PMI Awards Rules & Procedures
Complete Guidelines for Participation
Everything you need to know about applying for and participating in the PMI Awards
Overview
The PMI Awards Program in its PMO category recognize PMOs demonstrating performance, leadership, and value delivery within organizations. We highlight PMOs that advance project, program, and portfolio management practices, driving strategic alignment and generating effective value for their organizations.
Presented annually, these prestigious PMI awards stand as a global benchmark for excellence, celebrating groundbreaking innovations, a dedication to driving business impact, and promoting project success across diverse industries worldwide.
The PMO category represent recognition by a distinguished group of high-level professionals and peers from the global PMO community. Being acknowledged in these awards signifies that your organization's work is admired and celebrated worldwide, reflecting real-world excellence in the PMO domain.
2026 Award Categories
Application Process
1Designate the Lead Nominator
To start the application process for the PMI PMO Awards, the first step is to designate a Lead Nominator. This individual must be the PMO Leader (Director, Manager, Coordinator) of the nominated organization and will act as the primary point of contact for all communications regarding the nomination.
The Lead Nominator must be an official representative of the PMO, and their email address must be associated with the nominated organization's domain. This requirement ensures that the nomination is formally recognized and submitted by an authorized individual capable of accurately representing the organization's interests.
2Submit the One-Page Application Form
Organizations must complete and submit a one-page application form to initiate the application process. This form requires essential details about the nominee, including:
- Organization Name
- Contact Email Addresses
- Industry
- City and Country
- Website
- LinkedIn Profile
- High-Quality Logo
- Lead Nominator Information
- PMO Sponsor Information
Important Note:
Within three business days of submitting the one-page application form, the PMI Awards team will review the information provided and send an email confirming the nominee's eligibility.
⚠️ Commitment Warning
By submitting the application form, your organization commits to participating in the competition, even if the required video has not yet been sent. Failure to submit the video or withdrawing from the competition after submitting the form will result in your organization being listed as one of the nominees but automatically forfeiting all matches in the group stage. This could negatively impact your PMO's reputation. Furthermore, your organization will be disqualified from participating in the subsequent two editions of the PMI Awards.
3Submit a Video Presentation
Each organization must submit a video presentation as part of the application process. This video is a critical component of the PMI Awards as it provides the Judging Committee with essential insights, clarifications, and a deeper understanding of the PMO for thorough evaluation.
Presentation Style
The video should resemble a presentation you might deliver in a virtual conference setting. Professional production or high-cost investment is not required. The focus is on the content rather than production quality.
Duration
The video must be between 30 to 40 minutes, with a tolerance of +/- 5 minutes. Videos that do not adhere to this time frame will be rejected.
Language Requirements
The video must be in Business English to ensure comprehension by an international Judging Committee. Avoid using acronyms or terms unique to your organization, industry, or country unless explained clearly.
Deadline
You must submit the requested video by March 31st, 2026 to complete your application. Within five business days of submitting the video, the PMI Awards team will review and send an email confirming video acceptance.
By submitting the required video, the organization agrees to grant PMI full rights to the video, allowing it to be shared with the global project management community as part of our knowledge base.
Eligibility Criteria
Competition Format
- PMOs from any industry, sector, or country are eligible to participate.
- Enterprise, Business Unit, Departmental, Program, or Project PMOs are eligible to participate.
- PMOs from the same global organization can represent different countries if they have offices located in those respective countries.
- Multiple PMOs from a single organization are eligible to participate.
- Nominations from third parties on behalf of a PMO are not accepted. Consulting, Training, or other third-party providers cannot submit nominations.
- Current PMI staff, PMI contractors, and PMI consultants are not eligible to apply.
- PMOs that have won the World PMO of the Year award in one of the last three editions of the PMI Awards are not eligible to participate in the current edition.
Nominees will compete in successive rounds against each other in a one-on-one format based on the set criteria. Each contest will be assessed by a group of judges assigned to select the winner according to the established criteria.
The outcome of each contest will be determined by the final score, which indicates the victorious PMO for that match. For example, a contest between Country A and Country B with twenty judges assigned: if fifteen judges consider Country A's nominee superior, the final score would be Country A 15 X 5 Country B.
In cases where there is a tie, the tiebreaker will involve a comparison of performances based on each criterion, beginning from the last and working towards the first. Should the tie persist, a public draw will be conducted.
Evaluation Criteria
Value Creation and Impact
Tangible benefits delivered to customers, stakeholders, and the organization. Influence on organizational culture and maturity, senior management engagement and sponsorship levels.
PMO's Evolution
Strategic approach, consistency, adaptability, and leadership development. The journey that shaped the PMO's current state.
Client Service Excellence
Range and suitability of services offered to clients and stakeholders. How well these services meet organizational needs and performance expectations.
Adherence to Best Practices
Methodologies, techniques, and commitment to continuous improvement. Alignment with industry standards.
Innovation and Adaptability
Innovative solutions to overcome challenges and achieve results. Implementation of creative strategies and technologies.
