Winner Fees

Classic Edition - Industry Standard Winner Fees
The A' Design Prize stands apart as one of the world’s most all-encompassing award packages, offering an extraordinary suite of services, tools, and opportunities designed to elevate winners’ profiles on a global scale. Beyond simply handing out a trophy, the A' Design Prize includes integrated PR campaigns, media promotions, exhibition opportunities, printed and digital yearbooks, gala invitations, multilingual press materials, industry rankings, and a host of marketing resources, ensuring that the laureates’ achievements are recognized, celebrated, and leveraged for maximum impact. How you experience these extensive benefits depends on the specific entry method you select:

1. Pro-Edition Laureates - Profesional Entry / No Winner Fees:
   As a Pro-Edition winner, you gain access to the complete A' Design Prize package—absolutely free of any winner fees. This all-inclusive offering includes the prestigious A' Design Award trophy, official printed certificate, hardcover yearbook inclusion, and an invitation to the gala-night where you can network with industry leaders and peers. Your work is featured in physical and digital exhibitions, promoted through targeted PR campaigns and media outreach, and presented on various international platforms and rankings. In short, the Pro-Edition ensures that when your work shines, it receives the full spectrum of laureate benefits without any extra costs.

2. Digital-Edition Laureates - Digital Entry / No Winner Fees:
   Digital-Edition entrants are rewarded with a streamlined version of the A' Design Prize—focused on digital assets—completely free of winner fees. This edition forgoes physical items such as trophies and printed materials, while still providing verified digital certificates, online showcases, digital press releases, and participation in the global PR and marketing push. In essence, you gain a robust digital presence that can be leveraged across your website, social media channels, and marketing platforms, allowing you to highlight your design excellence globally.

3. Vision-Edition Laureates - Smart Entry / No Winner Fees:
   For Vision-Edition winners, the A' Design Prize begins with fundamental recognition and digital acknowledgments at no additional cost. From there, you can selectively enhance your award experience by purchasing additional services and benefits on-demand. Perhaps you want to be featured in the hardcover yearbook, attend the gala-night, or secure a physical trophy and an exhibition slot—every element is available as an à la carte upgrade. This approach grants you flexibility and cost control, allowing you to tailor your laureate experience to meet your strategic goals and budgetary preferences without any mandatory winner fees.

4. Classic-Edition Laureates - Industry Standard Entry / Winner Fees:
   Under the Classic-Edition model, you pay a minimal fee upfront to enter, and if you win, you must cover winner fees to access the standard A' Design Prize components. While the initial cost to participate is lower than other editions, the laureate must pay these subsequent fees to unlock the full range of benefits—such as the trophy, yearbook inclusion, PR services, or gala invitations. This “pay-as-you-go” method reflects a traditional industry standard model, offering a baseline pathway to recognition with the option to invest further once your achievement is confirmed.

By structuring the A' Design Prize according to these distinct entry methods, the A' Design Award provides maximum transparency and choice. Designers, brands, and innovators can select the route that aligns best with their ambitions, budgets, and promotional needs—ensuring that whatever their path, their award-winning work receives rightful recognition and carefully tailored support to thrive in the global marketplace.

Why there are Winner Fees for Classic Edition - Industry Standard Entry?
A' Design Award introduced multiple entry methods to address several key market needs and challenges. While from 2008 and still we championed a "no winner fees" approach with our Pro-Edition entry, market research revealed that many potential participants were comparing only initial entry fees across different competitions without considering the hidden "winner fees" that most awards charge after winning. This created a perception challenge: the Pro-Edition's all-inclusive fee appeared higher when compared to other awards' initial entry fees, even though the total cost (entry fee + winner fees) of other awards could reach up to tens of thousands of euros. To address this market reality and provide more accessible options, A' Design Award created a tiered system. The Classic Edition was introduced with lower initial entry fees plus winner fees, mirroring the industry-standard model that participants were familiar with. This allowed people to better compare "apples to apples" when researching competition costs. Meanwhile, the Digital Edition and Vision Edition were created as intermediate solutions, offering no-winner-fee options with either digital-only benefits or on-demand services. This multi-tier approach maintains the organization's commitment to transparency and fairness while providing options that match different budgets and needs. The Pro-Edition remains the flagship no-winner-fee option, offering the most comprehensive benefits package upfront, while other editions provide flexibility and accessibility without compromising the award's prestige and value.

From One Perspective, Winner Fees have their Benefit:
Originally, the A' Design Award championed a no-winner-fee structure to ensure that talented designers and innovative companies could celebrate their achievements without facing hidden costs. However, by studying the industry landscape, it became clear that some entrants wanted the flexibility that a traditional, industry-standard model could provide. Introducing an option with winner fees—the Classic-Edition—allowed the award to meet different budgetary requirements and strategic goals. Entrants who prefer a lower initial investment can now choose the Classic-Edition, pay minimal upfront costs, and only incur further fees if they win, ensuring a fair transparent system. This approach essentially benefits all participants by offering them more choice, transparency, and control over their financial outlay. Meanwhile, the A' Design Award still upholds its core ideal—designers who opt for the Pro, Digital, or Vision Editions are never contractually obligated to pay winner fees, preserving the original mission of truly awarding winners, not selling their success back to them, without confusing Price with Prize.

Comparisons with Other Awards and Misconceptions
Another key reason for introducing a winner-fee edition emerged when people compared the A' Design Award’s entry fees to those of other industry standard competitions. At first glance, higher upfront costs in the Pro-Edition (which has no further fees) seemed expensive compared to other awards that charge less initially but demand hefty hidden “winner packages” or “publication contributions” later on. Because many entrants were unaware of these “winner fees” lurking in other awards, they often assumed the A' Design Award’s higher initial investment meant it was overpriced. Introducing a Classic-Edition entry method, similar in structure to other awards, helped clarify this misconception: yes, the initial price might be lower, but if you earn recognition you will need to pay more—just like many other contests. By offering both no-winner-fee and winner-fee structures, the A' Design Award provides an apples-to-apples comparison, ensuring transparency and helping participants better understand and appreciate the genuine long-term value delivered through the Pro, Digital, and Vision Editions’ no-further-fees approach.

Are Winner Fees Required for All A' Design Award Entry Methods?
No, winner fees are not required for all entry methods. In fact, only the Classic Edition (Industry Standard Entry) requires winner fees. Here's a clear breakdown: Entry Methods with NO Winner Fees: - Pro-Edition (Professional Entry): Complete prize package included, no winner fees - Digital Edition (Digital Entry): Digital components included, no winner fees - Vision Edition (Smart Entry): Basic recognition with optional on-demand services, no winner fees Entry Methods with Winner Fees: - Classic Edition (Industry Standard Entry): Lower initial entry fee but requires winner fees to access prize benefits The Pro-Edition, Digital Edition, and Vision Edition were specifically designed to eliminate the industry practice of mandatory winner fees. With these entry methods, you know exactly what you're getting upfront - there are no hidden costs or contractual obligations after winning. The Pro-Edition includes the complete A' Design Prize, the Digital Edition includes all digital components, and the Vision Edition allows you to select specific services as needed, all without any winner fees. The Classic Edition was introduced later to provide a more familiar option for those accustomed to the traditional award model of lower entry fees plus winner fees. However, we strongly recommend considering our no-winner-fee options (Pro, Digital, or Vision Edition) for a more transparent and potentially more cost-effective experience.