General terms and Conditions

FOUNDATIONS

The ICONIC AWARDS are presented annually by the German Design Council. The award is organised by the Rat für Formgebung Service GmbH (German Design Council).

The following General Terms and Conditions form the exclusive contractual basis for participation in the ICONIC AWARDS 2026 (award) between the German Design Council and the award registrant. The registrant’s Terms and Conditions are not recognised, even if the German Design Council does not expressly object to them in individual cases.
 

PREREQUISITES FOR PARTICIPATION

Award entries (projects) which have been recommended for the award by the foundation members of the German Design Council or the German Design Council, as well as non-recommended projects which can be assigned to at least one of the following categories, may participate in the award:

Architecture • Interior • Product • Communication • Concept

It is also possible to choose the additional categories „Innovative Material“ and „Circular Design“. For this, separate material must be submitted to the jury in the form of questionnaires, which will be made available after registration. 

Only projects that were launched on the market or made public no more than five years ago are permitted. The registrant must provide suitable proof of this at the German Design Council’s request. 

The number of registrations is not limited. It is possible to submit one project in different categories at the same time. 

A project can be awarded in several categories and/or several additional categories.
 

REGISTRATION, SUBMISSION AND INSURANCE OF PROJECTS

1. The German Design Council will send registrants a written invitation to take part in the award. The letter contains a personal username (e-mail address) for each registrant and, in the case of a recommendation, a project ID for each recommended project. All projects can be registered to the award in the personal login area at the submission portal (https://submit.german-design-council.de). Projects can be registered online following approval of the project details and after reading and confirming the General Terms and Conditions for the award.

   Registration is binding and commits the registrant to complete payment of the relevant fees and costs. The German Design Council grants free cancellation of the registration if addressed in written form to iconicawards@gdc.de within 14 days of the date of registration (the non-delivery of material for the project evaluation by the jury will not be considered a cancellation). After the expiry of the 14-day period, the fees/costs at registration specified in section 6 are no longer refundable and the registrant’s right to withdraw expires.

   The registrant is authorised to carry out the registration process. The contract is concluded exclusively in digital form and is not exchanged in paper form. In general, the German Design Council reserves the right, after internal examination, not to allow projects to participate in the award. The registrant of a project will receive a written notification of the outcome of the examination. In the event of a negative notification, the legal contract between the registrant and the German Design Council will be cancelled. In this case, the registrant will not be charged any costs and fees for the registration, or if already been paid, the transaction will be reversed.

   In the event of an award, the registrant’s details and those of the registered projects will be used for publications, for the ICONIC Catalogue, for the online Showroom ICONIC Directory and for the production of the documents as well as other advertising material and will be processed in accordance with the legislator’s privacy regulations. The German Design Council assumes no liability for incorrect or erroneous information.

2. For the jury session, the registrant may submit digital presentations of the projects for the award. The data can be uploaded via the link provided in the registration confirmation, or, with prior agreement, sent by e-mail to iconicawards@ gdc.de. If the German or English project text is not available at the time of submission, the German Design Council will provide a translation, but assumes no liability for the content.

   All projects must be marked with the provided project ID and this must be clearly visible on delivery. Loss and/or non-consideration of unmarked projects are at the registrant‘s own expense. The burden of proof for proper labelling lies with the registrant.
    

3. The costs and all risks for the upload of the registered projects shall be borne exclusively by the registrant. The German Design Council undertakes to inform the registrant immediately of any visible damage upon receipt of the projects. The German Design Council accepts no liability for destruction, theft and/ or damage for the duration of the projects’ submission period. All necessary insurance should be taken out before registering.
    

4. For registrants who have their registered office in People‘s Republic of China Mainland the operative implementation (control of the registration, handling of the projects, invoicing and receipt of payment for the German Design Council) will be taken over by their subsidiary, GDC (Shanghai) Technical Services Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China (details under following section 12).

