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International Architecture & Design Awards 2027

Terms and Conditions​ – IADA

IADA terms and conditions

Read the IADA competition rules below, including eligibility, registration, payments, judging, intellectual property and entry conditions. These published terms govern participation in the International Architecture & Design Awards.

The IADA eligibility rules and judging rules are set out in their respective sections. For the IADA copyright policy, see “Rights and Intellectual Property”. The FAQ provides practical guidance; consult the full terms for the complete conditions.

Welcome to the official website of the International Architecture & Design Awards 2027 (“IADA”). These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of our website and services. By using the site, registering, or submitting a project, you agree to comply with these terms in full.

  1. Registration and Project Submission
    1. Create your participant account. Use the account registration page. When registering by email, confirm your email address using the activation message, then sign in. Returning participants use their existing account. If you forget your password, use password recovery.
    2. Register and pay for your project. In your participant account, choose Register New Project, enter the project and billing details, select the nomination or nominations, and complete payment via Stripe or PayPal. Each additional project requires a separate registration and payment. Account creation alone does not register a project for the awards.
    3. Prepare your materials. After payment is confirmed, open the project in My Entries. Add the project description in English, author or designer, project country, image credits or copyright owner, a square cover image and any supporting materials. Complete the required confirmations concerning your authority to submit and permission to use the materials. You may save a draft and return to it later.
    4. Submit your entry. Review the saved materials and use Save and submit before the submission deadline. Payment alone does not complete the submission. Check that the project is marked Submitted in your account. No registration key or separate submission form is required.
    5. Manage your entry. Drafts and submitted projects can be updated in the account while submission remains open. Save all changes and check the project status. Once the submission period closes, the original entry becomes read-only. Additional nominations may be purchased for the same project through the account while that option is available; they are added after payment is confirmed and use the same project materials.
    6. Complete saved drafts at the deadline. When submission closes, the system automatically submits paid drafts that contain the required project details, a cover image, paid nominations and both required permissions. Only saved materials are included. Incomplete or unpaid entries are not automatically submitted. Participants remain responsible for checking completeness and submission status before the deadline.
    7. Collected data includes account contact details, billing details, company name and tax number where applicable, project title, project status, selected nominations, project materials and the permissions provided. Account contact and billing details are not published as project content. Author, studio, image credits and other project information supplied for publication may appear with the project in accordance with the permissions granted.
    8. Payments, available invoice PDFs, project status and project history can be reviewed in the participant account. If an older entry does not appear in your account, contact ADC support with the email address used for registration and the project title.
  1. Eligibility
    1. Projects must not be older than seven years from the date of their registration for the IADA.
    2. Projects that participated in previous editions, including winning entries, are eligible to enter again.
    3. The competition is open to individuals aged 18 and older and to companies with a valid tax number. Check your billing details before each payment. The billing details saved with that payment are used for its invoice where applicable. Updating your account details does not change an existing payment record or issued document.
  1. Payments and Refunds
    1. Entry fees are required for participation.
    2. Payments are accepted via Stripe and PayPal.
    3. By submitting payment, you agree to these Terms.
    4. All payments are final and non-refundable.
    5. Registration fees include 23% VAT for individuals. Companies using a valid tax number are subject to reverse charge VAT. In both cases, the total registration fee remains the same.
  1. Entry Deadlines and Fees
Period Registration Fee, USD Additional Category, USD Additional Entry, USD
Early Bird (until 13th November 2026) 140 90 140
Advance (until 18th December 2026) 170 110 170
Standard (until 29th January 2027) 200 130 200
Extended (until 5th February 2027) 230 150 230
Late (until 9th April 2027) 260 170 260
    1. Registration and project submission have separate deadlines. Follow the current registration schedule and the submission closing date and time zone displayed in your participant account. Materials must be saved before submission closes.
    2. Students are eligible for a discounted registration rate. Their entries follow the standard submission process. The organizer will internally classify eligible projects into a dedicated student category.
  1. Awards Schedule and Announcements
    1. The IADA process includes the following stages: Registration, Project Submission, Evaluation, Winners’ Announcement, and Trophy Ordering. Dates may be adjusted as needed.
    2. Winners will be announced on 14th May 2027 and listed on the official winners page: https://ad-c.org/winners/.
    3. Winners will receive a digital kit via email including a certificate, digital banners, and logos.
    4. As the process is automated, emails may be blocked by your email provider. Please check your Inbox and Spam folders.
    5. If your project appears on the winners page but you have not received an email, please contact us as soon as possible.
  1. Evaluation and Jury Process
    1. All projects undergo a preliminary review to ensure compliance with content and format requirements.
    2. If only one project is submitted in a nomination, it will automatically be awarded First Place.
    3. All other projects are evaluated by the jury on a dedicated judging platform.
    4. Each juror scores projects based on the following three criteria:
      1. Innovation & Originality
      2. Design & Aesthetic Quality
      3. Functionality & Spatial Integration
    5. Each criterion is scored from 1.0 to 10.0, including decimal values (e.g., 7.5).
    6. Final scores are calculated as an average of all scores received.
    7. Awards are presented in four levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
    8. The organizers reserve the right to:
      1. Split nominations if necessary for fair assessment.
      2. Reassign a project to a more suitable nomination if it increases the project’s chances without affecting existing winners.
  1. Trophy Orders
    1. Ordering trophies is optional and must be done within 30 days of the winner announcement.
    2. Winners may order multiple trophies.
    3. The current price per trophy, including shipping, will be clearly listed on the trophy order page.
    4. Production and delivery times range from 7 to 14 weeks. While we strive for prompt delivery, delays may occur.
    5. All trophy orders will be sent to production in one batch after the order deadline. Therefore, ordering a trophy after the deadline will not be possible.
    6. Once shipped, the recipient is responsible for tracking, customs, and any required documentation.
  1. Rights and Intellectual Property
    1. Participants retain full copyright to their submitted projects.
    2. By submitting, participants grant IADA a perpetual, non-exclusive right to publish and promote the content on its platforms and those of media partners, starting from the date of project submission.
    3. Participants must confirm they hold the legal rights to grant this permission.
  1. Submission Guidelines and Content Restrictions
    1. Submissions may include text, drawings, diagrams, photographs, renderings, collages, and similar materials.
    2. Upload a square cover image of at least 1024 × 1024 pixels and up to eight supporting images. Accepted formats are JPG, PNG and WebP, with a maximum of 5 MB and 24 megapixels per project image. Follow the limits displayed beside each upload field.
    3. Do not include names, logos, or any identifying elements—unless entering the Logos or Branded Content category.
    4. The cover image must be submitted in a 1:1 (square) format. Choose and confirm a square crop in the project editor before uploading, or upload an image already cropped to a square.
    5. Images will be compressed for display. Avoid small visuals or fine print; all information should remain clear without zooming.
    6. Selected images may be used for promotions or published on the project’s landing page. We do not guarantee publication of all images.
    7. Each submission must include a concise summary of the concept, objectives, and key project elements, and follow the requirements displayed in the project editor in the participant account.
    8. Entries violating anonymity or content rules may be modified. Submissions that severely breach the rules may be disqualified at the discretion of the organizers.
    9. All submissions must be in English. If your project is in another language, provide an accurate English translation.
  1. Late Submission Policy
    1. The submission deadline is 12 April 2027. Projects not submitted by this deadline may be excluded from participation at the discretion of the organizers.
    2. If a project is not submitted on time, IADA may use publicly available sources (e.g., websites or social media) to complete the presentation.
    3. If such a project wins, the participant will have the option to update or improve the final submission.
  1. Technical and Behavioral Restrictions

