National categories 

Entries into these categories will be judged by a national judging panel. Finalists will be announced in October. Winners of each category will be announced at the national awards ceremony in November 2025.

If the category you wish to enter does not appear on this list then please enter through the relevant region or nation.

This award celebrates the outstanding use of digital technology. We're looking for exceptional work in areas such as:

  • Local Plans and policy writing 
  • Masterplanning and design codes 
  • Housing land availability studies and other baseline evidence
  • Development Management
  • Consultation and community engagement 
  • Improved back-office processes
  • Improved public access to planning information 
  • Tools for evidence-based decision-making

All submissions will need to show how the preparation and/or content of the digital approach goes above and beyond good practice: why does it warrant an award for excellence?

Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to:

  • Statistical data
  • Qualitative assessments 
  • Survey results 
  • Visual documentation
  • Testimonials

Eligibility

The technology / digital approach must have been adopted/implemented between 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024. Digital approaches that have previously won an RTPI Award for Planning Excellence cannot be resubmitted. Digital approaches that were previously shortlisted or commended may be resubmitted.

Projects must have been completed in accordance with the approved plans and in compliance with any planning conditions and must not be subject to ongoing formal enforcement action. If this arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing awards@rtpi.org.uk
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Excellence in Digital Planning

Assessment Areas

The following questions include prompts to help you answer – these are to provide a guide and you only need to answer the ones relevant to your submission.

Where possible, please link your answers to the UN sustainable development goals.

Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to:

  • Statistical data 
  • Qualitative assessments
  • Survey results 
  • Visual documentation 
  • Testimonials

Projects must have been completed in accordance with the approved plans and in compliance with any planning conditions and must not be subject to ongoing formal enforcement action. If this arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing awards@rtpi.org.uk.

1. Project Excellence
Explain how your project demonstrates excellence in digital technology, including: 

  • Meeting user needs 
  • Addressing some of planning’s biggest challenges
  • Evidence of positive impact
  • Improving access to information, data and evidence to inform decision-making 
  • Improving access to information or services for stakeholders or customers 
  • Making planning services inclusive and accessible 
  • Easy data portability, data sharing and/or flexible licencing
  • Engagement with the wider community 
  • Showcasing cutting-edge innovation 
  • Efficiency/cost savings 
  • Managing – carbon footprint

2. The role of planners
Highlight the specific contribution of planners to your project’s success and long-term benefits relevant to this category. 

  • What lessons / best practice could be taken away from your project and applied elsewhere?
  • How did planners demonstrate leadership and/or work collaboratively with other professionals?

3. User and Stakeholder Engagement
Describe your user and stakeholder engagement approach relating to your digital project, highlighting: 

  • Innovation and reach 
  • Evidence of the scope and success of the engagement.
  • Approaches/methods used to ensure the digital project is accessible and inclusive
  • How user feedback and responses have shaped the project
  • How the digital project addresses barriers and promotes inclusivity.
  • Please include any relevant statistics and reference how the project responded to that feedback.

This award celebrates outstanding projects, either as a standalone development or integrated into the wider surrounding context. We're looking for exceptional work in areas such as:

  • Placemaking SDG11
  • Meeting local housing needs: SDG11 
  • Sustainably located development served by local amenities, community facilities and infrastructure SDG11 
  • Climate adaptation and mitigation SDG13, SDG11
  • Innovative approaches to design or construction

Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to: 

  • Statistical data 
  • Qualitative assessments
  • Survey results
  • Visual documentation
  • Testimonials

Eligibility

Projects must be completed between 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024. You may submit the same project for multiple categories, but each submission needs a separate entry form focused on category-specific criteria. Winning projects cannot be resubmitted. Projects that were previously shortlisted or commended may be resubmitted.

Projects must have been completed in accordance with the approved plans and in compliance with any planning conditions and must not be subject to ongoing formal enforcement action. If this issue arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing awards@rtpi.org.uk

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International Award for Planning Excellence

Assessment Areas

The following questions include prompts to help you answer – these are to provide a guide and you only need to address the prompts that are relevant to your project.

Where possible, please link your answers to the UN sustainable development goals which are referenced below.

1. Project Excellence

Explain how your project demonstrates excellence in planning for communities, including:

  • Creative and innovative approaches
  • Measurable outcomes 
  • Community benefit SDG11
  • Placemaking and design 
  • Integration of green and blue infrastructure SDG13 & SDG11
  • Biodiversity enhancement – SDG15 
  • Provision of infrastructure SDG9
  • Sustainability measures
  • How your project goes beyond standard practice

2. The role of planners

Highlight the specific contribution of planners to your project's success and long-term benefits relevant to this category.

What lessons / best practice could be taken from your project and applied elsewhere?

How did planners demonstrate leadership and/or work collaboratively with other professionals?

3. Community and Stakeholder Engagement – SDG11 & International Participatory Charter

Describe your community and stakeholder engagement approach, highlighting: 

  • Innovation and reach.
  • Evidence of the scope and success of the engagement.
  • Approaches/methods used to ensure the engagement is accessible and inclusive.
  • How community feedback and responses have shaped the project.

Please include any relevant statistics and reference how the project responded to that feedback.

4. Inclusive Planning

Detail how the project addresses barriers and promotes inclusivity e.g. through:

  • Creating safe and accessible spaces for all users – SDG11 
  • Promoting community health, wellbeing and cohesion – SDG3
  • Reducing poverty and stimulating growth SDG1 & SDG8 
  • Improving access to jobs, economic opportunities and/or homes SDG8 & SDG11
  • Safeguarding and enhancing the built and/or natural environment. SDG15

5. Climate Action

Demonstrate how your project is addressing the climate and nature emergencies and overcoming related challenges e.g. through:

  • Contribution to net-zero SDG11, SDG13, SDG7
  • Biodiversity enhancement SDG15 
  • Locating development sustainably SDG11 
  • Energy-efficient building design / retrofitting SDG11, SDG12 
  • Adapting to or mitigating climate change SDG13 SDG11
  • Renewable energy / clean heat SDG7 
  • Sustainable use of materials SDG12 
  • Innovative approaches to project delivery

This award celebrates outstanding In-House Planning Teams. We're looking for exceptional work in areas such as:

  • What has your team achieved in the last 12 months that merits an award for excellence? 
  • What project(s)/services have been delivered and why these were exceptional? 
  • How were projects or services shaped to meet the needs of the community or client?
  • What challenges were faced by your team and how these were overcome?
  • How have you worked in challenging or complex stakeholder environments?
  • How happy/satisfied client/applicant/partners were with the level of service? 
  • How have you collaborated effectively with Local Planning Authorities?

All submissions will need to show how your team goes above and beyond good practice: why does it deserve an award for excellence? What best practice could other teams take and adopt elsewhere?

Important: All entries must provide specific examples and measurable results. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including: 

  • Statistical data
  • Qualitative assessments and testimonials 
  • Survey results 
  • Visual documentation
  • Testimonials

Eligibility

The team must include at least one Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI or FRTPI). They should demonstrate high levels of service, commitment to sustainable development and support for the planning profession.

This award recognises the achievements of planning teams working in-house within organisations whose primary function isn't planning or built environment consultancy. Examples of eligible organisations include: third sector, charities, government departments, developers, commercial organisations, leisure providers and charities.

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In-house Planning Team of the Year

Assessment Areas

Important: All entries must provide specific examples and measurable results. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including: 

  • Statistical data 
  • Qualitative assessments and testimonials 
  • Survey results 
  • Visual documentation
  • Testimonials

The following questions include prompts to help you answer – these are to provide a guide and you only need to address the prompts that are relevant to your team. Where possible, please link your answers to the UN sustainable development goals.

1. Team Excellence
Please use this section to sing the praise of your team of planners that have created/delivered excellence over the last 12 months. Please remember that whilst we do want to hear about some of the amazing success that you have had in this section, what we really want to hear about are the people who have made it possible and what it is about them that makes team excellent.

Please describe how practitioners in your team influenced or led a project to conclusion and provide evidence of effective collaboration, partnership working and mediation, as well as providing a value for money service for clients and tangible benefits to communities.

2. Innovation and Problem Solving
Explain how your team has developed and applied creative approaches and techniques to achieve high quality planning solutions. 

  • What challenges did you face? 
  • What problem solving techniques or tools did you use?
  • What actions did you take? 
  • What was the outcome?

3. Client and Stakeholder Satisfaction
Provide evidence of service quality through client and stakeholder feedback. Include testimonials that answer the following. How satisfied were your clients/applicants/partners with the service provided? What was exceptional about the team’s performance? This might include: 

  • timeliness 
  • flexibility
  • ability to respond imaginatively to a brief
  • presentation and communication
  • responsiveness to ideas and feedback.

