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How to Enter and FAQs

Entering the Awards for Excellence

Entering the Awards is a rigorous process designed to ensure your project receives the recognition it deserves. Our judges conduct in-person site visits and thorough reviews of each written submission, honouring the efforts of entrants and upholding the highest standards of assessment. Follow the steps below to showcase your work among Queensland’s best.

All of the Awards information in one place

Download the Entrant Information and Eligibility for detailed information on the Awards Program, category eligibility and thresholds, as well as the judging process.

01

Start your submission

Entrant Information and Eligibility and category criterion is now available, either from the Award Categories web page or via Award Force.

All you’ll need to get your submission started in Award Force is to pick your category and enter a name for the submission. That’s it.

You’ll then need to complete payment to continue your submission to the written documentation phase.

Keep an eye out for Early Bird pricing deadlines.

02

Attend the Information Session

It is compulsory for all entrants to attend the scheduled Awards Submission Information session. Further details will be provided to submitters closer to the date.

03

Enter your completed submission

Once a submission is started you can complete it over numerous sessions, it does not have to be completed straight away. You can save and continue your submission up until the submission deadline.

To qualify for Early Bird pricing, you must start and pay for your submission prior to the Early Bird deadline. You can still enter after this date, however it will be invoiced at full price.

Please note, to commence your written submission payment must be received in full to the Institute. Payment can be made online via credit card or by selecting invoice. A member of the team will grant you access to commence if a remittance advice is provided.

A member of the Institute’s Events team is available to you throughout this process, should you require any assistance.

Your submission needs to be finalised in the system by midnight on the submission close date. No further changes are permitted after this time.

04

Host on-site inspection

Each Award category is judged by an independent panel of professional industry members during August. Judging includes an assessment of the written submission and an on-site inspection by the panel of judges.

Entrants are expected to make a verbal presentation to the judges as part of their site inspection. You should allow no longer than one hour for the site inspection including the presentation.

The onsite presentation is a key component of the judging and should be delivered by your most senior representative who is intimately familiar with the project e.g. CEO, Chairman, Director, Founder etc.

05

Purchase your Awards Lunch tickets

Our Awards long lunch is open to the entire membership, so be sure to reserve your tickets early. Ideally before you finalise your submission or as soon as practicable after you complete it.

We take no responsibility for entrants that miss out on securing their desired number of event tickets.

Awards FAQs

All your questions about the Awards for Excellence process answered. The FAQs have been categorised to help you find the answers you want, faster.

Questions about entering

Can non-members enter the Awards?

Please note that only members are eligible to win an Institute Award for Excellence.

Non-members are still welcome to make a submission, however they must become a member before the submission deadline.

If you are not a member and want information about joining please enquire below.

Why enter?

The Awards are an opportunity to be recognised for excellence within the development industry. If your company has done something unique, pushed the boundaries, or innovated to overcome challenges, you should consider entering. The Awards are very competitive, so becoming a winner or finalist is acknowledgement of outstanding success from your peers.

How do I enter?

Your awards submission must be completed through our online platform, Award Force.

All you’ll need to get your submission started in Award Force is to pick your category and enter a name for the submission. That’s it.

You’ll then need to complete payment to continue your submission to the written documentation phase.

Keep an eye out for Early Bird pricing deadlines.

Pricing and payment

How much does each submission cost?

Early Bird submission fee $925

Standard submission fee $1,250

Employer of Choice category fee $500

Young Leaders category fee FREE

Women in Leadership category fee FREE

When is payment made?

Payment of the submission fee must be made before you can commence your written submission. Payment for the Early Bird price must be received before the Early Bird deadline for the discount to be applicable. Submission payments can be made by credit card or direct deposit.

Category questions

Can I enter any category?
  • Projects eligible for categories 4 through to 11, and 13 through to 15, as well as 17 and 18 must be submitted by a developer.
  • Projects eligible for category 12 may be entered by a developer or an architect. Entrants must also ensure that the developer of the project that is the subject of the submission, is also a member of the Institute.
  • Projects eligible for categories 16 and 19 may be entered by government entities (State and Local) or a developer. Entrants must also ensure that the developer of the project that is the subject of the submission, is also a member of the Institute.
  • Projects eligible for category 20 must be entered by a licensed builder. Entrants must also ensure that the developer of the project that is the subject of the submission, is also a member of the Institute.
  • Projects eligible for category 21 must be entered by a consultant. Entrants must also ensure that the developer of the project that is the subject of the submission, is also a member of the Institute.
  • Projects eligible for category 22 may be entered by a developer or a consultant. Entrants must also ensure that the developer of the project that is the subject of the submission, is also a member of the Institute.
  • Entries in categories 1-15 are eligible for National Awards.
Is there category criteria?

