The International Quality Awards 2026 are now open for entries.
Apply by 30 January.
About the Quality Organisation of the Year Award
This award recognises the organisation that best exhibits a culture of quality and puts it at the heart of everything they do.
The fee to enter this award is £299 +VAT.
If your organisation is a Corporate Partner of the CQI, you do not have to pay the entry fee and should contact us to get your entry code. Please refer to the list of Corporate Partners on our website to confirm whether you are eligible for free entry or not.
Before you apply, please read the full Terms and Conditions.
How to enter
Ensure you complete all questions and support your application with robust data. If your entry contains confidential or sensitive information, please clearly state this.
Categories, criteria and marking scheme
Word limit: 2,000 and up to eight supporting slides
| Interested parties | How have you identified interested parties, their needs and expectations and their potential impact on the organisation’s performance, while keeping the long-term objectives in mind? | 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
| Quality culture | How have you determined, implemented and communicated the organisation’s mission, vision and values, and promoted an aligned culture at all levels within the organisation? | 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
| Leadership | How does top management demonstrate leadership, commitment and strategy within the organisation and maintain the unity of purpose, quality and direction? Explain how you create an environment where people are engaged and committed, and have the necessary resources, training and authority to act accountably in supporting the organisation’s objectives. | 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
| Process management | How have you employed the process approach in a coherent system in order to achieve your objectives? How are processes proactively managed to ensure that they are effective, efficient and monitored? | 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
| Resource management | How have you determined and managed the resources needed to achieve the organisation’s strategic objectives? Explain how you considered the associated risks and opportunities and their potential effects. Examples of key resources include:
| 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
| Analysis and evaluation | How have you established a systematic approach to collect, analyse and review available information? Explain how you used this information to update your context, policies, strategy and objectives as needed. | 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
| Improvement, learning and innovation | How have you implemented improvement, learning and innovation within the organisation’s culture and processes and across all levels? | 10 marks approach 10 marks results |
Here are some resources to support you with your application:
