September 2026
How to write an award-winning entry
Entries for Consult Australia’s Awards for Excellence are now open. Head of Engagement Linda Gaunt shares her tips for making your submission stand out and the judges’ job easier.
Entries for the 2026–27 Consult Australia Awards for Excellence opened on 14 September, inviting firms across Australia’s design, advisory and engineering sectors to put their best work forward.
Entering is about more than a trophy on the shelf, says Consult Australia’s Head of Engagement, Linda Gaunt.
Linda has overseen Consult Australia’s awards program for the past eight years, working with dozens of judges and reviewing hundreds of submissions along the way. She knows what makes an entry stand out.
“An award is independent recognition of your work and its impact. It’s a chance to celebrate the people behind the work and show clients and the wider industry what your firm does exceptionally well.”
Even making the shortlist can put a project, team or individual in front of industry peers and clients. But Linda says there is another benefit: entering forces you to stop and take stock.
“It is tempting to finish one project and move straight onto the next. An awards entry gives teams a reason to pause, recognise the people involved and pinpoint what really set that work apart.”
And size isn’t everything. “A smaller project that solved a difficult problem brilliantly can be just as compelling as a major piece of infrastructure. The judges are looking for excellence, innovation and impact.” The trick is proving it.
So, once you’ve decided to enter, how do you give your work its best chance?
Linda’s 12 tips for an award-winning entry
1. Start early: Give yourself enough time to gather evidence and ask colleagues, clients and project partners for input. Some of the strongest proof points may sit with someone else.
2. Read the criteria carefully: Answer exactly what is being asked and make sure every judging criterion is clearly addressed. Stay focused on the criteria throughout the submission.
3. Tell a compelling story: Structure the entry around the challenge, what you did differently and the impact you achieved. Help the judges understand not just what happened, but why it mattered.
4. Explain what made the work exceptional: Don’t simply describe what you delivered. Show what set it apart. Judges need to understand why this work represents excellence rather than simply a job well done.
5. Bring your evidence: Support your claims with measurable results, facts and tangible impacts. If you saved money or time, reduced emissions, improved safety or achieved a better result, quantify it.
6. Highlight the broader impact: Look beyond the immediate deliverable. What were the benefits for the client, community, industry, environment or project team?
7. Include the client’s perspective: A strong testimonial or endorsement can add credibility and provide an independent perspective on the value your work created.
8. Use AI wisely: Use AI to structure, edit or tighten your entry. But AI can’t manufacture the thing the judges are looking for: evidence that the work was genuinely exceptional.
9. Choose supporting material carefully: Use photographs, diagrams and supporting documents that strengthen your case rather than simply adding volume. Upload space is limited, so choose wisely.
10. Find a fresh pair of eyes: Ask someone unfamiliar with the project to review your entry. They can identify gaps, jargon and tell you whether the entry is clear and convincing.
11. Follow every requirement: Check eligibility, word limits, attachments and the closing date before you begin. The word counts and upload limits in the awards platform are fixed, so plan your submission around them.
12. Remember that size isn’t everything: You don’t need to be the largest firm or have the biggest project to win. Judges are looking at the quality of the work, its impact and how convincingly you make the case.
One last test
Before pressing submit, Linda suggests putting yourself in the judges’ shoes.
“Read the entry as though you know nothing about the project. Can you quickly understand what the challenge was, what you did that was different and what changed because of it?
“Don’t just tell the judges something was successful, innovative or influential. Give them the evidence to judge that for themselves. Tell a compelling story and support it with clear evidence. That’s the easiest way to make the judges’ job easier!”
Ready to enter?
Entries for the 2026–27 Consult Australia Awards for Excellence close on [CLOSING DATE].
Explore the award categories, read the submission guidelines and start preparing your entry now. Questions about your submission can be directed to awards@consultaustralia.com.au.
And save the date: finalists and winners will be celebrated at the 2026–27 Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner in Sydney on Thursday 11 March 2027.