// Recognition
The engineering awards
our clients compete for
We staff the firms whose projects go up for these programs, and the engineers we place are the ones who deliver them. Metro doesn’t enter — a recruiting firm isn’t eligible for an engineering award — but knowing what these juries reward is part of knowing which résumé is actually strong.
// 01
The programs
Fourteen programs, each linked to the organisation that runs it. Several start at chapter or state level and advance nationally, which is what makes them winnable for a regional firm rather than only for the giants.
ACECEngineering Excellence AwardsThe engineering profession's flagship project competition, judged on innovation, complexity and social value. Categories include Building/Technology Systems, Energy, Water and Transportation.State → national|All disciplinesACECACEC state & metro member organizationsNational entries must come up through one of 51 state and metropolitan organizations, so every state runs its own Engineering Excellence competition first.All 50 states + DC|All disciplinesENRBest Projects & Best of the BestRegional project awards across every state, DC and Puerto Rico — including Specialty Construction, Energy/Industrial, Health Care and Excellence in Sustainability. Regional winners advance to the national round.Regional → national|All disciplinesASCEOutstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA)Running since 1960, ASCE's top project honour for civil engineering skill and contribution to society.National|Civil · Bridge & StructuralAASHTOAmerica's Transportation AwardsState DOT projects judged on quality of life, operations excellence, innovation and safety — regional rounds feed a national Top 12.Regional → national|Civil · Bridge & Structural · CEIAISC / NSBAPrize Bridge AwardsThe steel industry's highest design honour for bridges, awarded since 1928.National|Bridge & Structural · CivilAPWAPublic Works Project of the YearRecognises the agency, the consulting engineer and the contractor together, in four cost divisions and five categories.Chapter → national|Municipal · Civil · CEIASHRAETechnology AwardsHVAC and building-systems performance in real, occupied buildings — commercial, health care, education, industrial and residential categories.Chapter → region → society|MEPIESIllumination AwardsLighting design and controls — interior, outdoor, energy & environmental, and control innovation.Section → international|MEPNECAProject Excellence AwardsElectrical construction across 13 categories, from design-build and health care to substations and EV infrastructure.National|MEPConsulting-Specifying EngineerMEP GiantsThe annual ranking of North America's 100 largest MEP and fire-protection engineering firms.North America|MEPConsulting-Specifying Engineer40 Under 40Individual recognition for mechanical, electrical, commissioning, fire/life-safety and energy engineers under 40 — worth knowing about when you're hiring one.National|MEPWater Environment FederationWEF awards & utility recognitionMore than 30 categories across collection systems, treatment innovation, plant operations and Utility of the Future Today.Member association → national|Water & Wastewater · MunicipalUSGBCLocal Leadership AwardsLEED and high-performance building work, recognised at project and individual level.State & regional|MEP · Municipal · Water & Wastewater
// 02
Engineering Excellence, state by state
ACEC requires national entries to come up through one of its 51 state and metropolitan member organizations, so each of these runs its own Engineering Excellence competition first — with categories including Building/Technology Systems, Energy, Water, Transportation and Structural. Winning at state level is the route to the national Grand Conceptor.
- 01ACEC Alabama Engineering Excellence Awards
- 02ACEC Alaska Engineering Excellence Awards
- 03ACEC Arizona Engineering Excellence Awards
- 04ACEC Arkansas Engineering Excellence Awards
- 05ACEC California Engineering Excellence Awards
- 06ACEC Colorado Engineering Excellence Awards
- 07ACEC Connecticut Engineering Excellence Awards
- 08ACEC Delaware Engineering Excellence Awards
- 09ACEC Florida Engineering Excellence Awards
- 10ACEC Georgia Engineering Excellence Awards
- 11ACEC Hawaii Engineering Excellence Awards
- 12ACEC Idaho Engineering Excellence Awards
- 13ACEC Illinois Engineering Excellence Awards
- 14ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Awards
- 15ACEC Iowa Engineering Excellence Awards
- 16ACEC Kansas Engineering Excellence Awards
- 17ACEC Kentucky Engineering Excellence Awards
- 18ACEC Louisiana Engineering Excellence Awards
- 19ACEC Maine Engineering Excellence Awards
- 20ACEC Maryland Engineering Excellence Awards
- 21ACEC Massachusetts Engineering Excellence Awards
- 22ACEC Michigan Engineering Excellence Awards
- 23ACEC Minnesota Engineering Excellence Awards
- 24ACEC Mississippi Engineering Excellence Awards
- 25ACEC Missouri Engineering Excellence Awards
- 26ACEC Montana Engineering Excellence Awards
- 27ACEC Nebraska Engineering Excellence Awards
- 28ACEC Nevada Engineering Excellence Awards
- 29ACEC New Hampshire Engineering Excellence Awards
- 30ACEC New Jersey Engineering Excellence Awards
- 31ACEC New Mexico Engineering Excellence Awards
- 32ACEC New York Engineering Excellence Awards
- 33ACEC North Carolina Engineering Excellence Awards
- 34ACEC North Dakota Engineering Excellence Awards
- 35ACEC Ohio Engineering Excellence Awards
- 36ACEC Oklahoma Engineering Excellence Awards
- 37ACEC Oregon Engineering Excellence Awards
- 38ACEC Pennsylvania Engineering Excellence Awards
- 39ACEC Rhode Island Engineering Excellence Awards
- 40ACEC South Carolina Engineering Excellence Awards
- 41ACEC South Dakota Engineering Excellence Awards
- 42ACEC Tennessee Engineering Excellence Awards
- 43ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards
- 44ACEC Utah Engineering Excellence Awards
- 45ACEC Vermont Engineering Excellence Awards
- 46ACEC Virginia Engineering Excellence Awards
- 47ACEC Washington Engineering Excellence Awards
- 48ACEC West Virginia Engineering Excellence Awards
- 49ACEC Wisconsin Engineering Excellence Awards
- 50ACEC Wyoming Engineering Excellence Awards
- 51ACEC Metropolitan Washington Engineering Excellence Awards
// 03
ENR’s regional editions
ENR runs Best Projects across every state, Washington DC and Puerto Rico through these regional editions. Category winners advance to the national Best of the Best.
ENR CaliforniaENR NorthwestENR SouthwestENR IntermountainENR Colorado/WyomingENR MidwestENR Texas & LouisianaENR SoutheastENR MidAtlanticENR New York/New JerseyENR New England
// Next step
Staffing an award-calibre project?
Tell us the project and the licensure it needs. We recruit nationally across civil, bridge, CEI, MEP, municipal and water/wastewater.