To ensure the competition reflects the broadest possible spectrum of design, the autumn submission period for the National Design Award of Latvia has been extended until December 20. Entries may be submitted in five categories — Product Design, Service Design, Communication Design, Environmental Design and Digital Solutions. Separately, works by Emerging Designers created during the course of studies will be evaluated.
Entry Submission — In Five Categories and Two Periods
The competition is an opportunity not only to popularize your work but also to identify the Latvian design landscape and strengthen the design sector. We encourage the submission of both large and small projects created since January 2023. Entries may be submitted for works realized in Latvia regardless of the author's nationality, as well as those realized anywhere else in the world, provided the author’s country of origin is Latvia. Entries may be submitted by the author or another person related to the work, such as its owner or commissioner.
The submission of entries for the National Design Award of Latvia is open twice a year: the autumn submission will continue until December 20, 2025, while the winter submission is planned from February 15 to March 15, 2026.
Submitted Works are Evaluated in Two Rounds
In the first round, the Selection Jury evaluates the entries received during the respective submission period and nominates participants for the next round of the competition. In the second round, the Final Jury evaluates the nominees and selects the finalists. The Final Jury will also determine the winner of each category and the recipients of the National Design Award of Latvia Grand Prix and the «Emerging Designer» title.
The evaluation of the works submitted to the competition will take into account the design field objectives and courses of action defined in the Latvian Design Strategy 2022–2027 and the values of the European Commission's initiative «New European Bauhaus».
The evaluation of the entries submitted to the competition will be based on the following quality criteria:
- originality and creativity of the idea,
- the defined problem and task(s), and the chosen solutions to solve the problem,
- co-creation, stakeholder involvement and cooperation in the work process,
- functionality and technological solution,
- aesthetics and other dimensions of quality of experience,
- economic relevance, sustainability, and circularity,
- social relevance, inclusion, availability and accessibility.
About the Competition
The National Design Award of Latvia was founded in 2017 with the support of the Ministry of Culture. From 2026 to 2028, the competition is organized by the Latvian Design Centre. More detailed information about the National Design Award of Latvia, the competition regulations, and entry submission are available on the LDGB website.
the Latvian Design Centre (LDC) is a member of the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) and an official partner of the European Commission's strategic initiative «New European Bauhaus». LDC participates in the formation of national design policy, research, and education, initiating cooperation and strategic partnerships with other design organisations, designers, companies, and users of design. With the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Latvian Design Centre maintains the creative industries communication platform FOLD.