RIBA UK Awards information and entry guidelines
Entry for the RIBA UK Awards 2025 is now closed. Entry for the 2026 awards will open on 17 October 2025.
The entry criteria below has been updated for the 2026 awards. Please read through the below carefully to prepare your submission and note that all information will need to be entered into the online form. Any questions about the requirements can be emailed to awards@riba.org.
Entry Criteria
- To enter, the project director must be a current RIBA, RSAW, RIAS, RSUA Chartered member or RIBA International Fellow
- Projects must be located in the UK and have been completed between October 2022 and December 2024
- The project must have been occupied by December 2024 (12 months before entries to the 2026 UK Awards close). Partially-occupied projects are subject to RIBA approval
- Projects must meet the requirements outlined in the updated sustainability criteria, including actual energy data, water usage and relevant carbon calculations. See our RIBA Awards Sustainability Guide for full details
- Entrants must have the client's permission to submit the project
Deadlines
Entry for the RIBA UK Awards 2025 is now closed.
Entry for the 2026 awards will open on 17 October 2025 and close on 11 December 2025.
For all key dates see the RIBA Awards timetable.
Who can enter?
UK Awards
The project director (who oversaw the scheme) must be a current RIBA Chartered Member.
If you have an eligible project you would like to enter, but are not a member, please see more information on becoming a RIBA Member. To be eligible to enter the RIBA UK Awards 2026, new members must have successfully applied for membership no later than Friday 28 November 2025 in line with the final admissions intake before the close for entries.
Buildings in Scotland
Projects located in Scotland should be entered into the RIAS Awards. The scheme will initially be judged by a separate jury, which will include a RIBA Representative and be chaired by a RIAS member.
RIAS Award winning projects are then considered for a RIBA National Award alongside RIBA Award winning buildings from across the UK.
Entries which have been unsuccessful at RIAS shortlisting stage in the preceding year can be re-submitted and will be considered provided that:
- the project must have been completed between October 2022 and January 2025
- the project must have been occupied by January 2025 (one year before entries to the RIAS Awards 2026 close). Partially-occupied projects are subject to approval
How to enter
All of the following information will need to be provided in order to complete your awards submission:
Project information
- project name (the title used to identify and refer to your project. Please make sure it doesn't give away the location, client identity, or other sensitive information, if any parties wish these details to remain confidential)
- project address (including county and postcode)
- gross and net internal area in square metres (or external area for largely landscape/urban design projects)
- construction cost (contract value including build and fit-out if done/overseen by the architect, but excluding land costs and fees)
- planning approval, completion and occupation date (if applicable)
- credit line (this will be published alongside the project title and should be either your practice name or multiple practice/architect/designer(s) if the project was a joint collaboration. All parties must agree how the project is to be credited)
Contact details
- architect practice / studio name(s)
- architect practice / studio address(s)
- contact details for project director/architect(s), client and contractor
- contact for jury visits
- press contact
- photographer details
Project description
150 word project summary, giving an overview of the project written in the third person. Should you win a RIBA Award, this will feature on the RIBA website and RIBA Journal. This should help people understand the project immediately, giving necessary context, including;
- typology or use
- location or setting
- the client or end user
- whether the scheme involves reuse or renovation
- composition of the design team
Provide 350 words describing the key elements of the project, setting out:
- the client’s brief
- materials and method of construction
- summary of timetable, programme, planning and budget constraints
- how the project contributes to its environment, the experience of occupants and wider society
This description will be used in jury meetings and to influence press coverage, so please ensure it fully encapsulates the key elements of your project.
A further 100 words stating how needs of users have been met based upon the access strategy and inclusive design outcomes, including:
- access strategy and management plans (including entrances, approaches, accessible and/or step free routes, how topography and level changes have been addressed, mobility considerations, travel distances, hierarchy of circulation routes, ease of navigation and wayfinding; and means of escape)
- how further adaptability in the future has been considered
Key consultants
Please include:
- a list of all key consultants to be credited, e.g. structural engineer, services engineer, landscape architect(s), with contact details
These consultants will be credited on all of our online content, press releases and awards certificates, so please ensure they are listed correctly.
