FAQ

The Ceramics of Italy International Tile Competition is the Italian ceramic tile industry’s global architecture and design award. It merges two previously separate competitions: the North American Design Competition, which ran for over 30 years, and La Ceramica e il Progetto, which focused on the Italian market for 11 years. Now, the two competitions have joined forces to recognize the best projects featuring Italian ceramic and porcelain tile on a global scale annually. The program expands the competition to honor outstanding projects by architects and interior designers worldwide that utilize ceramic and porcelain tile from Ceramics of Italy member brands.

The competition is promoted by the Italian ceramic industry association Confindustria Ceramica, and is organised by its subsidiary Edi.Cer. S.p.A., which also manages Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings held in Bologna (www.cersaie.it).

The aim of the competition is to recognize and celebrate outstanding projects carried out by architects and interior designers worldwide that utilize ceramic and porcelain tiles covered by the Ceramics of Italy trademark (as defined in the call for entries) in the Residential, Commercial, Design and New Applications, and Outdoor categories.

Winners will receive a four-day, CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy, to attend Cersaie, the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, alongside a delegation of leading architects, interior designers, and journalists from September 21–25, 2026. Winners will be honored during a special VIP ceremony during the show. Category winners will also receive cash prizes. Attendance at Cersaie and the award ceremony is required. All winning projects will also receive robust marketing and promotional PR support across North American and international media.

There is no fee to enter and multiple project entries are accepted.

The deadline for applications is June 5, 2026.

The competition is open to new builds, building renovations and architectural renovation projects carried out worldwide by an architect, interior designer or other design professional and completed between January 1, 2021 and March 31, 2026.

The competition is open to new build, building renovation and architectural renovation projects in the following categories:

  • Residential (use of Italian tiles in interiors of houses, apartments, multi-occupancy buildings or other premises for private or residential use, etc.);
  • Commercial (use of tiles in interiors of hotels and resorts, restaurants and bars, shopping centres, shops and boutiques, showrooms, schools, hospitals, offices, churches, theatres, cinemas, gyms, fitness centres and spas, etc.);
  • Design and new applications (applications of ceramics in non-traditional contexts, indoors and outdoors, kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities and washbasins, furnishing accessories, design elements, etc.);
  • Outdoor (facades, use of tiles in exteriors of houses, of hotels and resorts, schools, hospitals, offices, churches, theatres, ceramic street furniture or paving for pavements, squares, public spaces, green areas, etc.);

To find out which Confindustria Ceramica member companies are licensees of the Ceramics of Italy trademark, visit the “Ceramics of Italy” section at https://www.ceramica.info/en/aziende-ceramiche-it/.

Yes, you can submit more than one project in the same category and/or in multiple categories.

Submissions must include actual photographs of the project rather than computer-generated images. Documents proving the completion of the work may be attached. Attached images/documents should be in a high-resolution (300 dpi) .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff or .png format, with a minimum of 5 images and Compressed (.zip) files are permitted.

Click on “Application Form” in the menu, fill in the form with all the required data and provide a detailed description of your project together with photos, indicating what Italian tile is used and where. After you have read the call for entries, completed all sections of the application form and accepted all the conditions of participation, click Submit. You will receive an identification number for your application.

Edi.Cer. S.p.A.
Email: promozione@confindustriaceramica.it
Phone +39 0536 818111