2026 APA Florida Project Awards Application

Eligible planning projects are those completed within the last two years in Florida. An awards application should be submitted in electronic format and include a copy of the planning document (if applicable) and a completed application form.

Incomplete applications or those not received in the APA Florida Chapter office by the deadline will not be considered. The award recipients will be notified by early July of their selection. Those selected for an Award of Excellence will be requested to provide a short video for the awards ceremony. The Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit will be presented to the recipients at the opening morning session of the 2026 Florida Planning Conference. (Wednesday, Oct. 14)

Nominations will be evaluated for the award category in which they are submitted. However, the Awards Committee may upon a majority vote, move a nomination to a different category, if appropriate. Generally, only one Award of Excellence and one Award of Merit are granted per category each year. If the Awards Committee finds that none of the nominations in a particular category meets the desirable standards, they may opt not to grant an award in that category for that year. The jurors make the distinction between Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit based on several factors including scoring, innovation, superior quality, transferability, and other factors.

Submit only one (1) project for one (1) award category per application. Please direct any questions about the awards program to Patti Shea at 850-201-3272 or here.

All award non-student application entries, including electronic versions of all materials, must be received by the Chapter Office by 5 pm ET, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Student Project Award applications are due by 5 pm ET, May 8, 2026.) Materials received after these dates will not be accepted.

There is a fee for each application submitted: $50 for members; and $75 for nonmembers. Payment will be captured below.

Applicant Information

The applicant will be considered the primary contact to the chapter for all decisions made on this application and will work with APA Florida staff to obtain additional information and materials.

Project Information

An electronic copy of the planning document or project must accompany this application. Use the upload buttons offered toward the bottom. 

Brief Description

Describe the setting, time frame, significance to the planning field, innovations in theory, methodology and/or practice and other unique aspects to the application.

Project Summary

To be used for the award handout at the conference.

Originality and Innovation

How does the entry present a visionary approach or innovative concept to address needs? How does the use of the planning process in this context broaden accepted planning principles within the context of the situation?

Quality

How does the project represent excellence of thought, analysis, writing, and graphics, regardless of budgetary limitations? How were available resources used in a thoughtful and ethical process?

Transferability

How does the project have potential application for others and how does use of the entry’s components and methodology would further the cause of good planning?

Comprehensiveness

How have planning principles been observed, especially in consideration of the entry’s effects on other public objectives?

Implementation & Effectiveness

This is not a criterion for the Outstanding Student Project Award. Students put "n/a" in field. 

What steps were taken to build momentum and public support for following or adopting the project? How did the project address the need or problem that prompted its initiation? How have the results made a difference in the lives of the people affected?

Engagement

How various public interests involved and what was the extent of that involvement? How does the project demonstrate a strong effort to solicit input from those who historically have been left out of the planning process? How were those affected brought into the planning process? How did the project obtain public and private support?

Role of Planners

This is not a criterion for the Grassroots Initiative Award. Put "n/a" in field. 

Detail how the planning staff (public or private) was engaged in the project. What was the role, significance, and participation of planners? How did the project increase awareness in the community of planners and planning?

Education

This is a criterion for only the Grassroots Initiative Award. Everyone else put "n/a" in field. 

How has the project encouraged community leaders to revise their opinions about the varied uses and broad applications of the planning process? What influence has the project had on public awareness beyond those immediately affected? What connection is there between the effort’s success and increased awareness in the community of planners and planning?

Age-Friendliness

This is a criterion for only the Innovations in Planning for All Ages. Everyone else put "n/a" in field. 

How has the project or program helped the local community become more age-friendly, specifically with respect to the 50+ population? What influence has the project had on public awareness of the importance of including age-friendly considerations in planning decisions? What tangible impacts has the project or program had within the community in terms of being able to age in place? What connection is there between the effort’s success and increased awareness in the community of barriers with respect to this issue?

Upload Images and Other Documents

Be sure you have uploaded the planning or project document below, as applicable. 

Ten (10) digital graphics or images (jpg or png format, color, 300 dpi minimum) which are copyright-free that illustrate the planning area or project that is being submitted. Submit only graphics or images that are not copyrighted, and which may be reproduced by APA Florida without a fee, charge, or copyright infringement. By submitting images, you agree to pay any copyright or image use license violations fines levied upon the chapter. 

• Images should provide context and show the award nomination’s positive or intended results.
• Images should supplement what exists in the written summary and criteria sections.
• Each image is limited to a maximum 10 megabytes (10 MBs).  If your image is too large, please provide a link to view or download. You can list these links on an additional document and upload or on the captions document. 
• Each image must include a photo caption. Captions must be no more than 25 words each. Upload captions on a separate document and ID to respective image.
• Photo collages, videos or PowerPoint presentations are not acceptable.

Up to five (5) one-page letters of support or testimonials are encouraged, but not required in support of the application. If the work was done for a local government but submitted by another party (such as a consultant), a representative of the local government must submit a letter that they have reviewed the application and are in agreement with all the information listed in the awards submittal. Letter(s) should offer support for the value of the nominated effort. Letters may not be written by the nominator of the submission or by the nominated project author, client or group.

Application fee

The application fee is $50 for APA Florida members and $75 Non-members. You can pay by credit card or check. Please pick an option below. 

Sign & Submit

I certify that the submitted work was done by the parties credited in this Awards Application Form, and that the work meets the appropriate nomination submittal requirements listed herein.

If you need to save the information on the form to complete later, click the 'Save' button below.  You will receive an email to the account listed above. Another option is to click on ‘Get Shareable Link’ in the pop up window that will occur right after you click Save. Bookmark that URL.