Images
Entrants are required to submit the following:
- a minimum of five and up to ten JPEG images of the project, exceeding 1000 pixels in width, and 700 pixels in height (max. file size is 10MB)
- up to five additional JPEG images showing existing buildings or site conditions before the project commenced(max file size is 10MB)
Entrants must:
- select 5 of these project images to be published and shared with press if the project is successful – for best quality, we recommend these images are at least 300dpi and 2000 pixels in height/width
- include a mixture of of internal and external views within its context; wide shots, close-ups, and ideally the building in use
- upload each image as single image files, not composite boards - an exception to this rule would be to upload existing site images side by side which show the before and after of a refurb project, uploaded as one file
- convey the way in which the project relates to its context, as these images are used for judging purposes
- not include company logos or text on any images
- include the photographer credit for each image
Drawings
Entrants must also upload:
- a minimum of one and a maximum of six drawing files as JPEG format only (max file size is 2MB)
This should typically include:
- a location plan (showing the project in context, eg 1:1250)
- a site plan
- a ground floor plan (showing main access)
- a typical floor plan
- two sections
You may upload up to six separate files. These can be configured as one to two drawings per page, if necessary. Please bear in mind the jury will be reading the drawings on A4 pages and on screen, so landscape orientation is preferred if possible.
Photographers
Entrants will need to include:
- the name and contact details of photographer(s)
Please note:
- RIBA will only use the photographs or other media submitted for the purposes of the RIBA Awards
- RIBA will require confirmation that the relevant copyright owner of the photograph or other media submitted has licensed the right to use the photograph or other media of your scheme for all purposes related to the RIBA Awards (in print, social and digital media). This might include publicising an exhibition (of winning entries), a lecture series (featuring the winning architects), or promoting the award itself
- photographers will always be credited on their images, so supplying us with the correct information on each photograph is essential
Sustainability
Our awards criteria is aligned to support the 2030 Climate Challenge and the measures articulated within the challenge are increasingly being used to define the standards expected of RIBA Award-winning projects. All projects are expected to meet statutory targets in achieving sustainable outcomes and measure and verify how they perform. Please complete as many questions as possible so that we can understand the credentials of your scheme
Projects must be able to provide the following mandatory sustainability data;
- actual energy use (kWh/m²/y)
- potable water usage (litres per person per day)
- upfront carbon (RICS Modules A1-A5, B1-B5, C1-C4, in KgCO₂eq/m²)
- embodied carbon (RICS Modules A1-A5, in KgCO₂eq/m²)
- gross internal conditioned floor area (GIA) per square metres
- air tightness (mandatory if the GIA is greater than 1000sqm)
- % occupancy during a 12 month period
- on site renewable generation and details of connected district heat systems (if applicable)
- supporting statements for sustainability drivers, performance, ecological strategy, biodiversity impacts, all as appropriate and relevant to the scheme
You may find it helpful to refer to our RIBA Awards Sustainability Guide for further guidance about how to answer these questions. The guide also lists all questions in the sustainability section of the form, should you wish to download and send to any external consultants to fill in and send back to you. But please note that all figures must then be completed in the online form.
If mandatory data is required but not applicable to your project, please insert ‘0’ (zero) in the data field and provide an explanation in the relevant text box - e.g. a bridge will typically not be able to provide some mandatory data due to its typology
Use of information
Data, including images, plans, drawings, technical and budget information, and narrative text submitted in support of all RIBA Awards entries will be used by RIBA and judges acting on its behalf for the purposes of assessing awards entries in the current year of judging.
Any information relating to budget, personal details, such as company names or client names, and addresses that the individual or agent preparing the application wishes to remain confidential during and subsequent to the judging process has the facility (through the online entry system) to mark this information as confidential during the application process.
Information marked as confidential will not be shared for publicity or any form of public dissemination. Information not marked as confidential will be assumed to be suitable for public dissemination. For the avoidance of doubt, information marked confidential will be shared with awards juries acting on behalf of RIBA for the purposes of evaluating and assessing awards entries.
