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. Please refer to the list of Corporate Partners on our website to confirm whether you are eligible for free entry or not.
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:
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 2026. The decide the finalists and winners of each award through a Judging Process that is part of the overall Awards Process.
Applications
The Applicant may make one or more applications for the Awards across the available categories. Where an Applicant submits more than one application for a category of Award, only the latest submission before the final deadline for submitting applications for that category of Award will be considered by a Judging Panel. The Applicant agrees to comply with all rules set by the CQI regarding the Applicant’s entry for the Awards. The Applicant agrees that failure to comply with any relevant rule may lead to disqualification of the Applicant’s entry to the Awards.
For example, the Applicant understands that failure to evidence a current, fully paid CQI membership or IRCA certification, for awards categories that are restricted to members will result in the disqualification of the Applicant from those awards. Applicants will be disqualified from receiving any Award that is in a category sponsored by their employers. The Applicant warrants that the work submitted by the Applicant for consideration in the Awards is the work of the Applicant. The Applicant agrees to procure, from the Applicant’s employers or former employers, any permission that may be needed to submit an application, before that application is submitted.
Entry fees
There is a fee of £299 +VAT for all team or organisation awards, unless you are a CQI corporate member or corporate partner. To find out whether your organisation qualifies for a free entry, please refer to our list of corporate partners.
The judging process
Each category has a Judging Panel made up of independent subject-matter experts. The CQI does not have influence over the shortlisting process, with the exception of the Honourary Awards. In the case of a conflict of interest identified by a member of the Judging Panel, the CQI will appoint a reserve Judge who will score that particular entry.
The Applicant understands that the Judging Panel will only consider the first 1,500 words of any entry for the Awards, and the first six PowerPoint-compatible slides.
The Judging Panels for the Digital Transformation and Quality Organisation of the Year award entries will consider a 2,000-word limit and the first eight PowerPoint-compatible slides.
Text or slides over these limits will not be considered by the Judging Panels. No other information will be considered during the Judging Process unless it is otherwise specifically required by the award category in question.
The Applicant understands that decisions of a Judging Panel with respect to the merit of an application are final and non-justiciable. Complaints with respect to the Judging Process may be submitted to the CQI, who will establish any parameters for the investigation of such complaints. The Applicant agrees that the decision of the CQI is determinative in the case of a complaint regarding any aspect of the Judging Process. There is no process of reconsideration or appeal from the final decision of the CQI.
The CQI may take any measures in response to a complaint that it deems necessary, at its sole discretion, to preserve the integrity or the reputation of the Awards. In particular, the CQI has the right to terminate this Agreement at any time. For example, the CQI may terminate this Agreement if an Applicant is linked in any way, directly or indirectly, to any situation that could bring the CQI or the Awards into disrepute. There is no process of reconsideration, appeal or arbitration from the decision of the CQI to terminate this Agreement, and the Applicant agrees that any such decision of the CQI is determinative.
Case studies and publicity
The CQI may process the personal data of any Applicant who is designated a finalist or a winner in any category of Award – including but not limited to data concerning competence, experience and achievement that were submitted in the relevant application – to create one or more case studies.
If a case study is to be produced, the CQI will provide the Applicant an opportunity to review the Case Study for accuracy of the material before publication. The CQI agrees not to publish personal data of a sensitive nature without the approval of the Applicant or confidential data which could compromise the business activity of the Applicant or their employer. The Applicant agrees to procure from their employers or other third parties implicated in a case study, any necessary approvals for publication.
Footage of the Applicant’s presentation to the judges at interview stage may be featured in case studies. Case studies may take the form of print, video or digital articles and may be shared in Quality World magazine, on the CQI website or via CQI’s digital channels.