Every category has unique criteria. Entrants should closely review the criteria to ensure their submission response and site inspections (excluding categories 1-3) address the criteria specifically. Entrants in categories 1 through to 3 are invited to attend an interview instead of a site inspection.

Category criteria can be obtained  on the Award Categories page or via Award Force.

Does my written submission need to address the Award category criteria?

It is highly recommended that you address the criteria related to the Award category you enter. The criteria will be used by the judging panel to assess your written submission.

What is the word count per criteria question?

Each question has a maximum word count of 200 words.

Submissions

Do I require permission from the developer to enter?

If you are entering on behalf of a developer or entering the Consultants’, Innovation, Design, and/or Construction categories, you must have the written consent of the developer. This written consent must be submitted with the online submission.

Can consultants enter all categories?

Consultants can enter categories 21 and 22.

Does my project have to be completed?

Projects entered into the Awards must be substantially completed, as outlined in the criteria for each Award category.

Please note that this does not apply to the Young Leaders, Women in Leadership, Employer of Choice, Community Engagement, and Marketing award categories.

Individual projects may be entered in more than one category, where they fit the criteria. A separate submission must be completed for each category.

Entrants are asked to respond to criteria for the specific category for which they are entering, rather than using the same submission text for additional categories. Doing so will give entrants a greater chance of winning.

Can I enter the same project as last year?

If you submitted a project in a previous year and did not win you can re-enter the same project multiple times. However, if resubmitting a project that has previously won an Award, you must be able to demonstrate to the judges that significant changes have been made to the project for your submission to be valid.

How do I prepare my submission?

All submissions must be prepared online via the Award Force platform. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted.

Some entrants copy the criteria into a Word document to work on their responses before submitting. If you do this, be sure to note the word count limits.

Can I make changes to my submission?

You may make changes to your submission up until the submission deadline. After this date submissions will be considered complete. Any items or documents submitted after this time will be accepted or declined at the Institute’s discretion.

What is the Executive Summary used for?

The Executive Summary will be used for the purposes of judging. The executive summary, in addition to any detail provided in the full submission, may be published in the Awards issue of our establish magazine if your project is announced as a winner or a finalist. The establish articles will be written at the Institute’s discretion.

Do I need to provide an establish article with my submission?

You are not required to submit an establish article with your submission. Instead, the Institute will use any detail, wording, statistics, and other information provided in the full submission to write the establish article should your project be a winner or category finalist. The establish articles will be written at the Institute’s discretion.

Do I need to provide a media release with my submission?

You are not required to provide a media release with your submission.

Do I need to provide images before or after I submit?

You will need to provide a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 high resolution images of your project as part of your submission. Images sent through after the submission due date will be considered at the Institute’s discretion. The number of photos required for entrants in categories 1 through to 3 is different. Refer to the instructions.

Image guidelines: The Institute reserves the right to select submission images at its discretion to be used in the Awards for Excellence AV production and the establish magazine should you be named a finalist and/or winner.

Can I withdraw my submission after the due date?

All submission cancellations (withdrawal) must be made in writing to the Institute.

Submission cancellations received prior to 5.00pm 2 May 2025 are entitled to a refund of paid submission fees.

Cancellations or withdrawals made after this time are non-refundable. Please note that associated fees such as administration fees cannot be refunded. Any refunds will be processed approximately one fortnight after the event has concluded.

When and how are the winners announced?

The finalists and winners will be announced at the Awards Lunch held in Brisbane in November each year.

Do you reserve tickets to the lunch for entrants?

Tickets are not allocated to entrants. You must purchase your own ticket(s).

Other queries

Can we change the date of our site inspection?

No. Changes to the site inspection date and time are not permitted under any circumstances. It is strongly recommended that you block out the judging period in all key company representative’s diaries in advance to ensure the right people (i.e. CEO, Chairman, Development Manager, Project Lead etc) are available.

Can I be disqualified?

Yes. Under no circumstances should an entrant be in contact with or approach a member of the judge’s panel outside the hour of their scheduled site inspection. Should the Institute be made aware of such behaviour, your entry will be disqualified immediately.

Will you tell me if I’ve won beforehand?

Most definitely not!

Still have questions?

For all enquiries about submissions and the Awards process, please contact our Events Team.

Award Sponsor shaking hands with an Award Winner.