Nomination Process AOE 2026

Nomination Period
Project nominations will be accepted online from VRCA members in good standing between February 2, 2026, and March 31, 2026.

Deadline
To be considered for the 2025 Awards, nominations must be submitted by 5:00pm Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Project Eligibility Term
The project must have reached substantial completion between March 31, 2024, and March 31, 2026.

• General Contractors may submit nominations provided they have at least one superintendent or full-time construction manager on their payroll throughout the life cycle of the nominated project.
• Electrical, Mechanical, Trades, and Manufacturers and Suppliers that are not current VRCA members are eligible only if referred by a General Contractor (who is a current VRCA member in good standing) for that project.
• Once a member company nominates a project, they are not eligible to re-submit the same project.

Nomination Limits: Members are limited to 5 nominated projects per year. Members are encouraged to put forward only their most award-worthy projects.

Submission Categories: Members can only submit projects within their designated membership divisionGeneral Contractors (GC) can submit in the GC category.

Trade Contractors can submit in the trade, mechanical, or electrical categories.

Revamped Submission Form: The Manufacturer and Supplier submission form has been updated to better reflect the unique contributions of this sector.

Prequalification Round: During the prequalification round, judges will assess projects based on size and type and will, as best as possible, place alike projects together. Five finalists in each category will be selected to formally present their projects to the judges. Qualified companies will be contacted after May 1^st to schedule presentations. The judges will choose the top 3 – 4 projects in each category as Silver Winners.

Photos Required with Nomination: To assist judges in the prequalification round, 3-5 project photos must be submitted. These photos do not need to be high resolution or professional quality. They will be used to assist judges in the prequalification round. A formal request for high resolution photos will be sent after the nomination process.

Nomination Fee: A nominal fee of $100 for each nomination will be required before online submission.

For pre-qualified nominations, follow the eight criteria listed below when completing your project submission package. This information is integral in evaluating the merits of your project.

1. Financial Performance & Bid Method
   Information sufficient for the judges to evaluate performance versus budget should be included. If performance varied from plan, please include an explanation. Include the bidding method used to secure the contract.
   Important Note: Do NOT include actual profit dollars or actual margin. Include general information only.  
2. Schedule Performance
   Information must be provided to show the project’s schedule data and the actual performance relative to the agreed upon schedule.
3. Value Engineering & Innovations
   Provide details on innovative practices or products that were deployed on the project. Include specifics on the improvements and benefits realized, financial or otherwise. Please outline any innovative practices or products used and the benefits they delivered (if any).
4. Challenges & Resolutions
   Outline the challenges or unexpected hurdles that were overcome, and how they were resolved.
5. Safety Record
   Include a description of your project’s safety practices and records, including the number of first aids and lost time accidents if applicable. Add any other important safety related information. Note the total crew size working under your contract. 
6. Stakeholder Cooperation
   Include the communication methods/strategies and cooperation among the stakeholders on this project.
7. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
   Include metrics on project achievements around meaningful employment and subcontracts with equity seeking groups such as women, newcomers, indigenous peoples and others.
8. Quality Management
   Include the procurement, delivery, and storage of materials for this project; what was done to ensure the quality of the project.

Patent Rights
If the nominated project contains any feature(s) which is or could be protected by patent rights, the submission must be accompanied by written evidence to show that the necessary steps have been taken to secure the requisite legal protection since neither the sponsor of the award nor the Vancouver Regional Construction Association can assume any responsibility for “prior disclosure” in advance of a patent application.

Trade and Manufacturer & Supplier (M&S) Referrals
General Contractors are welcome to refer trades and M&S firms for an award. All referred trade and M&S members are required to submit their own project nomination following the criteria and conditions to qualify for an award.

Eligibility requirements will apply to all Trade and M&S submissions.

1. A panel of judges appointed by the Board of Directors of VRCA will review all project submissions.
2. The finalists from the pre-qualification round in each category will be contacted by the VRCA after May 1, 2026 to schedule a presentation. The format (virtual or site visit) will be at the discretion of the judging panel. Presentations will take place between May 25, 2026 and June 9, 2026.
3. The eight criteria listed above are mandatory in all presentations. Nominees may use the PowerPoint template that will be provided in the prequalification confirmation email for the presentation. Use of the PowerPoint template is preferred whenever possible.
4. Presenters who do not wish to use the PowerPoint template are required to provide a 1-page fact sheet that addresses the 8 criteria. Presenters should prepare to expand on the criteria during their presentations.
5. Presenters are required to provide a digital copy of their submission to VRCA.
6. Testimonials are welcome. Nominees are encouraged to list certification or rating programs such as LEED, Passive House, etc. that were followed on the project. Include any special challenges these programs presented.
7. Prequalified finalists will be invited to share 3-5 high resolution photos of their nominated project to showcase their work and celebrate excellence across the construction industry. Submitted photos may be used by VRCA to promote the Awards of Excellence, VRCA, and the industry. In additional to photos, finalists are welcome to submit a short video highlighting their project. Select videos may be featured during the Awards of Excellence Gala to help projects to life.
8. Photos should be provided in high-resolution JPEG format. Please share your files by sending a Dropbox invitation of FTP link to awards@vrca.ca.
   
   Photo Specs
   • At least 3-5 photos.
   • Minimum 1080p resolution quality (300 dpi minimum).
   • Preferable JPEG or RAW format.
   • Preferably edited and unwatermarked images.
   
   Video Specs
   • At least 2 minute length.
   • Drone footage if available.
   • Minimum 1080p resolution quality, preferably .MP4 or .MOV file format.
9. The judges use a point-based system to help evaluate members’ nominations and the decisions of the judges are final.
10. The judges reserve the right to reassign entries to the category they deem fit. Firms with a project that is moved to an alternate category will be notified in advance of their presentation and will be given the option to present on either the project as a whole or just the trade work and value.