QUESTIONS ABOUT ENTERING
DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF UDIA NSW TO ENTER A PROJECT IN THE AWARDS?
No, however please note that non-members applying to join UDIA NSW and accepted for membership at the time of lodging their award entry will be eligible for member rates.

HOW DO I ENTER?

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

To get started in Awards Force you need to enter your details and pick your category. Once you have picked your category you can download a blank entry PDF form which will show you all the questions you will need to answer and which relevant images and documents you will need to upload. 

DOES MY PROJECT HAVE TO BE NEW? ​
Projects do not have to be completed in the year of the awards but must have been completed no earlier than July 2024. Given the evolutionary nature of developments, projects submitted in previous years may also be re-entered in the current awards program.

ARE THERE ANY LIMITS REGARDING PROJECT LOCATIONS?
Projects must be located in NSW or the ACT.


PRICING AND PAYMENT
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ENTER?
UDIA NSW Members: $1195 per submission
Non-Members: $1595 per submission

WHEN IS PAYMENT MADE?
Payment of the submission fee must be made at the end of your written submission. Submission payments can be made by credit card or direct deposit.


CATEGORY QUESTIONS
CAN I ENTER ANY CATEGORY?
Each category has its own eligibility. Please check the Award Categories page or the entry brochure for more information. 

IS THERE CATEGORY CRITERIA?
Every category has unique criteria. Entrants should closely review the criteria to ensure their submission response and site inspections address the criteria specifically. 
Category criteria can be obtained on the Award Categories page or via Award Force. The criteria for each category is weighted differently. Please see all category criteria and weightings here. 

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. The criteria for each category is weighted differently. Please see all category criteria and weightings here. 

WHAT IS THE WORD COUNT PER CRITERIA QUESTION?
Each question has a maximum word count of 300 words.
 

SUBMISSIONS
DO I REQUIRE PERMISSION FROM THE DEVELOPER TO ENTER?
If you are a consultant you will require permission from the Developer to enter the awards. Their details will need to entered in Awards Force when requested. UDIA NSW may contact the developer to ensure they are aware their project is being entered. 
 
DOES MY PROJECT HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY BUILT?
Projects must be complete (or very close to completion) by April 2026, including landscaping (except for Marketing entries). In categories with residential components, the judging panel must be given access to the interior of at least two dwellings on the day of judging or the project will be disqualified.
 
CAN I ENTER THE SAME PROJECT IN MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY?
Yes. You can enter a maximum of two categories per project. 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.

MY PROJECT WON A CATEGORY LAST YEAR. CAN I ENTER AGAIN THIS YEAR?

Yes, however you will need to enter into a different category.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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WHAT DOES A WINNING ONLINE SUBMISSION CONTAIN?

Addressing the criteria in a clear and comprehensive manner is essential for the entry to be competitive as the judges use the information to prepare themselves for the site visit and as a reference during final judging meetings. We urge the strong involvement of the project management team in the preparation of the entry as the focus is on the content rather than “gloss”.

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Judging
WHO JUDGES THE AWARDS?
There will be four experienced practitioners from various sectors of the urban development industry who will judge your project. The decision of the judging panel is final and will not be subject to challenge by any entrant.

HOW WILL MY ENTRY BE JUDGED?
Entries will be judged in two stages. In stage one, the judging panel will review all online submissions. Judges reserve the right to disqualify an entry if it does not meet the criteria or move an entry to another category if appropriate and will advise the entrant if this action is deemed necessary. In stage two, judges will conduct a site visit of shortlisted projects or an interview (Marketing category entries). Please note that judges must be granted access to at least two dwellings at residential development site visits on the day of judging, otherwise the entry will be disqualified. 

 

CAN I GIVE THE JUDGES A GIFT?

Judges cannot accept any gifts, gratuities or other tokens. 

 

DO I NEED TO PROVIDE REFESHMENTS FOR THE JUDGES?

If you have facilities to offer the judges any light refreshments (coffee, tea, juice, water) during the site inspection that would be greatly appreciated. 

 

WHEN WILL MY SITE INSPECTION BE?

UDIA will let you know when your site inspection will be during the month of April. Please note we are not able to move your site inspection as UDIA staff organise the site visits in accordance with the availability of Judges and a logical route that clusters entrants.

Every effort is made to keep to time on the day but please note this is not always possible. Please ensure that you have given us the current and correct contact name and mobile number to allow the office to call you or your hosting team if there is a delay. Judging will take place in May and June 2026.

 

WHAT WILL THE JUDGES ASK ME DURING THE INSPECTION?

Each of the Judges will access and ready your online submission to help them understand the project and the challenges managed during the development process. The online submission will often trigger questions that the Judges explore during the onsite visit. This is your opportunity to showcase your development and impress the Judges. It is recommended that you should state why you should win while referring back to the criteria throughout the site inspection. 


Gala Dinner
WHEN AND HOW ARE THE WINNERS ANNOUNCED?

The winners will be announced at our Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner to held on Friday 15 August 2025.

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WILL TICKETS BE RESERVED FOR ME AT THE GALA DINNER?
There will be no tickets held for companies who enter into the awards, so please book early to secure your place.

If your project does not become a finalist, UDIA NSW will refund your booking in full if you no longer wish to attend. Cancellations must be notified to the UDIA NSW office within one week of the announcement of the finalists. Once the event is sold out we will be unable to provide further tickets. ​​

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IF I WIN, CAN I GET MORE TROPHIES AND CERTIFICATES?

Each winning development will receive a trophy plus a certificate for all the consultants involved in the winning project. Winners will be notified via email immediately after the Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner with instructions on how to order additional trophies and certificates.