percentage points 0

   Evidence

   Validation report showing sample, period and comparison results

2. Newly scorable share

   Of the applicants or firms in the test population that the previous methodology could not score because of thin credit files, the share that the new methodology can score

   15%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 60 – < 100 % 100
   • 30 – < 60 % 80
   • 10 – < 30 % 50
   • 0 – < 10 % 20

   Evidence

   Coverage analysis before and after the new methodology

3. Independent validation

   The level of validation of the methodology before adoption or during the period

   15%
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   Points

   • Independent external validation with no material findings100
   • Validation by an internal unit independent of the developers60
   • No independent validation0

   Evidence

   Validation report with a statement of the validator's independence

4. Actual adoption

   Share of ratings or scores issued under the new methodology out of all the nominee issued of that type in 2025

   10%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 80 – < 100 % 100
   • 50 – < 80 % 80
   • 20 – < 50 % 50
   • 0 – < 20 % 20

   Evidence

   Issuance system report broken down by methodology

5. Time-to-rating reduction

   Reduction in average time from complete data to issuing the rating or score, compared with the previous methodology

   10%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 70 – < 100 % 100
   • 40 – < 70 % 80
   • 20 – < 40 % 50
   • 0 – < 20 % 20

   Evidence

   Issuance system timing reports before and after

6. Alternative data types

   Number of new data types used with consent or legal basis (open banking, telecoms, utilities, e-commerce, e-invoicing, tax data)

   10%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • ≥ 4 100
   • 2 – < 4 70
   • 1 – < 2 40
   • 0 – < 1 0

   Evidence

   Methodology document, data agreements and consent forms

7. Regulatory non-objection

   The methodology approved or non-objected by the competent regulator, or notified to it as required

   10%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • Approval, non-objection or documented notification100
   • None0

   Evidence

   Regulator's letter or proof of notification

Scored by the award committee

1. Methodological originality

   10%
   • A fundamentally new methodology for the region (unprecedented model, data or calibration approach) with clear technical documentation of why it performs better100
   • A substantial development of an existing methodology that fixes a specific, documented weakness70
   • A known international methodology applied with local calibration40
   • Cosmetic or limited changes10

Each indicator gives 0 to 100 points; its share of the total is its weight. Ties are decided by the indicators listed first in the scorecard; payment or package never affects the score.

1. Done

   Nominations open

   26 October 2026 · 13:10

2. Upcoming

   Nominations close

   27 November 2026 · 01:10

3. Upcoming

   Judging starts

   27 November 2026 · 01:11

4. Upcoming

   Judging ends

   4 December 2026 · 13:00

5. Upcoming

   Results announced

   4 December 2026 · 13:10

Times are in Asia/Riyadh (UTC+03:00).