Martin Barnes Awards 2026

Celebrating global visionaries that are shaping the future of NEC

Deadline: 27th March 2026

The Martin Barnes NEC Awards celebrate pioneers and visionaries shaping the future of global engineering and project management through collaboration, innovation, and sustainability.

Named in honour of Dr Martin Barnes, whose ground-breaking contributions to the NEC Contracts revolutionised project delivery, these awards recognise exceptional achievements that inspire progress and transform the industry.

From innovative project solutions and climate change initiatives to leadership and collaboration, the awards highlight the creativity, resilience, and ingenuity driving success. Being shortlisted signifies a commitment and continuous effort for excellence and a profound impact on the NEC community and beyond.

Through these awards, we aim to honour the individuals, teams, and organisations that are redefining the standards of success while inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

View the categories

Watch our 2025 recap video below:

Enter now by selecting your category below:

Project-focused

Project Excellence and Innovation - This award recognises ground-breaking innovation, inventive solutions and best practice. Entries must demonstrate their creativity in rethinking conventional approaches when tackling complex challenges that has led to transformative change and delivered measurable values in areas such as infrastructure, natural capital, and organisational goals.
View criteria and enter now
Future-focused Collaboration - This award recognises the best in collaborative efforts to develop new solutions to real-world technical challenges and to address social and environmental issues.
View criteria and enter now
Climate Change Initiatives - Projects with Social and environmental submissions that demonstrates sustainable practices, and societal impact to taking responsibilities to minimise potential harms and maximise positive benefits to help reduce the impacts of climate change.
View criteria and enter now

Leadership and Organisational Excellence

Client of the Year - This category seeks to recognises both public and private asset owners that commission projects and can prove their excellence as an exemplary client. They must demonstrate exceptional leadership and vision in fostering
sustainability, growth, quality, value, and innovation. It celebrates those who actively drive positive change
and inspire progress in their industries.
View criteria and enter now

Professional Services of the Year - This award honours consultancies, advisory firms, law firms, building and quality surveyors and solution providers delivering transformative impact through innovation, client and end users’ satisfaction, and leadership in sustainability. It highlights organisations that set the standard for excellence in professional services. Where partners have worked towards common goals, can demonstrate improved performance, and should highlight how their collaboration and integration has resulted in a better outcome for all parties.
View criteria and enter now

Contractor of the Year - This award recognises contractors and subcontractors who set new benchmarks in project delivery by embracing sustainability, innovation, and exceptional efficiency. It celebrates those going beyond conventional practices to deliver outstanding results and promote sustainable ambitions.
View criteria and enter now

Recognising People

Individual Excellence Award - This award celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, leadership and innovation in implementing NEC principles. It recognises significant recent contributions that have set new standards of excellence, fostered collaboration and achieved tangible results in projects and initiatives.
View criteria and enter now
Dr Martin Barnes Distinguished Contribution Award - This award honours members who have significantly advanced the adoption and best practices of NEC principles. It recognises their exceptional leadership and dedication, often given voluntarily, in driving collaboration, innovation, efficiency and sustainability. Their time and efforts have left a lasting legacy, not only within the NEC community but also in the wider society.
View criteria and enter now

Eligibility

Projects, organisations and individuals must be procured under NEC contracts and meet the stated criteria. The contracts can be in progress (as long as at least one year has passed). Domestic and international projects are eligible, and each organisation or individual may submit up to three entries. Each project can be submitted for one entry only. In case of joint submissions, only the primary participant listed on the entry will have it counted toward their quota.

How to Apply

Choose the appropriate category and select the relevant msform linked above.

Having issues with msforms? Click here.

The deadline for submissions is 27 March 2025.

Our Judging Panel

Helen Sturdy Head of Construction & ProCure23 Framework, NHS England

Rekha Thawrani OBE Director NEC Contracts, Global and ICE Training, NEC Contracts

Siu Fa Project Executive, Environment Agency

Matthew Garratt Commercial Director, Dalkia EDF Group

Matthew Colton Director, Management Commercial Engineering

Events

Events throughout the year will introduce new users to NEC and provide deep dives into key topics. There are also our big annual conferences held in the UK and Hong Kong.

Projects

Read case studies of contracts used, benefits realised, challenges overcome and problems solved through NEC procurement. Projects are from around the world, across a wide breadth of sectors.

Issues with the form?

You can request the entry forms in Word format by emailing usergroup@neccontract.com. Completed forms should be filled in electronically and returned to the same email address to submit your entry.