international busan design award (ibda) 2026

From 02.01.2026 to 21.05.2026 Award ceremony Competition

ICoD is pleased to announce the Member Event 2026 International Busan Design Award (IBDA) organised by Design Council Busan. The award ceremony will be held on May 21, as the main event of the Busan Design Festival, and the exhibition will be held from May 21 to 24. The entry submission due date is 3 April 2026.

ELIGIBILITY AND HOW TO SUBMIT

Previously known as the Busan Design Exhibition, which was first launched in 1981, the International Busan Design Award (IBDA) has been held for the 8th time as an international design competition since 2019. By sharing various design concepts and linking platforms to realize and commercialize creative ideas, the International Busan Design Award is becoming an open place for the global design industry.

Entries are open to individuals or teams of up to four members, with a maximum of two entries per participant. The General Division includes university students (including graduate students), the general public, and companies, while the Youth Division is open to elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as youth under the age of 18. Entry fees are waived for university students, graduate students, and the general public. However, companies must pay a fee of KRW 100,000 per entry, which must be paid at the time of online entry submission. The Youth Division is free of charge.

The entry categories are organized under a free theme and include communication and service design, product and environmental design, craft and fashion design, as well as the newly established Busan Urban Public Design category. The total prize money is KRW 56.7 million, and the Grand Prize winner will receive KRW 20 million. The number of prizes and prize classifications may change depending on the number of entries and judging criteria.

We are also recruiting jurors year-round through the official website, targeting design experts with over 10 years of proven experience. Screenings are divided into two parts: online (1st round) and offline (2nd round with physical entry submissions). Design Council Busan (DCB) will provide English guidelines for the online screening to ensure global participation. The award ceremony will be held on May 21, 2026, as the main event of Busan Design Festival (May 21–24) at BEXCO in Busan, South Korea.

BUSAN DESIGN FESTIVAL (BDF)

The Busan Design Festival (BDF) is the largest design-focused exhibition in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, aimed at enhancing the global market competitiveness of the design industry and expanding cooperative channels among industries, academia, and government organizations. The festival is co-hosted by Design House Co., Ltd., KNN, and Design Council Busan.