International Quality Awards 2026 - Apply by 30 January
About the awards
Now in their ninth year, the International Quality Awards recognise and reward the contributions of quality professionals, teams and organisations worldwide.
Our winners and finalists represent a dynamic quality profession across a range of industries and sectors. The awards celebrate their commitment to quality excellence; enhancing product and service value while improving outcomes for organisations, people and the planet.
See the 2025 award winners and finalists
See photos from the 2025 award ceremony
Award categories – which one should I apply for?
Individual awards
Emerging Talent
If you are in the first three years of your quality career and have a role with no line-management responsibilities, you should apply for Emerging Talent.
Quality Professional of the Year
If you are a Chartered Member or Fellow of the CQI, you should apply for Quality Professional of the Year.
Organisational awards
Digital Transformation
The initiative that best demonstrates how quality professionals applying the principles of Quality 4.0, can drive organisational digital transformation.
Developing Quality Talent
This award recognises a strategy, initiative or project that best identifies and develops quality talent.
Quality Team of the Year
This category recognises the quality team that has had the greatest impact on their organisation, taking into account the context within they operate. This must be demonstrated by applying their knowledge and skills in the CQI Profession Map areas of Context, Governance, Assurance, Improvement and Leadership.
Quality Organisation of the Year
This award recognises the quality organisation best exhibits a culture of quality and puts it at the heart of everything they do.
Honorary awards
CQI Volunteering Impact
Volunteers can self-nominate or nominate others. The CQI Executive also submit nominations. Judging is carried out by an internal panel, combined with a public vote from the CQI membership.
Outstanding Contribution to Quality Management Practice
This award recognises an individual or organisation that has made a significant and lasting contribution to quality management, resulting in clear benefits to society in any one or more of the following areas:
- academic thinking
- education
- policy
- practice
The recipient is selected by a panel of former winners and is not open to public entries.
Terms and conditions
These terms and conditions are between the Chartered Quality Institute (‘the CQI’), a registered charity in England and Wales (charity no. 259678), and each Applicant for one or more awards that may be announced at the International Quality Awards (‘the Awards’) ceremony at Quality Live 2025. The Awards Process is set by the CQI. The CQI assembles one or more Judging Panels that decide the finalists and winners of each award through a Judging Process that is part of the overall Awards Process.
See the full terms and conditions in each award category.
The judging process
For each category, a panel of three judges – made up of independent subject matter experts – evaluates and scores all applications and selects a shortlist of finalists.
Finalists will be invited to attend a one-hour online interview with the category judges who reviewed their entries.
Entries for the International Quality Awards 2026 are now closed for entries.
The winners will be announced at Quality Live on Thursday 25 June 2026.