Users must not:

    1. Submit false or misleading information
    2. Spam or abuse the submission system
    3. Interfere with the website’s functionality
    4. Copy or extract data or content from the site
    5. Contact jury members in an attempt to influence the outcome of the competition. Projects associated with such actions may be disqualified.
  1. Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution
    1. These Terms are governed by the laws of Poland.
    2. Disputes will first be resolved amicably. If not resolved, they will be handled by the competent Polish courts.
  1. Modifications

IADA may modify these Terms at any time. Continued use of the site constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

  1. Sanctions, Restricted Jurisdictions, and Content Integrity

Participants must comply with all applicable international, European Union, and Polish sanctions laws and regulations.

The IADA does not accept registrations or project submissions from:

    1. Individuals, companies, or organizations subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union or the Republic of Poland
    2. Individuals or entities acting on behalf of, or for the benefit of, sanctioned persons or organizations
    3. Government institutions, state-owned entities, or public organizations from countries subject to EU or Polish sanctions

The organizers reserve the right to:

    1. Verify the eligibility of participants in relation to applicable sanctions regulations
    2. Reject, suspend, or cancel any registration or submission that violates these requirements at any stage of the competition, without refund
    3. Request additional information or documentation to confirm compliance

Trophy production and shipping are subject to international trade regulations. Therefore:

    1. Trophies will not be shipped to countries or territories subject to EU or Polish sanctions
    2. If a winner is located in a restricted jurisdiction, alternative delivery solutions are not guaranteed and may not be provided

Content responsibility and integrity:

    1. Participants are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and compliance of all submitted materials
    2. The organizers reserve the right to review, edit, modify, partially restrict, or completely remove any submitted or published project at any time if its content:
      1. Violates applicable laws or regulations
      2. Contains misleading or false information
      3. Infringes third-party rights
      4. May harm the reputation, legal standing, or interests of the organizers or the awards program

Such actions may be taken without prior notice and without compensation.

  1. Contact

This website is operated by:
Digital Art Group sp. z o.o.
Registered in Poland, Rybitwy str. 22/318, 30-722 Krakow.
VAT ID: PL6772449938
Email: [email protected]
Main Website: https://ad-c.org/

Thank you for participating in the International Architecture & Design Awards Awards 2027.

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