Application Process

Entries open in February 2026, and the Entry Kit will be available via the Engagement Institute website.

There are three Major Awards: Project of the Year Award, Organisation of the Year Award, and Research Award.

The Organisation of the Year Award does not have an online application process. This award will be selected from eligible Gold EngageMark recipients, who will be automatically considered under the Engagement Institute Awards Program.

The Project of the Year Award is divided into the following categories:

• Planning

• Construction

• Energy

• Environment

• Health and Social Infrastructure

• Disaster & Emergency Planning / Response

• Property & Development

• Policy & Reform

• Resources

• Transport

• Water

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

• Māori

The Research Award recognises outstanding research that advances engagement practice.

Please note the Smart Budget Award is no longer offered as a project category.

All entries are submitted via the Awards Submission Portal.

If you have any questions about using the submission portal, the Awards Force Help resources may be useful.

Important information for the 2026 Engagement Excellence Awards:

• There is no online application process for the Organisation of the Year Award. This award will be selected from eligible Gold EngageMark recipients, who will be automatically considered under the Engagement Institute Awards Program.
• The Research Award has been reintroduced for 2026.
• Several new project categories have been introduced, including Property & Development, Policy & Reform, Resources, Transport and Water.
• The Disaster and Emergency Services category has been renamed to Disaster & Emergency Planning / Response.
• The Smart Budget Award is no longer offered as a project category.
• References: You may upload references or provide contact details within the submission portal.

All finalists will have their entry converted into the Engagement Institute case study template and sent to them for review.

Entries from Australia and New Zealand are most welcome. Entrants from other countries can enter their local IAP2 Affiliate Awards. Visit: iap2.org for more information.

There is no time limit on when your project was started or completed to enter the 2026 Awards.

An entry fee applies to each application: AUD$200 plus GST for Engagement Institute members, and AUD$500 plus GST for non-members.

Organisations entering need to be a Corporate, Government, Industry Supplier, or Engagement Consultancy Member of the Engagement Institute to access the member rate. If multiple organisations are entering, then at least one organisation must be a Corporate, Government, Industry Supplier, or Engagement Consultancy Member.

Payment must be made via credit card at the time of submission. Invoices are not available.

Yes, you may – although note that there is a different entry fee for non-members.

Entrants will be advised if they are a finalist in August 2026.

Finalists will have their entries converted into the specified 2026 Engagement Institute Case Study template format in August 2026.

The winners will be announced in October 2026 at the Engagement Institute Conference in Brisbane, to be held at the Sofitel Brisbane Central.

We recommend you enter the Category that best fits your project or organisation.  The judges may move you to a different category if they feel there is a better fit for your entry.

We recommend you create your account in the Award Force system at least 2 weeks prior to the deadline to ensure you are familiar with what is required and comfortable with the online submission system.  This also gives you the opportunity to seek help if you are having any technical issues.  You can save, edit and even re-submit your entry as required up until the deadline.

All entrants need to create an account in the Award Force system and will receive a system generated email verification request before they can proceed.  If you do not receive this email, please check your spam or junk folder, and check with your organisation’s IT if your firewall allows emails from Award Force.  For additional assistance, contact the events team via email events@engagementinstitute.org.au.

Some organisations may have difficulty accessing Award Force, or receiving emails due to IT firewalls, policies or configuration.  We suggest you speak to your IT department about granting access; or use an alternative email address (such as a Gmail or personal address) to receive validation emails.

For further information on how to use the Award Force system, visit their FAQ page at: https://support.awardforce.com/hc/en-us

Ensure that your entry addresses all of the criteria. And definitely proofread it well.

Entry submissions do vary for each category, the range is typically between five to twenty.  The Planning, Community Development and Infrastructure categories generally attract the most entries.

Your original entry will be used for all stages of the process.

So, you only need to submit your entry once.

Referees or references are required.  There are two different options to provide referees:

1. Upload written references (ensure referee contact details are included), OR
2. Provide the contact details of referees (name, how they were involved with the entry, email address and phone number)

The Engagement Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate projects, organisations and research that demonstrate leadership in community and stakeholder engagement.

The Awards champion excellence, innovation, quality practice and measurable impact across the profession, highlighting outstanding engagement work across Australasia.

From 2026, the Core Values Awards will be known as the Engagement Excellence Awards.

This change reflects the Engagement Institute’s broader brand evolution and provides a clearer articulation of what the Awards recognise — excellence and impact in engagement practice.

The Awards program continues to celebrate outstanding engagement projects and organisations across Australasia.