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What is D&AD Impact?

The 3 submission categories for the D&AD Impact Awards.

D&AD; Impact celebrates creative ideas that are driving the success of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also helps creative ideas grow, by providing mentoring, training, visibility and funding to work that shows potential. 

Anyone using creative thinking to drive positive change can enter; whether you’re an agency, brand, nonprofit, government organisation, academic institute, a collective or a solopreneur. 

Impact exists within the D&AD; Awards as three categories - Impact, Future Impact and Sustained Impact. 

You can only enter work into one category, so make sure you pick the one that's right for you.

The Impact category is for campaign communications, designs and initiatives that are driving the success of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

  • Work must have been commercially released between 1 January 2023 - 15 April 2026. Entrants must be able to demonstrate behavioural, environmental, social or policy change that's happened as a direct result of the work. 
  • Entrants have the chance to win a Wood, Graphite, White or Black Pencil and are eligible to enter all other categories in the D&AD; Awards (except Future Impact).
  •  In accordance with general awards rules, work can be re-submitted year-on-year, provided it has been developed or significantly changed.
  •  If the work has not changed but the impact of the work has measurably increased over time, Entries must be submitted into the Sustained Impact category. 

The Future Impact category is for early-stage designs and initiatives, still in research and development, that can demonstrate potential to drive the success of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

  • Work in this category is in development and has yet to be commercially released, for example prototypes and MVPs.
  •  All work must have been developed or significantly changed between 1 January 2025 and 15 April 2026. It must have proof of concept and be commercially viable. 
  • Awarded entrants will be invited to apply for a development grant from the £25,000 D&AD; Impact Fund and access to the Impact Council and D&AD; Learning to support project owners with the ideation, launch and early growth of their work. 
  • Work entered into Future Impact is not eligible for any other Awards categories except Product Design/Prototypes. 

The Sustained Impact category is for campaigns, designs and initiatives that are driving the success of the UN Sustainable Development Goals over a sustained amount of time. 

  • Entrants must be able to demonstrate behavioural, environmental, social or policy change that has increased over time, and that was generated as a direct result of the work. 
  • Entrants have the chance to win a Wood, Graphite, White or Black Pencil and are eligible to enter all other categories in the D&AD; Awards (except Future Impact). 
  • Work has been commercially released and launched, significantly changed or updated between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2024 with evident increased impact between 1 January 2025 and 15 April 2026.