About the awards - Deadline Extended - 5 August

The TechFest Awards recognise and rewards the projects, teams and companies doing the most to harness technologies that drive the construction and civil engineering industries forward.

Taking place as part of our Festival of Innovation and Technology, this one-day event is a thought provoking gathering designed to stimulate the brightest minds in civil engineering and construction and drive the adoption of technology.

The TechFest awards represents a unique opportunity to celebrate your successes within the civil engineering and construction sector and gain recognition at a national level for your achievements celebrated across both New Civil Engineer and Construction News.

ENTRY DEADLINE - EXTENDED | 5 August

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Judging process

The TechFest Awards 2024 will have a panel of judges representing leading clients and organisations in the civil engineering and construction industries who review entries to determine the shortlist and conduct live interview presentations, to select the winners for that category.

Each stage is designed to provide a fair and transparent process. Please note, that all categories other than those stated below will be judged on your written entry alone, so make sure you include as much supporting evidence as possible and make it clear in your entry why you should win.

Stage 1:   Online Judging – once the entry phase closes, the judges will review online and score each submission to determine the shortlist.

Stage 2:  Online presentations – successfully shortlisted entrants will be asked to present virtually to the judging panel to elaborate on their entries and answer questions from the panel.

As part of the programme for 2024, the following categories will be judged live during the conference ahead of the evening awards.

They are:

• Innovation Accelerator

• Best Use of Technology: Carbon Reduction in Construction

• Best Use of Technology: Carbon Reduction in Design

• Best Use of Technology: Design Efficiency

• Best Use of Technology: Smart Data Collection for Asset Management

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Innovation Accelerator

The shortlisted entries for these specific categories will be invited to present live to the category judges at the live judging zone during the TechFest conference on 27 November. The shortlist for the Innovation Accelerator will also be give a complimentary stand within the Start up zone at the event.

Hints & Tips

This is your chance to tell your story. All good stories have a structure so whether you are submitting entries for outstanding projects or as a trailblazing leader, remember to structure your entry along the following lines:

• Beginning: How did your innovation come about, what challenges were you trying to overcome or when did you decide to embrace a change/technology?
• Middle: What did you do to implement the innovation? Give examples demonstrating why you stand out
• End: What were the results and what makes you or your project stand out?

To ensure that your submission is your best work, take a look at our hints and tips below before you start your entry:

• Make a note of the deadline: you must submit your entry by 5 July so make sure you have this date in mind – write it in your diary or on your calendar, or set notifications on your phone to ensure you don't miss the chance to enter your excellent work
• Preparation is key: now that you know the deadline, allow yourself plenty of time to write, develop and submit your entry – coming back to it with a fresh pair of eyes can help you remember important details that may make the difference between being shortlisted and just missing out
• Make the judges' job easy: write in clear, plain English, avoid too much jargon and use bullet points where appropriate to break up the text
• Pay attention to grammar and spelling: poorly presented entries lack credibility so don't lose out on being shortlisted on something you could have easily avoided
• Involve the right people: if your work was a team effort, involve the other team members in developing the entry – you've got this far through teamwork so make it count
• Back up your entry: take advantage of the option to include supporting information with your entry to help the judges understand the impact of your work
• Proofread: ask someone else, such as a colleague, friend or manager, to look through your entry before you submit. It can be helpful to ask someone who was not directly involved in the work you are entering – like the judges they will not have detailed knowledge so they may suggest ways to clarify your entry