ALDE Excellence Awards
Application Deadline: Friday 26 June 2026
The ALDE Awards for Excellence recognise outstanding achievements and innovation in land development engineering. First held in 2021, these inaugural awards were established to celebrate and showcase engineering excellence within the industry.
The ALDE Awards provide a platform for businesses and individuals to gain recognition for their exceptional contributions to land development engineering.
The categories for this year’s awards are as follows.
Young Professional
Sustainability
Engineering Excellence & Innovation
Best Small / Medium Consultancy
Best Large Consultancy
Sustaining Member Sub Consultant of the Year
Sustaining Member Civil or Specialist Construction Contractor of the Year
Key Dates:
Award Applications Close:
Friday 26 June 2026
Judges’ Interviews with Applicants:
Late July 2026
Conference Dinner:
Tuesday 25 August 2026
Eligibility - Eligibility requirements are noted for each award category. You can find the list of General and Sustaining Member Companies here.
Award winners will be announced at the ALDE 2026 Conference Dinner on Tuesday 25 August at Lakeside Pavilion, Albert Park.
Dinner-only tickets are available — book an individual ticket or secure a table of 10 at a discounted rate. For more information and to book, click here.
Young Professional Award
This award will recognise an individual under the age of 35 on 31 December 2026 and who is employed by a General or Sustaining Member Company who has made their mark on improving the vision and culture of land development engineering.
Requirements:
This is open to individuals in the whole of the land development industry who are employed by an organisation with a current ALDE Membership.
The individual does not need to be a Registered Engineer.
Application Criteria
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Describe how the individual has inspired others in their organisation or the industry. Provide examples. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the nominee achieved the highest technical, professional and community service standards in engineering. Provide examples. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the nominee has made an impact on the engineering profession through their contributions to the industry. Provide examples. (Max 400 words)
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Describe how the nominee has achieved outstanding performance in their occupation with a focus on the achievements/performance of the nominee that are beyond the normal. For example, consider what makes the nominee outstanding in relation to their day-to-day business and/or how they may have changed the way their profession does business or solves problems. (Max 300 words)
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Describe where the nominee may have led a significant project, leadership roles in the workplace and leadership roles amongst land development engineering professionals. You may consider providing examples of innovation and resourcefulness. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the nominee has participated in professional sub-committees and groups: Consideration should be given to committees that the individual may have served on and representation roles - either within the workplace or within the greater industry. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the nominee has made a contribution to significant projects: include the actual role the nominee played in the project e.g., did they lead the project, contribute a specific component of technical expertise, liaise with client/stakeholder etc. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the nominee has committed to ongoing continuing professional education - include nominee’s commitment to continuing professional development events e.g. list ongoing study, participation/attendance at CPD, and organisation/presentation of CPD events, become Registered, etc. (Max 300 words)
Sustainability Award
This award recognises the application of sustainability principles and / or sustainable outcomes achieved for a project. This could include use of materials, reduction in the construction carbon footprint, achieving urban cooling, reuse of waters, etc.
Requirements:
This award is open to all General and Sustaining Member Companies.
Application Criteria
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General description of the project to provide context for the judging panel. eg: timeframe of the project (is it a discrete project or part of a bigger program) relative size, and a brief statement of complexity (multiple stakeholders, unusual constraints). (Max 300 words)
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Description of the sustainable outcomes and / or the sustainability principles incorporated into the project and what these initiatives achieved. (Max 400 words)
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Describe the challenges faced in seeking approval and gain acceptance from stakeholders. (Max 400 words)
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Explain how this project or the application of the sustainability principles to this project has changed how other projects are approached and / or whether the initiative has led to a change in design practice in your organisation or within the industry. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the sustainability principle(s) / outcome (s) have been promoted within your organisation or within the industry. (Max 300 words)
Engineering Excellence & Innovation Award
This award recognises excellence and innovation. This can be achieved through many different routes – for example, achieving better outcomes in a different way to a standard process, inventing something completely new or applying existing technology or process to solve a problem; this creating an optimised product.
Requirements:
This award is open to all General and Sustaining Member Companies.
Application Criteria
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Describe the project. (This sets up the context of the project and helps judges to compare projects). Describe the timeframe of the project (is it a discrete project or part of a bigger program) relative size, and a brief statement of complexity (multiple stakeholders, unusual constraints). (Max 300 words)
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Describe what impact the innovation has had. It may be products or projects that made a significant contribution to the industry through the introduction of a new idea, method, technology, process, or application resulting in social, environmental and/or economic benefits. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how the innovation has led to the creation of new process, standards, skills, knowledge, or experience. (Max 300 words)
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Why did you need to innovate and what is unique about your innovation? You might describe how your project showcases design of original solutions or ingenious adaptation of existing solutions such as innovative application of emerging or developing technologies. (Max 300 words)
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Demonstrate how the project meets a quantified market need, how the need has been validated and commercial viability including market take-up of the innovation Commercial viability including market take-up of the innovation. (Max 300 words)
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Contribution to Industry: Describe how the project has had an ongoing impact on the industry or the community, for example realising new technical, social, cultural, environmental and/or economic benefits. (Max 300 words)
Best Small or Medium Sized Consultancy of the Year
This award recognises a small or medium General Member Company (total number of employees in the organisation across all disciplines including corporate and admin roles <50) which has made a commitment to support the development of its people and is doing what it can with resources available to widen participation and create a more diverse and inclusive engineering industry.
