About the award
Established in 2012, the IHS Alumni Impact Award is a competition that takes place every two years, with the aim of recognising and supporting worldwide urban initiatives of IHS alumni. Through this platform, IHS alumni who make an impact in their cities and communities through innovative small scale urban initiatives and projects can showcase their work and inspire other urban professionals to become change-makers. The 2026 edition of the Award is closed. Below, you can see an overview of the award event and the winner announcement.
Take a look at the closing event recap and the winners of the IHS Alumni Impact Award competition!
Award structure
The IHS Alumni Impact Award 2026 is envisioned as a hybrid competition, consisting of four phases.
1. Application
IHS alumni worldwide will be invited to submit initiatives, projects, or organizations that demonstrate measurable or meaningful local impact. The submissions are made through an online application form.
2. Promotion of the submissions
Complete and valid submissions are featured on the website, and each project is shared on social media and in a dedicated newsletter.
3. Selection
This is a three-step process, structured as follows:
- Community voting: individuals can vote for their favourite initiative online, for a limited amount of time.
- Expert jury evaluation
- Alumni Board evaluation
4. Final event in Rotterdam
The final event brought together finalists, alumni, staff, students, and urban professionals in the Netherlands. The event consisted of a workshop, followed by the award ceremony and networking drinks.
If you have questions, please contact us at alumni@ihs.nl
Curious to know more about what the alumni community is up to?
Discover all the participants from the 2026 edition or take a look at the three finalist initiatives!