Date Activity Responsibility Date At national level, the Year Edition of the National Cocoa Awards and the Year Edition of the International Cocoa Awards of the Cocoa of Excellence Programme, are announced. Guidelines for participants are published. National Organization Committee Date Well-fermented and dried cocoa samples that comply with the requirements of the National Cocoa Awards are send to the coordinators of the National Cocoa Awards. Cocoa producer Date The National Cocoa Awards, after the established submission deadline, receives the samples. It is given an anonymous code for blind processing. National Organization Committee Date Samples are evaluated for quality and physical defects. National Organization Committee Date Samples passing physical evaluations are processed into cocoa liquor. National Organization Committee Date The samples are evaluated blindly by a panel of national experts and NUMBER cocoa producers are selected to receive a National Cocoa Award. Cocoa Expert Panel Date The National Cocoa Awards notifies the winners confidentially. National Organization Committee Date The National Cocoa Awards celebrates the winners WHERE. National Organization Committee 2017 National Organization Committees send a minimum of 5kg of the recommended quotas of the bean samples to the Cocoa of Excellence Programme. National Organization Committees 28th February 2017 Deadline for receiving samples for the Cocoa of Excellence Programme at Bioversity International, Samples are given an anonymous code for blind processing. Cocoa of Excellence Programmes March & April 2017 Samples are evaluated for quality and physical defects. Cocoa of Excellence Technical Committee March-May 2017 Samples passing physical evaluations are processed into cocoa liquor and evaluated blindly by a panel of international experts. Cocoa of Excellence Technical Committee
June & July 2017 Selection of the 50 best samples from different cocoa regions and origins to be nominated for the International Cocoa Awards. Cocoa of Excellence Technical Committee July 2017 The 50 nominated sample providers are confidentially notified that their sample will be celebrated at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris. Cocoa of Excellence Programme August 2017 The 50 best chocolate samples are evaluated blindly by a wider panel of sensory evaluation experts and chocolate makers. Expert Sensory Evaluation Panel Early October 2017 Between 3 and 5 cocoa producers from each of the 4 cocoa regions are selected for an International Cocoa Award. Cocoa of Excellence Technical Committee Early October 2017 The winners of the International Cocoa Awards are confidentially notified. Cocoa of Excellence Programme 28 October – 1 November 2017 Salon du Chocolat in Paris, France - celebration of the best 50 samples and the International Cocoa Awards. Cocoa of Excellence Programme November 2017 Contact information and flavor profiles of the 50 nominated samples including the ICA winners are published and made available for the cocoa and chocolate industry. Cocoa of Excellence Programme November 2017 Participation certificates are posted to the best 50 samples producers that did not win an ICA and did not attend the ICA ceremony. ICA Certificates are posted to those not represented at the celebrations in Paris. Cocoa of Excellence Programme February 2018 Feedback reports with bean and liquor evaluations are prepared for all samples and sent to the National Organization Committees to be send to bean producers. Cocoa of Excellence Programme February 2018 National Organization Committees send feedback reports to the providers of the cocoa samples. National Organization Committee HOW THE NATIONAL COCOA AWARDS & THE COCOA OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME WORKS