Entry Guidelines

Eligibility	Any student (in Japan or overseas) enrolled in a university, graduate school, vocational school, or high school who is interested in design may apply. ※Students can apply as an individual or in a group. ※Students must belong to an educational institution at the time of application.
Conditions	Any genre is welcome. We are looking for a wide range of ideas such as product design, graphic design, fashion design, architecture, urban planning, engineering, sociology, and any field.
Submission Items and Process for Theme 1 ＆Theme 2	First Review: Entry Form (English*)	Please submit the design ideas using the entry form as provided (Word or PDF). The entry form can be downloaded from the "Submission Page". ※If students have difficulties writing in English, please use the free translation tool "DeepL" to translate the application content into English, and then fill in the appropriate sections of the entry form.	Final Review: Video Presentation (required) + Supplementary Materials (if any)	Applicants who pass the first review must submit a presentation video (up to 3 minutes) on the proposal. Any other additional materials are welcome but not mandatory. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted via email with more details.	The Award Ceremony	Applicants who pass the final review will have to attend the award ceremony.
Schedule (Japan Time)	Application period July 1- October 15, 2023	Announcement of first review results End of October, 2023	Announcement of final review results Middle of November, 2023	International award ceremony December 15, 2023 (online)
Rights and Rules Concerning Entries	1. Attribution to rights holder and rules applied to the entrant’s work	The copyright for the submitted work and other intellectual property rights belong to the entrant.	However, regardless of whether or not the entrant is involved in this competition, with regard to advertising and other work by the organizer of this competition, consent is implied for non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and free-of-charge use of all works related to this competition in Japan and other countries.	Entrants will not exercise the author’s moral rights concerning work related to this competition against use of the work by the organizer of this competition.	2. Rules concerning plagiarism in entries	For all entries, applicants themselves must confirm the entries do not infringe on third parties’ copyrights, intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other rights.	Entries must be original works for which the entrant has all rights. If these entry conditions are not met, the application may be rejected.	If there is suspicion of plagiarism concerning a submitted work, the organizer of this competition may request to speak with the applicant as well as request submission of relevant documentation. If these actions do not resolve the suspicion of plagiarism, the organizer may cancel the entry at its discretion.

FAQ

What kind of design can I submit?

Any genre of design is accepted. This not only includes design involving color and shape, but also design of services and social systems. We are seeking viable proposals that can help achieve the aims of the SDGs.

Entries must be original and must not infringe on a third party's image rights, intellectual property rights, or other rights. If such infringement is found, the application will be voided, or the award will be revoked, even after it is announced.

Please note that the organizer of this award is not responsible for any complaints or disputes arising in relation to the entry.

Are there any specific requirements for the entry form?

When applying for the award, please use the "Entry Form" provided on the "Submission Page". It can be either Word or PDF format. Please only submit one form Entry form that does not comply with the format will not be accepted.

How many entries can I submit?

One person/group can submit as many entries as they like.

It is also possible to apply simultaneously for any of the themes and a corporate grant. There may also be multiple awards for one person/group, as each idea will be subject to separate review.

Can I apply as a group?

Student can apply as an individual or as a group. When applying as a group, please enter the representative name.

What language(s) can I apply in?

In English. However, you can also supplement with your preferred language.

Can I apply even if I am not specializing in design at school?

Yes, we welcome applications from a wide range of students, including those studying design, science, engineering, medicine, humanities, social science, and so on.

Students from any disciplines in the universities, graduate schools, vocational institutions or high schools can apply.

All students with student status, including working students, are welcome to apply.

Can I ask you questions about the contents of my work when I apply?

In principle, we will not reply to such questions. Please design freely according to the given theme.

How will you conduct the review?

The SDGs Design International Award 2023 Executive Committee and the award judges will evaluate the entries strictly following the evaluation criteria for all reviews.

We will not provide details on the process or specifics of the review.

Corporate Awards will be independently reviewed by each sponsor company.

How will you release the results of those who pass the first review for theme 1 and theme 2?

Applicants who have been shortlisted after the first review will be notified via the email addresses stated in the entry form after End of October, 2023.

Will you release any of the works?

The organizers may also use works that have progressed to the final in public relations activities related to these awards.

Notices

Solicited works may be used for publicity activities.

Entries may be disclosed to each department within the organizer’s organization and its research partners. The organizer may also contact the applicant to ask about the entry.

All expenses related to the entry (e.g., creating materials, creating actual works) will be borne by the applicant.

Please be aware that the announcement and award ceremony will be filmed, edited, and publicly available on the official website.

If you receive the Corporate Award, you may be required to make a contract with the sponsoring company. If such a contract cannot be concluded, the award may be revoked.

Entrants must affirm consent to the entry guidelines. Please also note that if the guidelines are not observed, at whatever stage of the entry, the entry may be refused.

Inquiries regarding application status will not be replied to.

Please review the Personal Information Protection Policy for matters in that regard as relates to these awards.