   For registrants who have their registered office in Autralia, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Macao SAR, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand or Vietnam the operative implementation (control of the registration, handling of the projects, invoicing and receipt of payment for the German Design Council) will be taken over by their subsidiary, German Design Services Pte. Ltd., Singapore (details under following section 12).
    

INSURANCE

The German Design Council recommends that the registrant takes out all necessary insurance.
 

JUDGING

An independent expert jury will select the award winners. The jury is comprised of representatives from architecture, interior design, design, brand communication and media. Projects should stand out with regard to the following aspects:

Overall concept • Design quality, Aesthetics • Context quality, Social balance • Choice of material and details • Manufacturing technology and quality • Ergonomics, functionality and user friendliness • Safety and barrier freedom • Sustainability, Durability, circularity • Energy efficiency, Ecological balance • Practical value • Degree of innovation • Marketing concept and marketing innovation• Ecological sustainability, Ecological quality

In the additional categories ‘Circular Design’ and ‘Innovative Material’ , the jury also assesses the degree of innovation and maturity based on these indicators:

Circular Design:
Design strategies • Materials • Social context & society • Business model & value chain •Potential (add-on)

Innovative Material:
Utility Value • Manufacturing Technology and Quality • Circularity • Energy Efficiency • Environmental Impact

The preceding list does not represent a ranking of the criteria and assessments for the jury. The jury‘s decision will be confirmed in writing. Any legal recourse is excluded. If a released project has not been delivered to the jury session within the specified period, the jury reserves the right to use the project for evaluation on the basis of the released data from the registration at MDC (see 3.1). A decision of the jury based on this information is also valid.

Within the jury session, the jury is entitled to change the category of the project in which an award is given.
 

FEES/COSTS

1. Fees/Costs at registration

   Award registration per project* 350,00 EUR
   Award registration per project* by 27 March 2026 (Early Bird) 300,00 EUR

   *Including digital preparation of data Insofar as a project is also registered in the additional categories »Innovative Material « or »Circular Design« the registration fee is to be paid only once. 

   The submission of digital data (websites, apps, etc.) is only possible in the category »Communication«.
    

2. Payment of registration

   The registrant will receive an invoice for the fees and costs. In addition, payment either via PayPal by credit card is possible in the registration process; the data processed in the credit card payment process is carried out by the payment processor Stripe, Inc., their General Terms and Conditions (www.stripe.com) apply. Companies from third countries (outside the EU and EFTA) are obliged to provide a company certificate. All prices are per registered project plus the applicable statutory value added tax.

   The applicant must ensure the correct spelling of the invoice address (legal form, address); the German Design Council reserves the right to charge a lump sum of EUR 50.00 for subsequent changes to the invoice.

   If the registrant specifies a different invoice recipient, the registrant hereby warrants that this different invoice recipient agrees to this and that this measure is tax-compliant and has been or will be openly communicated to the tax authorities responsible for the registrant and the different invoice recipient. Even if a different billing address is provided, the registrant remains the contractual partner of the organizer and is thus obliged to pay all amounts (in particular also for follow-up costs in the event of an award) to the organizer. The organizer is entitled to invoice the registrant, even if the registrant has specified a different invoice recipient.

   If the German Design Council does not receive payment on time, it reserves the right not to present the registered project to the jury.

   With a valid registration, the registrant is obliged to pay the fees and costs. Failure to pay the registration fee does not result in deregistration or termination; the contractual obligations entered into therefore remain in force.

3. Service fees/Costs for winners

   In the case of an award, the following service fees apply depending on the award (per award).

   Winner 2.450,00 EUR
   Best of Best 2.900,00 EUR

   If the submitted project is also entered in one or both additional categories and receives an award from the jury, the service fees will be charged for each award received in the corresponding main and additional categories.
    

4. Payment service fees/costs for winners

   The registrant will receive an invoice for these service fees and costs for winners. All prices are per award plus the applicable statutory value added tax. Companies from third countries (outside the EU and EFTA) are obliged to provide a company certificate. Selection/non-use of the services in case of an award is excluded. The German Design Council is entitled to assert additional claims for damages if the relevant service fees/costs for winners have not been received in due time.

