The Pro Carton Young Designers competition is Europe’s leading annual young talent competition for packaging design. Focussing exclusively on cartonboard, the award plays a pioneering role in promoting sustainable packaging and innovation amongst students across Europe.
Pro Carton Young Designers competition Details
Entries can be submitted in four categories:
- Creative Cartonboard Packaging Eat & Drink: The focus lies on cartonboard as the most sustainable food and beverages packaging material and its recyclability. Give us a taste of great design!
- Creative Cartonboard Packaging All Other – excluding Eat & Drink: This category is focussed on using the most sustainable packaging material for non-food packaging. Everything needs packaging, have a look around yourself and get inspired!
- Creative Cartonboard Ideas: Think outside the box! Here is a chance for you to put forward your cartonboard ideas outside of the packaging market.
- Save the Planet: Show us your ideas as to how cartonboard can reduce or replace plastic and help us save the planet!
In addition to these four category winners, the jury will also choose the winner of the “Newcomer Award“. The “Newcomer Award“ goes to a participant from a school or university that has not won an award in the past. Additionally, everyone will have the opportunity to vote and select the winner of the Public Award.
Who can enter the competition?
The competition is aimed at all design students in Europe who are not working as professionals. They must not have completed their studies before the summer of 2021 (proof is to be supplied with the entry, e.g. student enrollment document). An entry gives the organisers the right to showcase the submitted concepts in a public exhibition, including publication, promotion and documentation of the competition.
Competition Entry fee
The Competition is free to enter.
Pro Carton Young Designers competition Prizes
- For the 5 main winners –the prize for each of the winners is a three to four-day visit to a leading European cartonboard mill and practical training at a leading European carton converter. It will be a unique and memorable experience.
- A trophy and certificate.
- The winner of the Public Award will win an iPad and a certificate.
- International publicity and recognition.
Application Guide
The initial submission should be made online and you will only need to send your physical 3D cartonboard design if it has been confirmed that you have made it onto the shortlist. Students that do not make it to the shortlist will not have to send in their physical designs/prototypes/dummies for the jury meeting.
Step 1: Create your design idea:
- must be three-dimensional, true to scale, regardless of their actual size and use
- must be made mainly of cartonboard (over 200 g/m2)
- be folded and possibly glued
- printed if possible (but not essential)
- must be your original idea and not copied from another source (with or without permission). Entering a concept that is not your own idea will result in disqualification and could infringe copyright law.
Step 2: Online entry – promote your design:
- Take 3-5 photos of your design
- Describe your design concept in max. 100 words
- Please keep in mind that your photos and texts:
- are the basic information for the judging and
- will be used for public voting, social media, etc.
- Optional: you can also add an explanatory video, you can download the logo here if you like!
- Deadline: May 22, 2022. All entries need to be uploaded by this date. Every entrant receives a confirmation email following the upload. Entries should be submitted when they are ready, do NOT wait until the last day. Entries can be submitted now!
The online entries will be judged to create a shortlist of designs that will go forward to the final judging. We will contact all the selected designers via email. Please keep an eye on your inbox for the notification email and add our email address to your contacts! If successful, your immediate action will be necessary:
Step 3: Physical entry of the selected designs:
- If you receive an email confirming that you have been successfully shortlisted then send us your physical 3D prototype together with:
- a copy of the entry form (confirmation email) so we can identify your physical entry
- a description, on one A4 page, which must accompany all 3D samples.
Shortlisted students will be notified shortly after the final online entry deadline and entries should be securely packed and sent to: Pro Carton Young Designers Award c/o Lejeune Association Management Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië 131-G NL-2593 BM The Hague The Netherlands
- Please make sure your physical entries arrive in time.
The entry can be returned to the entrant upon special request and at their own cost and risk. Make sure to communicate your request in advance. Following the jury meeting:
- The selection for the public voting (max. 25 designs) for the Public Award will be published and widely communicated
Step 4: Public Voting – your second chance – vote and promote
- Share, like, promote your design with your friends, colleagues, family, etc.
- The winner of the Public Award will win an iPad
Competition Deadline
The registration period ends on 26 June 2022.
Competition Website
You can check the competition website following this link. Check other prizes and contests following International Competitions category