iF Design Student Award 2026

iF Design Student Award 2026 is now open for entries!

iF Design Student Award 2026 : The iF Design Student Award 2026 recently announced for entries is seeking design solutions from young students that address social, ecological, or technological challenges, making a meaningful contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

➜ Short description

The iF Design Student Award 2026 now is calling for entries!

The iF Design Student Award 2026 is seeking design solutions from young students that address social, ecological, or technological challenges – making a meaningful contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This award honors concepts by students and graduates in the fields of design and architecture that address the achievement of the SDGs.
Together with its sponsors, iF Design offers the award winners an international stage and a springboard for a successful career start. For 24 years, iF Design has seen it as its social responsibility to promote young international design talent.

Young designers around the world are invited to submit their innovative design concepts and join one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions for students and recent graduates.

Hand in as many concepts as you like – but you are not allowed to submit the same concept to several categories. Your concept can be a product, a project, an application, a communication idea or a service concept.

The competition categories align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (1-15):

➜ No Poverty
➜ Zero Hunger
➜ Good Health and Well-being
➜ Quality Education
➜ Gender Equality
➜ Clean Water and Sanitation
➜ Affordable and Clean Energy
➜ Decent Work and Economic Growth
➜ Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
➜ Reduced Inequalities
➜ Sustainable Cities and Communities
➜ Responsible Consumption and Production
➜ Climate Action
➜ Life Below Water
➜ Life on Land

The iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD Jury evaluates all entries using five relevant criteria:

➜ Problem-solving
➜ Moral-Ethic Standards
➜ Solidarity
➜ Econimic Calculation
➜ Beneficial Experiences

The jury, consisting of international design experts, will honor the best concepts and divide the prize money.

Winners will be celebrated at a festive awards ceremony, previously held at iconic venues such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Triennale di Milano. In 2026, the ceremony will take place in the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain.

➜ Submission requirements:

➜ Add 2 images of your entry. 1 image in landscape format and 1 in portrait format. (File need o be saved as JPG, PNG, max. width: 4,750 px, max. file size: 5 MB, color mode: RGB)

➜ Add your presentation poster as the core piece of your application

➜ You need to use the example template for creating the poster (File type: PDF, max. file size: 5 MB)

➜ Additional optional media: video link presenting your entry in more detail.

➜ Section description: Design statement (short description of your concept with max. 650 characters)

➜ All informations and descriptions need to be in English

➜ Who may enter?

Current students and recent graduates (having gained their diploma up to two yers ago) of all design-related courses and programs are welcome to register their concepts. Entries can be submitted by individuals and also by teams of up to four people.

➜ Prize:

A total of 50,000 Euro in prize money will be divided among the best.