   Even if the project is not submitted in original, digital or chart form, the German Design Council reserves the right to present this project to the jury with the images submitted in the online registration. In this case, this project can also be awarded accordingly, with all associated costs and fees.

   Companies that are not in a position to bear the service fees/costs incurred for winners for economic reasons may apply for a waiver of these costs in justified cases. The fees/costs at the time of registration are not affected by this cost exemption. The application must be submitted in due time. The application form is available online.

5. Service benefits for winners:

   “Winner”:
   • Unlimited use of the »Winner« label for your communication measures 
   • Two personalised documents in a high-quality frame 
   • White paper and templates for press activities 
   • Entry in the ICONIC Catalogue, one specimen copy of the catalogue per entrant and special conditions for ordering additional copies 
   • Individual video clips for your awarded project, suitable for social media (in portrait and landscape format) 
   • Presentation of the project in the online showroom ICONIC Directory with linking 
   • Access to further fee-based marketing services products 
   • Press work around the award 
   • Invitation to the awards ceremony in Munich* 
   • Opportunity for a professional photos in front of the photo wall 
   • Nomination in the German Design Awards 2027

   “Best of Best”
   • Unlimited use of the »Best of Best« label for your communication measures 
   • Two personalised documents in a high-quality frame 
   • White paper and templates for press activities 
   • Entry in the ICONIC catalogue, one specimen copy of the catalogue per entrant and special conditions for ordering additional copies 
   • Individual video clips for your awarded project, suitable for social media (in portrait and landscape format) 
   • Presentation of the project in the online showroom ICONIC Directory with linking 
   • Exclusive public relations work • Individual ads on Facebook and Instagram 
   • Invitation to the awards ceremony in Munich* 
   • Receipt of the distinction on stage 
   • Opportunity for a professional photos in front of the photo wall 
   • High-quality prize sculpture with label 
   • Nomination in the German Design Awards 2027

   *Participation is only possible after binding and in time registration and under consideration of the available ticket contingent.

6. Contractual penalty regulation in the event of improper use of winner services

   If the registrant uses contents of the Winner Package or if the registrant advertises with an award even though he has not received the service, a contractual penalty in the amount of EUR 10,000.00 shall be payable for each violation.
    

7. If the service fees/costs for winners (specified under point 6.3) are not paid within the payment period, there is no claim to the full services of the corresponding service package.
    
8. By registering the project, the applicant agrees, in the event of an award, not to publish the label until the end of the communication embargo (as communicated in advance by e-mail).
    

PUBLICATIONS

1. To document the award, publications of the winners are available in the ICONIC Catalogue, the online showroom ICONIC Directory, and on selected channels. The German Design Council is responsible for the design of all documentation.
    
2. The German Design Council is only liable to the extent specified in section 3.1 for intentional or grossly negligent design errors. A refund of service fees/ costs for winners is not possible.
    

3. For the publications, the German Design Council will use the text and/or image material which the registrant has already provided in connection with the registration pursuant to section 3.

   When making the images available, the registrant is expressly obliged to inform the German Design Council whether third parties (e.g. photographers) are to be named in the ICONIC Catalogue and/or online showroom. The metadata submitted by the registrant with the photograph, if provided by the registrant, remain unchanged. In all other respects, reference is made in section 8. 

   The graphic appearance of the publications and communication tools corresponds to the overall layout specified by the German Design Council. The approved image and text templates of the registrant are designed by the German Design Council. The registrant has no entitlement to influence the design and layout.

4. The German Design Council reserves the right to refuse entries on the basis of uniform, objectively justified principles due to their technical form or origin; the same applies if the content violates laws or official regulations or if publication is unreasonable for the German Design Council. If the registrant is responsible for the refusal, the costs incurred up to that point must be reimbursed to the German Design Council. Any claims for damages are excluded.

   The registrant of the award-winning project will receive one (1) free copy of the catalogue, even in the case of multiple awards.

