UNU-IAS has opened the application period for the Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE) Awards for 2026. The annual RCE Awards celebrate outstanding ESD projects conducted by RCEs across the world. These awards highlight projects that have significantly empowered people and communities and advanced transformative education through multi-stakeholder collaboration towards sustainable development.
This year, RCEs are encouraged to submit projects focused on business partnerships and social entrepreneurship, in recognition of initiatives developed in collaboration with the business sector.
Eligibility
To apply for the RCE Awards, nominated projects must meet the following criteria:
- Projects must be conducted by organizations and members of officially acknowledged RCEs
- Projects must not have received recognition in previous RCE Awards
Note: An RCE is limited to a maximum of three RCE Awards submissions.
Selection Criteria
Awardees will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Address sustainability challenges in their region by empowering people and advancing community engagement
- Demonstrate multi-stakeholder collaboration to promote formal, non-formal and/or informal learning towards sustainable development
- Exhibit innovative and transformative education practices, including action-oriented pedagogies for ESD
- Lead to or create tangible outputs and outcomes at local, national and/or global levels, including contributions to policy development
- Discuss any challenges faced during implementation and how they were addressed
- Articulate a clear future strategy for development and demonstrate high potential to expand impact
How to Apply
Please submit applications using the online application form.
Please note that the online form does not have a save function. A Word document is available for download to view the questions and draft responses. Once ready, answers may be copied and pasted to the online form. Please ensure that word limits are observed in relevant items.
Submission Due Date
The submission due date is 13 November 2026 (11:59 PM JST). Late submissions will not be considered.
Recognition Level
The RCE Awards will be presented based on the quality and impact of the projects, following these categories:
- Outstanding Flagship Project: For projects that have made critical contributions to empowering people and communities and in advancing transformative education for sustainable development
- Acknowledged Flagship Project: For projects recognized for their significant contributions
- Honourable Mention: For projects deserving recognition for their notable efforts
Review and Results Announcement
An RCE award evaluation committee will review the submissions. Awardees will be announced in December 2026.
