MUTEC Award
The MUTEC Award will be presented for the second time at MUTEC 2026. The award recognises outstanding exhibition projects in museums and exhibition venues across the German-speaking world.
MUTEC-Award 2026
The MUTEC Award will be presented for the second time at MUTEC 2026. The award recognises outstanding exhibition projects in museums and exhibition venues across the German-speaking world.
The award is presented by Leipziger Messe in cooperation with ICOM Germany and VerA – Verband für Ausstellungsgestaltung e. V. and highlights innovative, sustainable, inclusive and creatively high-quality exhibitions.
The ten best projects will be exhibited at MUTEC 2026. From these, the jury will select the three winners.
Who can apply?
Eligible to apply are museums, exhibition designers, agencies and interdisciplinary teams from Germany, Austria and Switzerland that have organised a special, permanent or travelling exhibition between 2024 and 2026. Entries may be submitted individually or jointly.
What is being assessed?
The jury assesses the projects holistically. Key criteria include:
- Innovation & Creativity
- Sustainability
- Design quality
- Accessibility & Inclusion
- Interactivity & Participation
- An engaging speech
Prize money
The MUTEC Award comes with the following prize money:
- 1st place: 2,000 EUR
- 2nd place: 1,500 EUR
- 3rd place: 1,000 EUR
Jury
Leipzig Trade Fair, ICOM Germany and VerA – Verband für Ausstellungsgestaltung e. V. appointed an independent expert jury to decide on the winners of the three prizes. These are its members:
- Matthias Kutsch – Chairman, VerA – Association for Exhibition Design
- Prof. Dr Joachim Baur – Professor and Independent Curator, Technical University of Dortmund / Die Exponauten, Berlin; Board Member, ICOM Germany
- Susanne Zils – Chair of the DMB Exhibition Working Group and Project Coordinator for the new permanent exhibition of the Historical Museum Saar
- Prof. Dr Gisela Weiß – Vice Dean, Museum Studies and Museum Education, HTWK Leipzig
- Claudia Glass – Member of the Executive Board, Swiss Association for Scenography
- Dr Marko Mele – Scientific Managing Director, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Vienna
Timetable and deadlines for applicants
| Application deadline | 31 Juli 2026 |
| Announcement of the nominees | Late August / early September 2026 |
| Awards ceremony | 6 November 2026, 1 p.m. at the MUTEC-Forum |
Submission & Tender Documents
Applications must be submitted exclusively online via the Leipziger Messe upload platform (password: MUTEC-Award2026). You can easily upload your documents here using drag and drop.
You can find all the information regarding the judging criteria, formal requirements and all other key details in our tender documents, which are available to download here. These have been drawn up in collaboration between Leipziger Messe, ICOM Germany and VerA – Verband für Ausstellungsgestaltung e. V. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.
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