5. The documents and catalogues will be sent to the address provided by the registrant after the award ceremony, unless they were handed over during the award ceremony. In the event of complications due to incorrect delivery information, any costs for a new delivery must be paid by the registrant.
    

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

1. Projects that violate an industrial property right (trademark, brand name, utility model, patent or similar) are excluded from participation. Each registrant must inform the German Design Council whether any legal proceedings (competition, patent, trademark or copyright disputes in connection with the registered project) are pending with regard to the registered project. Only the registrant is liable for damages, in particular for claims by third parties arising from the violation of these General Terms and Conditions; the registrant shall also indemnify the German Design Council against all claims upon first request.
    

2. The copyrights to the projects submitted to the award (photos, videos and texts) remain with the respective registrant at all times. The registrant grants the German Design Council the rights of use and publication for the award and the associated services. In particular, the registrant must ensure that the corresponding rights of use (e.g. of photographs) exists. The registrant shall be exclusively liable for all damages incurred by the German Design Council as a result of the violation of these (possibly insufficient) rights of use and shall indemnify the German Design Council against all claims upon first request. The registrant is not entitled to a usage fee.

   When photos are uploaded, it is not guaranteed that the metadata of the image will always be maintained. Only the registrant is liable for damages, in particular for claims by third parties resulting out of any inaccuracies and associated claims by third parties through the metadata indicated; the registrant shall also indemnify the German Design Council against all claims upon first request.

3. Photographs and video material taken on behalf of the German Design Council at events shall be used by the German Design Council exclusively for documentation, reporting and advertising purposes. By registering, the registrant agrees to this use. This consent can be revoked informally at any time (e.g. by email to the address presse@gdc.de or in writing to the German Design Council).
    

GERMAN DESIGN COUNCIL’S LIABILITY

Should it not be possible to publish the online showroom ICONIC Directory, the catalogue or to hold the award ceremony in full or on time due to force majeure, the registrant derives no claims from this.
 

SEVERABILITY CLAUSE

Should individual provisions of these General Terms and Conditions be invalid or unenforceable or become invalid or unenforceable after conclusion of the contract, this shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the contract. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid and enforceable provision whose effects come closest to the economic objective pursued by the contracting parties with the invalid or unenforceable provision. The above provisions shall apply accordingly in the event that the contract proves to be incomplete.
 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, PLACE OF JURISDICTION

At the time of registration specified under section 3 above, the registrant confirms that they have read and understood these General Terms and Conditions. Acknowledgement of these General Terms and Conditions is documented by the successful confirmation of registration at the latest. A successful registration only results from previous confirmation of these General Terms and Conditions. This confirmation certifies that the registrant has read, understood and accepted the General Terms and Conditions. The award conducted on the basis of these General Terms and Conditions is not intended for consumers. The registrant hereby agrees that their project will be entered to the award. 

The place of performance and jurisdiction for the contract is Frankfurt am Main. In business transactions with merchants, legal entities under public law or special funds under public law, the place of jurisdiction for legal actions is Frankfurt am Main.
 

ORGANISATION

Branch office of the award and contact for queries:

Rat für Formgebung Service GmbH
Messeturm Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 49
60327 Frankfurt am Main

Team ICONIC AWARDS:

T .49 (0) 69 - 24 74 48 611
F .49 (0) 69 - 24 74 48 700
iconicawards[at]gdc.de

Branch office of the award for registrants locateds in the People’s Republic of China Mainland:

GDC (Shanghai) Technical Services Co., Ltd.
Room 2010, Building A, Shangfu Dobe,
No. 208 Wending Road, Xuhui District
200030 Shanghai P. R. China

T. +86 (0) 21 - 6890 0658
F. +86 (0) 21 - 6890 2600
info[at]gdc.cn

Branch office of the award for registrants locateds in Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Macao SAR, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand or Vietnam:

German Centre for Industry and Trade Pte Ltd
25 International Business Park
#01-79 German Centre
Singapore 609916
Singapore

T. +658 227 2018
info[at]gdc-asia.sg