Entry criteria

The first three award categories are open to companies, public and private organisations, governments and professionals from any country or economic sector, which have completed or presented projects, products or initiatives between 1 January 2011 and 1 January 2012. The category “User-centred design in Living Labs: Project proposal" is for proposals from any individual, not-for-profit organisation, public or private organisation or government for projects to study the relationship between users and any element of the environment in Living Labs.

Candidates may also be networks, associations, consortia or any other kind of union of organisations, temporary or permanent, as long as they are formally established as such.

Projects or initiatives

Projects or initiatives must meet at least one of the award objectives. In addition, initiatives presented in the category of “User-centred design in Living Labs: Project proposal” must this year relate to street furniture, the health sector, multimedia and/or digital services.

Evaluation criteria

The Jury will take into consideration the following criteria to choose the winners in each category:

• Relevance: Extent to which the submission fulfils the award objectives.
• Standard of the development process: Excellence in the methodology used to identify and fulfil users’ needs and wishes, according to the principles of Design for All, from the outset and at every stage of the process.
• Extent to which the outputs meet the six Design for All criteria, which state that products and services should be respectful of diversity, safe, functional, healthy, understandable and aesthetic.
• Impact: The submission’s potential benefit to society.
• Innovation: How the project or initiative represents a step forward both in the conceptualisation of the Design for All and in its practical application.

Prizes

These awards aim to recognise and highlight examples of best practice in different areas of the Design for All at the international level.

While there is no monetary component, in addition to the considerable international prestige conferred by winning an award, finalists and winners can take advantage of a series of benefits offered by the Design for All Foundation (see Terms and conditions in the "Further information" section for more details).