Requirements:
This award is open to all General Member Companies.
Application Criteria
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Describe and provide examples of policies and actions which foster diversity, equality, and inclusion in the industry. (Max 300 words)
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Describe programs or processes that achieve improvements in educational and technical standards and skills. Provide examples. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how your business has advocated for and fostered the standing of consultancies within all forms of government and the community generally. (Max 300 words)
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Describe actions of your business which demonstrate how ethical standards have been upheld. (Max 300 words)
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Describe your Consultancy’s commitment to the ongoing health and safety of your team and workplace. (Max 300 words)
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Describe your commitment to ensuring your staff and team are encouraged to continue developing in order to help the company achieve excellence. (Max 300 words)
Best Large Consultancy of the Year
This category will celebrate an General Member employer (total number of employees in the organisation across all disciplines including corporate and admin roles <50) who comprehensively supports its engineers, and who proactively promotes diversity & inclusion, growth, excellence and ongoing health and safety of its people.
Requirements:
This award is open to all General Member Companies.
Application Criteria
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Describe and provide examples of policies and actions which foster diversity, equality, and inclusion in the industry. (Max 300 words)
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Describe programs or processes that achieve improvements in educational and technical standards and skills. Provide examples. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how your business has advocated for and fostered the standing of consultancies within all forms of government and the community generally. (Max 300 words)
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Describe actions of your business which demonstrate social responsibility. (Max 300 words)
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Describe your Consultancy’s achievement of excellence in delivery of land development engineering services, including business vitality and culture, business accreditations staff development, community involvement, support for young professionals and professional image. (Max 300 words)
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Explain your commitment to the ongoing health and safety of your team and workplace. (Max 300 words)
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Explain your commitment to ensuring your team are encouraged to continue developing in order to help the company achieve excellence. (Max 300 words)
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Describe how sustainability is encouraged in design and in general business operations. (Max 300 words)
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List any positions held within the engineering profession or broader property and construction sector. This may include Boards, Committees and working groups. (Max 200 words)
Sustaining Member Sub Consultant of the Year
This category will celebrate excellence displayed by a key Sustaining Member sub-consultant in the land development industry. A sub-consultant will be typically a consultant who supports the engineering consultant and could be a surveyor, town planner, landscape architect, drainage engineer, electrical engineer, geotechnical engineer, arborist, ecologist, etc).
Requirements:
This is open to the Sustaining member sub consultants.
Application Criteria
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Describe and provide examples of professional approach to land development projects and how this benefits industry stakeholders. (Max 300 words)
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Provide evidence of where Safety, Quality & Environment is embedded in the culture of the business. Provide examples. (Max 300 words)
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Provide a description and examples of capability through outstanding project work (Max 300 words)
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Describe description and examples of working with consultants and proven ability to communicate and cooperate. (Max 300 words)
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Provide examples on how your business has worked with/in the land development industry to achieve better outcomes for community and stakeholders. (Max 300 words)
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Describe your organisation’s achievement of excellence in delivery of services to the land development industry, including business vitality and culture, business accreditations staff development, community involvement, support for young professionals and professional image. (Max 300 words)
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Explain your commitment to ensuring your staff and team are encouraged to continue developing in order to help the company achieve excellence. (Max 300 words)
Sustaining Member Civil or Specialist Contractor of the Year
This award will celebrate excellence displayed by a Sustaining Member civil or specialist construction contractor in the land development industry. A civil or specialist civil contractor could be a sewer, water, electrical, boring, rail contractor who constructs infrastructure in a land development project.
Requirements:
This is open to Sustaining Member civil or specialist contractors.
Application Criteria
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Describe and provide examples of professional approach to land development projects and how this benefits industry stakeholders. (Max 300 words)
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Provide evidence of where Safety, Quality & Environment is embedded in the culture of the business. Provide examples. (Max 300 words)
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Provide a description and examples of capability through outstanding project work (Max 300 words)
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Describe description and examples of working with consultants and proven ability to communicate and cooperate. (Max 300 words)
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Provide examples on how your business has worked with/in the land development industry to achieve better outcomes for community and stakeholders. (Max 300 words)
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Describe your organisation’s achievement of excellence in delivery of services to the land development industry, including business vitality and culture, business accreditations staff development, community involvement, support for young professionals and professional image. (Max 300 words)
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Explain your commitment to ensuring your staff and team are encouraged to continue developing in order to help the company achieve excellence. (Max 300 words)