Juries will be made aware of their obligation to treat the information as confidential beyond the immediate purposes of assessing awards entries. The visual data (images, plans, drawings) will also be used by RIBA for the promotion of the awards.
Data will be held by RIBA in perpetuity for the purposes of maintaining a record of the entries and for RIBA archive. This information will not be shared with any third party without the express and prior consent of the author, their clients or agents acting on their behalf.
RIBA collects data for research purposes, except where you have stated that information on the entry form is to be kept confidential. Any data used for research purposes to monitor trends in the profession will remain anonymous and no data from individual projects will be published without consent.
Terms and Conditions
View our RIBA Awards terms and conditions (PDF)
Payment
- payments must be made online using a valid credit or debit card upon submission in GBP sterling - we cannot issue invoices
- the entry fee is dependent on the contract value of the project entered (see payment bands below)
- you cannot edit your entry once payment has been made
Financial support
We offer financial support via discounted or free entry for architects and practices without the financial resources to enter our UK Awards programme.
To enquire about or apply for financial support, please email awards@riba.org for more information. Please note that applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Entry fees
Prices below are for the RIBA UK Awards 2026. The entry fee is dependent on the contract value of the project.
| Project Construction Cost | Fee before 5pm GMT on 13 November 2025 | Fee from 5pm GMT on 13 November 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Under £500k | £99 | £110 |
| £500k - £1,999,999 | £241 | £268 |
| £2m - £4,999,999 | £442 | £491 |
| £5m - £9,999,999 | £628 | £698 |
| £10m - £20m | £721 | £801 |
| Over £20m | £818 | £909 |
All fees are shown in GBP sterling excluding VAT. UK VAT will be charged for all entries.
Judging process
Our awards and prizes are the most rigorously judged awards for architectural excellence. No award or prize is given unless the project has been visited by at least one jury.
All RIBA Awards are judged by award-winning architects and relevant lay assessors. Before any visits are made, every judge will read and digest the criteria and study all the submitted materials. They will then visit an agreed shortlist of projects, looking in detail at all aspects, interior and exterior; listen to the story that both architect and client have to tell, and ask them about the process and its results.
After discussion with fellow judges, they will arrive at their provisional decisions. Once all visits have concluded, the jury will meet for a final time to decide the awards.
Judging criteria
RIBA Awards celebrate the discipline of architecture, a discipline that touches and supports so many aspects of our daily lives. An award-winning project is one which balances ideas of beauty and culture, history and context with societal concerns for inclusivity and diversity, ecology and sustainability, all bound together in a memorable and emotional spatial experience.
In judging projects for awards, juries will assess them against the following ten criteria. Differences in project complexity, scale, budget and procurement method are acknowledged, and will be taken into account in the judging process.
- Is it skilfully composed, in plan, section and elevation? Does it possess exceptional qualities of form, scale, space, light and material?
- Does it show ambition, whether in its understanding of cultural continuity or its pursuit of invention? Does it respond to and support its context?
- How does the project meet or exceed the client’s brief and aspirations? Does it make a wider contribution to society?
- Does its form and construction reflect its required design life? Is it robust, flexible and adaptable? Is it carefully detailed and well made?
- Does it use appropriate construction materials and environmental technologies?
- Has it made good use of any existing structures on its site, either through the retention and reuse of fabric or the recycling of materials?
- Has the project taken effective steps to minimise its resource use, and does it contribute positively to biodiversity both on and off-site?
- Is it sympathetic and imaginative in its treatment of listed structures and in its response to historic contexts?
- Does the project meet the highest standards for inclusive accessibility?
- Does the project respond generously to the external environment? Does it enhance or create new public space and green infrastructure?
UN Global Compact
- RIBA supports the universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption that form the UN Global Compact
- as a signatory, RIBA is committed to upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethics in architecture and the wider construction industry
RIBA reserves the right to request further information about the ways in which the scheme complies with the principles of the UN Global Compact and will take this into account when determining awards
RIBA Awards resources
View our video playlist below for guidance on RIBA UK Awards process:
