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 Wednesday, January 8th, 2025.
EEA entries are accepted into one of 12 project categories:
Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering Services
Building/Technology Systems
Structural Systems
Surveying and Mapping Technology
Environmental
Waste and Storm Water
Water Resources
Transportation
Special Projects
Small Projects
Energy
Industrial and Manufacturing Processes and Facilities
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 Tuesday, May 20, 2025—celebrates, with pride and elegance, the most outstanding project achievements of the engineering profession.
ACEC’s 2025 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 will be featured in the EEA Gala awards program, and special recognition given to the top 24 winning projects at the annual EEA Gala, the premier black-tie event in the engineering industry. This prestigious event will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 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 Member and non-member firm entries should be submitted to the tate MO in accordance with local entry rules. Contact your state ACEC MO office for details. Entries only advance to the national competition through the recommendation of a state-level MO.
Entries submitted to the ACEC national competition must be electronically submitted in accordance with the rules and requirements outlined in this brochure.
2 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.
3 Engineering or surveying projects that have won awards in other state or national organizations’ programs are welcome in the ACEC EEA competition.
4 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, 2022 and Oct. 31, 2024. Construction of projects (Categories B through L with the exception of D) must have been ready for use between Nov. 1, 2022 and Oct. 31, 2024.
5 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.
6 Each entry must consist
Official electronic entry
Non-compliance with the rules may disqualify an entry. Please read the requirements thoroughly.
ACEC will be producing the physical display panels for the Grand and Honor Awards, each measuring 30” x 30” square, for the ACEC Convention and Gala event in Washington, D.C.
Note: See “Preparing Your Entry” for the Engineering Excellence Awards.
7 ACEC will not be responsible for any damages to or loss of an entrant’s official electronic entry, photographic digital panel file, or anything else submitted by entrant.
8 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:
Overall engineering excellence
The work performed by the entering firm only
The rating guidelines listed
Winners and affiliated state MOs will be notified shortly after judging is completed.
All submissions to the National competition 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. ACEC also uses this project information to promote the industry at large and the work of our firms in our communities. 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, photographic digital 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 on firms websites, social media and other publications.
In conjunction with an ACEC goal to promote the essentiality of engineering, we strongly encourage that all project entries, no matter the category, also highlight an emphasis on the project’s direct benefits to the public.
Examples include:
Water Resources: The number of gallons of clean water that will result from the project and the potential impact.
Resiliency: Efforts to protect X number of people from the impact of rising sea levels and floods.
Climate Change: Examples of how much the project will reduce tons of carbon into the atmosphere, thus also reducing a project’s footprint.
Transportation: Examples of reduced congestion and improved safety; improve previously restricted community access; and reduced commuting time.
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:
Include as many measurable results as possible to tell the story of the project. For example, data points related to energy savings, number o people impacted by the project, etc.
Does the entrant’s contribution to the project demonstrate the use of a new science or a breakthrough in the general knowledge of engineering?
Does the entrant’s contribution to the project represent a unique application of new or existing technology, techniques, materials or equipment?Does the entrant’s contribution to the project represent
2 Future Value to the Engineering Profession and Enhanced Public Awareness/Enthusiasm of the role of engineering:
Will the entrant’s contribution to the project redefine current engineering thinking?
Does the entrant’s project increase public awareness/enthusiasm about the role of engineering in their everyday lives?
3 Social, Economic and Sustainable Development Considerations:
Do the solutions identified produce secondary benefits of value to the community environment?
Does the entrant’s approach provide society with social, economic, or sustainable development benefits?
Does the entrant’s contribution to the project improve the health, safety or welfare of the public or affected environment?
4 Complexity:
Did the entrant’s efforts successfully address highly complex criteria or unique problems?
Were extraordinary problems of site, location, hazardous conditions, project requirements, or similar elements present?
Did the entrant’s solutions require the use of out-of-the-ordinary technology or ingenuity for achievement of the project’s goals?
5 Successful Fulfillment of Client/Owner Needs:
Did the entrant successfully engage the client/owner in the overall project development process?
Did the entrant introduce an economical and cost-effective solution?
How did the final cost compare to the original budget estimate?
How closely does the entrant’s solution meet the total goals of the client/owner?
Did the entrant meet the client’s time schedule?
This section describes all required submission materials for entering the 2025 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 8, 2025 — 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 16, 2025 — The entrant’s company representative, as listed on the entry form, must be available by phone.
February 21-23, 2025 — Judging takes place in Chantilly, VA.
May 20, 2025 — EEA Dinner and Gala Awards Program in Washington, D.C.
The official electronic entry, along with the payment, must be submitted through the online portal.
**NOTE: No QR Codes or embedded links are permitted in any portion of an award submission**
CATEGORY A:
Non-design services, projects not involving the preparation of construction documents consisting of but not limited to the following types of projects:
New products, materials and technologies
Expert testimony
Basic research and studies
Computer/software technology
Technical papers
Public outreach/involvement
Water conservation
Security plans
Project feasibility studies/economic/risk
Value engineering
CATEGORY B:
Mechanical/electrical/plumbing
Computer/technology
Communications
Acoustics
Software systems
Sustainability or carbon neutrality
Efficiency certification standards, e.g. LEED®
Energy efficiency - new and retrofit
Secure facilities (military/research/correctional)
CATEGORY C:
Foundations
Tunnels
Buildings
Seismic design
Towers
Bridges
Stadiums
CATEGORY D:
Geometrics, ALTA, land title and rights surveys
Control, GPS, monitoring or construction surveying
Survey mapping, GIS/LIS, photogrammetry
CATEGORY E:
Hazardous waste
Solid waste
Restoration/reclamation/remediation
Air quality
Noise
Recycling
Waste pond management
Carbon sequestration and trading
Mitigation
CATEGORY F:
Wastewater collection/treatment and disposal
Residuals management and reuse
Graywater systems
CSOs
Mine tailings
Agricultural
Storm water management
Erosion control
CATEGORY G:
Hydraulics, hydrology
Surface and groundwater supply development
Treatment
Transmission, distribution & storage
Watershed management
Water use reduction
Flood risk management
Climate adaptation
Coastal and eco-system restoration
Locks/dams/water control structures
Irrigation
CATEGORY H:
Highways
Rail
Airports
Marine/ports
Public transit
Intermodal facilities
CATEGORY I:
Safety and security
Corrosion protection/cathodic protection
Program and construction management
Land development
Trenchless technologies/directional boring
Recreational facilities
Subsurface engineering
CATEGORY J:
Total project construction budget does not exceed $2.5 million. At the entrant’s discretion, except for entries in Category A, projects under $2.5 million are not limited to this category
CATEGORY K:
Transmission and distribution
Power generation
Renewable energy
Cogeneration
Energy storage technologies
Energy usage reduction programs
Demand side management
CATEGORY L:
Petrochemical
Biotech
Manufacturing
Heavy industry
Industrial waste
Materials handling
Mining, metallurgy, mineralogy