The American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value.
American engineering firms have entered their most innovative and complex projects and studies in competitions conducted by state member organizations (MOs). Qualifying projects at the state MO level are then eligible to participate in the ACEC national competition. Deadline for the national competition is Friday, January 5, 2024.
EEA entries are accepted into one of 12 project categories:
A distinguished panel of 25-30 judges possessing a vast array of built environment and technical expertise will be convened over three days to evaluate and rank submissions for engineering excellence. The panel then selects top award winners—8 Grand Awards and 16 Honor Awards. One Grand Conceptor Award will be selected from the Grand Award winners as the overall best engineering project.
Projects from all across the world are rated for uniqueness and/or innovative application of new or existing techniques; future value to and enhancing public awareness/enthusiasm for the engineering profession; social, economic, and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of client/owner’s needs, including schedule and budget.
Top Award Winners (Grand and Honor) MUST HAVE a firm and/or client representative in attendance to receive on-stage recognition at the Gala. National Recognition Award Winners will also receive a special tribute during a Gala.
Every year, ACEC’s EEA Gala provides firms with national recognition and a venue to showcase their talent and expertise in a dramatic setting. The annual black-tie EEA Gala—to be held Wednesday, May 15, 2024—celebrates, with pride and elegance, the most outstanding project achievements of the engineering profession.
All National Recognition Award Winners will be showcased during the EEA Gala awards program.
ACEC’s 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards competition showcases the year’s best engineering achievements to a national audience of clients’ industry leaders and decision-makers. All National Recognition Award Winners are recognized, and the top 24 winning projects are highlighted at the annual EEA Gala, the premier black-tie event of the engineering industry. This event will be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.
Any engineering or surveying firm is eligible to enter the awards program, regardless of whether the firm is a member of ACEC.
1 Both member and non-member firm entries must be submitted to the ACEC national competition through an ACEC state MO.
2 Each entry should be submitted to the state MO in accordance with local entry rules. Contact your state ACEC MO office for details. Entries submitted to the ACEC national competition must be electronically submitted in accordance with the rules and requirements outlined in this brochure.
3 Each state MO may submit 10 entries from its membership. If more than 10 were submitted at the state level, the state MO may submit an additional entry for each five submitted above the 10. Any non-member entry judged to be a legitimate candidate may be submitted by the state MO for the national competition; however, the non-member submittals will count in the total submittal limitations outlined.
4 Engineering or surveying projects that have won awards in other state or national organizations’ programs are welcome in the ACEC EEA competition.
5 Projects entered in the competition may have been executed anywhere in the world. Studies and Research (Category A) or Surveying and Mapping projects (Category D) must have been publicly disclosed by the client between Nov. 1, 2021 and Oct. 31, 2023. Construction of projects (Categories B through L with the exception of D) must have been ready for use between Nov. 1, 2021 and Oct. 31, 2023.
6 Entries in the national competition may be placed in any one of the 12 categories. See “Categories” section for the full listing of all eligible categories. The entering firm must select the one category that is most appropriate. A project may be entered only once by the entering firm in any category. The same project may be entered in a different category by a different entering firm. However, after a project has been entered in Category A, and the project has been constructed, the project may be entered by the same firm in a different category – B through L – in the year when eligible.
7 Each entry must consist of two components:
Non-compliance with the rules may disqualify an entry. Please read the requirements thoroughly.
Note: See “Preparing Your Entry” for the Engineering Excellence Awards.
8 ACEC will not be responsible for any damages to or loss of an entrant’s official electronic entry, photographic display panel, or anything else submitted by entrant.
9 The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards committee reserves the right to determine, and change if necessary, the eligibility and category classification of any entry.
Entries will be judged on the basis of:
Winners and affiliated state MOs will be notified shortly after judging is completed.
All submissions to the National completion will receive a National Recognition Award. 24 projects move forward into the Grand and Honor award categories. The panel of judges will select 24 awards at their discretion – 8 Grand and 16 Honor Awards. A Grand Conceptor Award will be selected from the 8 Grand Award winners. The Grand Conceptor will be announced at the Gala as the top national winner selected by the judges, whose decisions on all awards are final. Awards will be presented to the clients/owners and entering firms submitting the winning entries.
The public relations and marketing value of participation in the national EEA program is substantial. All national winners will be highlighted in ACEC’s public relations program, which benefits all U.S. engineering firms. Working with participating firms and state MOs, ACEC will reach out to local media to announce your winning project and awards. All award winners are free to publicize their achievement. The Grand Conceptor Award winner will not be revealed until the Gala.
Through national and state efforts, display panels can be exhibited in such public venues as city and state administrative buildings, universities, shopping centers and office buildings. These activities enhance direct business development benefits for both local and national award winners. Further benefits are gained through feature stories presented in firm brochures, newsletters and other publications.
Each entrant’s contribution will be evaluated based on the following five categories, which are key elements of the project description text required in the electronic submittal described below.
1. Uniqueness and/or Innovative Applications of New or Existing Techniques:
2. Future Value to the Engineering Profession and Enhanced Public Awareness/Enthusiasm of the role of engineering:
3. Social, Economic and Sustainable Development Considerations:
4. Complexity:
5. Successful Fulfillment of Client/Owner Needs:
This section describes all required submission materials for entering the 2024 ACEC EEA competition. All materials must be submitted exactly as designated below. Digital files must be PC compatible and appropriate to the information being submitted (i.e., Microsoft Word for text, high resolution JPEGs, photos or other images, PowerPoint, Adobe PDFs, etc.).
If the submission does not meet the requirements listed, it may be disqualified.
If any part of an entry does not meet requirements listed, that portion of the entry may not be presented for judging. Please follow the guidelines.
No reference to other awards is permitted in your submitted materials.
In any given year, an entry may be submitted through only one state MO. If a project was entered in more than one MO competition, it is the responsibility of the affected MOs to decide which one will enter the project in the national competition.
January 5, 2024 — Submitted materials MUST BE RECEIVED by ACEC. Materials received after that date will NOT be accepted.
All materials submitted for judging in the national competition become the property of ACEC and may be used in ACEC publications, in addition to all other internal or external promotional or educational purposes. Submitted materials will NOT be returned.
January 17, 2024 — The entrant’s company representative, as listed on the entry form, must be available by phone.
February 16-18, 2024 — Judging takes place in Chantilly, VA.
May 15, 2024 — EEA Dinner and Gala Awards Program in Washington, D.C.
The following two main components must be submitted with the national EEA competition entry:
I. Official electronic entry
II. Photographic display panel
**NOTE: No QR Codes or embedded links are permitted in any portion of an award submission**
CATEGORY A:
Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering Services
Non-design services, projects not involving the preparation of construction documents consisting of but not limited to the following types of projects:
CATEGORY B:
Building/Technology Systems
CATEGORY C:
Structural Systems
CATEGORY D:
Surveying and Mapping Technology
CATEGORY E:
Environmental
CATEGORY F:
Waste and Storm Water
CATEGORY G:
Water Resources
CATEGORY H:
Transportation
CATEGORY I:
Special Projects
CATEGORY J:
Small Projects
CATEGORY K:
Energy
CATEGORY L:
Industrial and Manufacturing Processes and Facilities