4. Community Engagement
Describe your team’s approach to community engagement, highlighting: 

  • Innovation and reach
  • Evidence of the scope and success of the engagement. 
  • Approaches/methods used to ensure the engagement is accessible and inclusive 
  • How community feedback and responses have shaped projects and initiatives. 
  • Promotion of the planning profession.

For assessment areas 3 and 4, please include relevant statistics and references on how the team responded to feedback.

5. Inclusive Planning
Detail how your team addresses barriers and delivers inclusive places in what you do e.g.: 

  • Creating safe and accessible spaces for all users 
  • Promoting community health, well-being and cohesion 
  • Reducing poverty and promoting equity
  • Improving access to jobs, economic opportunities and/or homes

6. Climate Action
Demonstrate how your team is addressing the climate and nature emergencies e.g. through: 

  • Contributing to meeting net-zero targets 
  • Biodiversity enhancement
  • Reducing and decarbonising energy use 
  • Adapting to or mitigating climate change 
  • Promoting the use of renewable energy / clean heat
  • Sustainable use of materials

This award celebrates outstanding Planning Consultancies. We're looking for exceptional work in areas such as:

  • What has your team achieved in the last 12 months that merits an award for excellence? 
  • What project(s)/services have been delivered and why these were exceptional? 
  • How were projects or services shaped to meet the needs of the community or client? 
  • What challenges were faced by your team and how these were overcome?
  • How have you worked in challenging or complex stakeholder environments?
  • How happy/satisfied client/applicant/partners were with the level of service? 
  • How have you collaborated effectively with Local Planning Authorities?

All submissions will need to show how your team goes above and beyond good practice: why does it deserve an award for excellence? What best practice could other teams take and adopt elsewhere?

Important: All entries must provide specific examples and measurable results. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including: 

  • Statistical data
  • Qualitative assessments and testimonials
  • Survey results
  • Visual documentation
  • Testimonials

Eligibility

Organisations entering this category must have over ten RTPI members, one of which must be a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI or FRTPI). They should demonstrate high levels of service, commitment to sustainable development and support for the planning profession.

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Large Planning Consultancy of the Year

Assessment Areas

The following questions include prompts to help you answer – these are to provide a guide and you only need to address the prompts that are relevant to your team.

Where possible, please link your answers to the UN sustainable development goals .

1. Team Excellence
Please use this section to sing the praise of your team of planners that have created/delivered excellence over the last 12 months. Please remember that whilst we do want to hear about some of the amazing success that you have had in this section, what we really want to hear about are the people who have made it possible and what it is about them that makes team excellent.

Please describe how practitioners in your team influenced or led a project to conclusion and provide evidence of effective collaboration, partnership working and mediation, as well as providing a value for money service for clients and tangible benefits to communities.

2. Innovation and Problem Solving
Explain how your team has developed and applied creative approaches and techniques to achieve high quality planning solutions.

  • What challenges did you face? 
  • What problem solving techniques or tools did you use?
  • What actions did you take? 
  • What was the outcome?

3. Client and Stakeholder Satisfaction
Provide evidence of service quality through client and stakeholder feedback. Include testimonials that answer the following. How satisfied were your clients/applicants/partners with the service provided? What was exceptional about the team’s performance? This might include:

  • timeliness 
  • flexibility
  • ability to respond imaginatively to a brief
  • presentation and communication
  • responsiveness to ideas and feedback.

4. Community Engagement
Describe your team’s approach to community engagement, highlighting:

  • Innovation and reach
  • Evidence of the scope and success of the engagement. 
  • Approaches/methods used to ensure the engagement is accessible and inclusive 
  • How community feedback and responses have shaped projects and initiatives. 
  • Promotion of the planning profession.

For assessment areas 3 and 4, please include relevant statistics and references on how the team responded to feedback.

5. Inclusive Planning
Detail how your team addresses barriers and delivers inclusive places in what you do e.g.:

  • Creating safe and accessible spaces for all users 
  • Promoting community health, well-being and cohesion 
  • Reducing poverty and promoting equity
  • Improving access to jobs, economic opportunities and/or homes

6. Climate Action
Demonstrate how your team is addressing the climate and nature emergencies e.g. through:

  • Contributing to meeting net-zero targets 
  • Biodiversity enhancement
  • Reducing and decarbonising energy use 
  • Adapting to or mitigating climate change 
  • Promoting the use of renewable energy / clean heat
  • Sustainable use of materials