IBM Bob Advocate 2026

Issued by IBM

The IBM Bob Advocate badge recognizes individuals who actively support the tech community, with a focus on IBM Bob. IBM Bob Advocate badge earners demonstrate advocacy through knowledge sharing, community participation, and insight‑driven engagement beyond their formal roles. They are building a foundation for ongoing advocacy and may also qualify for Rising Champions badges, supporting potential IBM Champion evaluation and consideration.

Type Experience
Level Foundational
Time Hours
Cost Free

Additional Details

Skills

Earning Criteria

Recipients of the IBM Bob Advocate badge have demonstrated the following activities within the current calendar year.
To earn this badge, individuals must first achieve the IBM Rising Champions Contributor level by completing three (3) qualifying acts of advocacy. Plus, they must complete at least one (1) additional act of advocacy that demonstrates engagement related to IBM Bob. Qualifying activities may include community participation, content creation, social engagement with context, event participation, or product feedback, as defined in the IBM Champions activity catalog.
Like all advocacy badges, voluntary participation in advocacy activities must extend beyond required job duties, employer‑directed marketing, or direct promotion of one’s own business (mandatory for evaluation).
Demonstrated consistency in participation and a willingness to learn, experiment, and grow as an advocate for IBM Bob.
IBM Bob advocacy activities reviewed through qualitative evaluation to assess authenticity, intent, and contribution.
Beginning in 2026, new entrants to the program must apply using the Candidate Application Form. If you participated in the IBM Rising Champions or IBM Champions after January 1, 2025, you DO NOT need to compete the New Candidate Application.
Note on IBM Z and LinuxONE advocacy: If your activity focuses on IBM Z and LinuxONE, consider starting with the IBM Z and LinuxONE Advocacy Hub. Activities applied to those community badges are not counted toward the IBM Bob Contributor badge, nor IBM Rising Champions badges. You can still earn the IBM Bob Advocate badge and Rising Champions badges through different activities, and all contributions may be considered for IBM Champion evaluation.
Completion of activities establishes eligibility for review but does not automatically result in badge issuance or progression to the IBM Rising Champions badges nor IBM Champion status.
Note: All submitted activities are reviewed and validated by IBM. Badge approval is granted at IBM’s discretion.
All eligible IBM Bob Advocates who participated in either the IBM Rising Champions or IBM Champions program after January 1, 2025 DO NOT need to complete a New Candidate Application, but they must report activities using https://ibm.biz/champ-report to be evaluated for this calendar year.