Porada International Design Award 2026
Porada International Design Award 2026 is an international ideas competition for new table concepts in which solid wood is the dominant, though not necessarily exclusive, material. Porada Arredi organizes the fourteenth edition with POLI.design, with sponsorship from ADI. Entries must be original, unpublished and developed specifically for this call.
Important timing and rights note: the rules state “24:00 on 31 January 2027” but do not name a time zone. The countdown below is therefore indicative and assumes the organizer’s Italian local time (CET), equivalent to 23:00 UTC. Entrants retain ownership, but Porada receives a one-year option over awarded projects and may seek a paid option on non-awarded work.
Competition overview
| Organizer | Porada Arredi S.r.l. with POLI.design; sponsored by ADI |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | International professionals, students and recent graduates; individual or group entries |
| Entry fee | Free |
| Prizes | EUR 10,000 across the six professional and student prizes, plus a possible EUR 1,000 Giacomo Allievi Special Mention; EUR 11,000 if all are awarded |
| Registration | No separately dated registration close; registration and upload use the same portal |
| Submission | 31 January 2027 at 24:00; official time zone not stated |
| Languages | Italian or English for the report; anonymous graphic material |
| Opportunity type | Ideas competition for table design; production is not guaranteed |
Brief and design scope
The brief is limited to tables rather than side tables, coffee tables, writing desks or desks. Within that product category, entrants may explore different top shapes and sizes, support systems, extensions, joining mechanisms and construction approaches. Solid wood must remain the principal material, while combinations with materials such as marble, ceramic or glass are allowed.
The proposal should connect formal invention with the realities of solid-wood processing. The official assessment criteria cover originality, innovation, material and finish research, prospective use scenarios, typological and technological development, and alignment with Porada’s stated identity. Safety, ergonomics and environmental considerations are part of the brief rather than optional presentation themes.
Eligibility and participation
| Professionals | Italian or international independent designers and company employees with employer authorization where required |
|---|---|
| Students | Bachelor’s or Master’s students, recent graduates and secondary-school students |
| Teams | Allowed in both categories; one group leader must be appointed |
| Entry limit | One project per participant or group |
| Exclusions | Jury members and relatives, Porada and POLI.design employees, and freelance designers who currently design or previously designed products for Porada |
| Anonymity | Required; names appear only in the application form |
Submission requirements
| Report | One portrait A4 PDF, maximum 3,000 characters, in Italian or English; concept, motivations and materials; no images |
|---|---|
| Boards | Three landscape A3 boards combined into one PDF, using the portal template; maximum 5 MB |
| Board 1 | Overview, use scenarios, mood board, concept and sources of inspiration |
| Board 2 | Plans, elevations, sections, axonometrics, exploded views, dimensioned construction drawings and material details |
| Board 3 | Object representation, renderings and model photographs |
| Preview | One JPG summarizing the project; maximum 1 MB |
| Method | Online upload only; email and server-link submissions are excluded |
Schedule and awards
| Submission deadline | 31 January 2027 at 24:00; time zone not stated |
|---|---|
| Jury conclusion | By 26 February 2027 |
| Professional prizes | EUR 2,500 / EUR 1,500 / EUR 1,000 |
| Student prizes | EUR 2,500 / EUR 1,500 / EUR 1,000 |
| Special mention | Giacomo Allievi Special Mention, EUR 1,000, may be awarded to one student or professional |
Jury and assessment
The rules define the jury institutionally rather than naming individuals: two Porada representatives, one ADI representative, one POLI.design representative, and five design professionals or industry editors. This gives a stated balance between the client, design institutions and external practice, but the absence of names limits advance review of individual expertise and conflicts.
- Originality and innovation
- Research into solid-wood processing
- Material and surface-finish experimentation
- New usage scenarios and contemporary furniture concepts
- Typological, technological and morphological resolution
- Consistency with the organizer’s stated design identity
Rights, publication and possible production
Participants retain ownership and exploitation rights. Porada holds a one-year option from the jury report date over awarded projects while it decides whether to pursue production; any industrial exploitation must then be governed by a separate economic agreement. The company may request a one-year option on non-awarded projects only for an agreed fee, and it states that submitted work will not be modified without the designer’s consent.
Entrants authorize credited exhibition and publication of their projects without additional compensation. A prize therefore should not be read as a production contract, and publication should not be treated as a substitute for a later manufacturing agreement.
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
The call is technically useful because it asks entrants to move beyond a decorative image of furniture. Three boards must connect use, construction, detailing and material choices, while the narrow table brief still leaves room for mechanical and typological exploration. Free entry and separate professional and student prize tracks improve accessibility.
The principal reservation is the uncertainty between recognition and production. The one-year option is time-limited and a later economic agreement is promised if production proceeds, but no royalty scale, development budget or minimum commissioning commitment is stated. Entrants should also account for the absence of named jurors and submit ahead of the ambiguous “24:00” deadline.
Related competitions — Editors’ selection
For further design-focused calls, see Design Circle’s Art Gallery Competition and Persian Garden Suite.
Time remaining for submission
Indicative countdown: the rules state 31 January 2027 at 24:00 without a time zone. This timer assumes Italian local time (CET), equivalent to 23:00 UTC. Confirm the live portal and submit early.
Official competition portal
Read the full rules, register and upload the anonymous files through the organizer’s portal.
Editorial review and correction — 22 October 2026: The EUR 1,000 special mention was separated from the EUR 10,000 total of the six category prizes; the combined amount is EUR 11,000 if the mention is awarded. Reviewed by ArchUp Editorial Committee.
