Organizer Information
iF Design traces its roots to 1953, when the entrepreneur Philip Rosenthal, together with the Hannover Messegesellschaft (trade fair company) and the Federation of German Industry, founded iF Industrie Forum Design e.V. (iF e.V.) in Hannover, Germany, as a partner institution for the annual Hannover trade fair dedicated to promoting the "formal design of industrial products." iF e.V. operated for over six decades before being replaced in April 2018 by the non-profit iF Design Foundation, which is now the sole shareholder of iF International Forum Design GmbH and its subsidiaries. The Foundation's mission is to promote design and its social significance independent of commercial pressures, supporting academic research, education, culture, and sustainability in design. Through the free-to-enter iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD and the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE, iF supports designers using design to advance the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, alongside its flagship professional iF DESIGN AWARD, which receives more than 10,000 entries annually and has recognized outstanding design since 1954.
Title & Description
iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD 2027
The iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD is one of the world's premier design awards for students, receiving more than 7,000 entries annually from around the world. Design students and recent graduates submit forward-thinking concepts aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, competing for a share of EUR 50,000 in prize money and international recognition. The 2027 edition marks the competition's 25th anniversary, with the awards ceremony set to take place in New York City in June 2027.
Theme
All submissions must align with one of the 15 UN Sustainable Development Goals referenced by the award.
Categories
- Product Design
- Service Design
- System Design
- Process Design
- Industrial Design
- Sustainability
Eligibility
- Open to design students from all countries who are currently enrolled at a university, or who graduated no more than 2 years before applying
- Teams of up to 4 members may participate; a student ID is required for each team member (team submissions require a photo showing all student IDs together)
- Multiple entries may be submitted, but the same concept may not be submitted to more than one category
- All application information and descriptions must be entered in English; other scripts (e.g. Chinese characters) are not accepted
Program Benefits & Awards
- A share of EUR 50,000 in prize money awarded to the best projects
- Additional winner benefits and marketing support
- International recognition and a platform to make connections with the design industry
- Feedback chart from the iF Digital Jury Tool made available to all participants, win or not
- Awards Ceremony held in New York City in June 2027
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 3 February 2027
- Online Jury: 10 - 19 March 2027
- Results Online Jury: 31 March 2027
- Final Jury in Berlin: 23 April 2027
- Results Final Jury: 4 May 2027
- Awards Ceremony in New York City: June 2027
- Publication of the Winners: June 2027
Location
New York City, United States
Additional Details
- Application consists of: entry basics (entry name, category, entry type); 2 images of the entry (one landscape, one portrait; JPG or PNG, max width 4,750px, max 5MB, RGB color mode); a presentation poster as the core piece of the application (PDF, max 5MB, using iF's example template); an optional video link for further detail; a design statement (max. 650 characters); and credits (name(s), university, student ID)
- No prototype or physical model is required — the concept is presented via the poster (and optional video)
- Entry data can be edited via the applicant's "my iF" account up until the registration deadline
- This is the 25th edition of the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD
- The related professional iF DESIGN AWARD 2027 (separate from the Student Award) has a regular registration deadline of September 18, 2026, with judging by over 130 international design experts and its own awards ceremony in Berlin in April 2027