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Terms & Conditions

Last updated: September 2025

The African Drawing Award (ADA) is an online competition celebrating architectural imagination across Africa. By submitting an entry, you agree to the following terms and conditions.

Eligibility

  • Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, and professionals (including sole proprietors and independent practitioners) based in Africa or of African nationality.
     

  • Entrants may submit as individuals or teams (2-6 members). For team submissions, all members must be credited, but one person must be listed as the primary contact.
     

  • Unlimited entries are allowed, but each drawing must be submitted separately via the official entry form.
     

  • Organisers, sponsors, and judges may not submit entries.

Entry Requirements

  • Each submission must consist of one drawing only in JPEG or PNG format.
     

  • Maximum file size per drawing: 30MB.
     

  • File naming convention: ADA2026_Name_Surname_Entry 1.
     

  • A short description (10–50 words), title, and entrant details must be provided through the entry form.
     

  • Drawings may be hand-drawn, digital, or multimedia but must be submitted as a single static image.
     

  • Each submission must clearly indicate the category (Hand-drawn / Digital / Multimedia) and level (Undergraduate / Postgraduate / Professional).

Deadlines

  • Entries close on 1 March at 23:59 SAST. Late submissions will not be accepted.
     

  • Results will be announced on 11 April 2026.

Intellectual Property

  • Entrants retain full copyright of their submitted work.
     

  • By submitting, entrants grant ADA a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:
     

    • Display entries in the ADA Virtual Gallery.
       

    • Publish entries on ADA’s website, social media platforms, press releases, or digital catalogues.
       

    • Use entries for future promotional and educational purposes related to ADA.
       

  • All published works will be credited to the entrant(s).
     

  • Entrants are responsible for ensuring their submission does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights.

Judging

  • A panel of judges selected by ADA will review submissions.
     

  • Judging will be based on originality, technique, communication, architectural relevance, and presentation.
     

  • Judges’ decisions are final and binding. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
     

  • Attempts to contact judges directly before, during, or after judging will result in disqualification.

Recognition & Awards

  • Winners and highly commended works will be featured in the ADA Virtual Gallery, social media, and promotional publications.
     

  • Winners will receive digital certificates.
     

  • Physical trophies/medals and additional prizes may be awarded at ADA’s discretion.

Conduct & Fair Use

  • Entrants must ensure all information provided in their submission is accurate.
     

  • Offensive, discriminatory, or plagiarised content will result in immediate disqualification.
     

  • ADA reserves the right to remove or exclude entries that do not comply with these T&Cs.

Liability

  • Entrants are responsible for keeping backups of their submissions. ADA is not liable for lost, corrupted, or incomplete files.
     

  • ADA is not responsible for technical failures, internet issues, or submission errors beyond its control.
     

  • By entering, entrants accept participation at their own risk.

Data Protection

  • Personal information collected through the entry form will only be used for administering the competition and for communicating with entrants.
     

  • Entrants’ names and affiliations (university, company, or sole proprietor) may be published alongside their submissions.
     

  • ADA will not share entrants’ personal contact information with third parties without consent.

Amendments & Cancellation

  • ADA reserves the right to amend these T&Cs at any time. Updates will be posted on the official competition page.
     

  • ADA may cancel or postpone the competition in the event of unforeseen circumstances (e.g., force majeure, technical failures).
     

  • If cancelled, ADA is under no obligation to publish or award submitted entries.

Agreement

  • By ticking the declaration box on the entry form, entrants confirm that they:

  • Own the rights to the submitted work.
     

  • Have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
     

  • Consent to ADA using their entry as outlined above.

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