Community Engagement
Fostering project management community and organizational culture. Building collaboration, transparency, and accountability.
Competition Stages
1Group Stage
The Group Stage is the first phase of the PMI Awards competition, where all nominees are divided into groups and compete against one another within their assigned groups. At this stage, there are no regional divisions, creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all participants.
As per the rules of the PMI Awards, each country must be represented by only one PMO in the global competition. Therefore, only the top-performing nominee from each country will advance to the Knockout Stage, ensuring fair representation and that the strongest PMO from each nation continues in the competition.
For each of the five regions, up to 16 nominees with the best performance will qualify for the Knockout Stage. This ensures that the most outstanding PMOs from across the globe can progress further in the competition.
If multiple applications are received from the same country, the nominees will compete against others in their group and within the Group Stage. The highest-performing PMO from that country will secure the spot to represent the nation in the Knockout Stage.
In cases of a tie-in performance, a tiebreaker system will be implemented. The average performance in the final evaluation criterion will serve as the first tiebreaker, moving backward through the criteria if necessary. This approach ensures a fair, transparent, and objective method for resolving ties and determining which nominees advance to the next stage.
2Regional Knockout Stage
The Regional Knockout Stage is a critical phase of the competition where PMOs compete to determine the regional winners across five global regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and The Americas.
At this stage, nominees who qualified as their country's sole representatives during the Group Stage will face one another in a series of elimination rounds. The matchups in the first round will be determined based on the nominees' rankings from the Group Stage, ensuring a fair and structured progression. Depending on the number of participants, these rounds may include a round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and ultimately, the regional finals.
Each region's winner will be honored with a prestigious Regional PMO of the Year Award, recognizing their excellence and leadership within their respective regions.
3World Final
The World Final brings together the five regional winners, who now hold the title of World Finalists, to compete for the ultimate honor: the World PMO of the Year Award.
In this final phase, the regional champions face rigorous evaluation to determine which PMO has demonstrated the highest levels of innovation, strategic impact, and excellence on a global scale.
Regional Winners Requirement:
If a nominee is selected as one of the regional winners and thus a finalist for the World PMO of the Year Award, it agrees to the condition of participating in the 2026 PMI Global Summit. As part of this participation, the nominee is expected to conduct a session at the summit.
Video Guidelines
- The video is vital to your participation at the PMI Awards, providing Judges with essential insights, clarifications, and a deeper understanding for thorough evaluation.
- Please remember that the expectation for the video is that your PMO is presented like what would be done in a virtual conference. There is no requirement for professional production or sophistication that would require high investment in video production. The evaluation focuses on content rather than production sophistication.
- The video presentation should last strictly between 30 to 40 minutes. A tolerance of +/- 5 minutes is allowed. Videos not adhering to this time frame will not be accepted.
- The video format can vary and might include PowerPoint-style presentations with voiceover or other effective formats. The video presenter does not need to be the lead nominee. Narration through voiceover is acceptable.
- There is no specific template for the presentation, but using a sans-serif font of at least 14-point size is recommended for readability.
- Your video must be in Business English. This is crucial as they will be evaluated by an international Judging Committee that may not be familiar with unique acronyms and terms specific to your organization, industry, or country.
- Pay special attention to the quality of audio capture for clear and intelligible narration.
- The applicant is fully responsible for recording and producing the video presentation. PMI does not offer technical support for this task.
- Please be aware that PMI will not cover any costs for preparing the video.
Video Submission Process:
The process to submit your video presentation for the PMI Awards requires that a download link is provided. This link should be sent to the email address rodrigo.lemos@pmi.org by the deadline of April 10th, 2026. It's essential to adhere to this deadline to ensure your entry is considered.
When preparing to send the link, please keep in mind the following:
- •Video Format and Hosting: Ensure that your video is in a compatible format and hosted on a reliable platform that allows for easy downloading. Formats like MP4 or AVI are generally preferred for their wide compatibility.
- •File Size and Quality: Check the file size and video quality before sending the link. The video should be of high quality, both in terms of audio and visual elements, but also manageable in size for easy download and access.
- •Verification of Link: Before submitting, verify that the link works correctly and that the video is accessible for download without any issues.
- •Backup Option: It's advisable to have a backup copy of the video. You can quickly provide an alternative if there are any issues with the link or file.
- •Email Confirmation: After submitting your email, you can expect to receive a confirmation of receipt from the PMI PMO Awards team within five days. This confirmation email will acknowledge that your submission has been successfully received.
General Rules
- PMI holds the right to disqualify any participant at any time up to the award presentation if they are deemed ineligible.
- PMI also reserves the right to accept or reject applications and videos, make or cancel awards, or change deadlines as necessary to uphold the quality of the PMI Awards and benefit the global PMO community.
- If any submitted information is found to be false or misleading, PMI reserves the right to rescind an award.
- Participants, finalists, and winners will receive publicity through PMI communication channels and external media. Participants may also collaborate with PMI for additional publicity.
Ready to Apply?
Applications will open in January 2026. Make sure you review all rules and procedures carefully before submitting your application.