The German Brand Award 2027 has been accepting submissions since 4 November 2026. The German Design Council presents the prize for brand management, and the guiding theme is "Brand at Heart". The registration fee is charged per project and is lowest until 11 December 2026; after that it rises in two stages. According to PAGE, the award ceremony is scheduled for 24 June 2027 in Berlin.
What does participation cost?
The award's fee page lists three tiers per project, each plus statutory VAT. By our calculation, the middle tier is around 10 percent above the early-bird rate, and the last one around 40 percent above it. The amounts are listed on the fee page; they may change, which is why this article gives no figures.
The dates of the German Brand Award 2027
According to the award's fee page and the call for entries on PAGE
- 4 November 2026Submission opens
- 11 December 2026Last day for the cheapest rate
- 5 March 2027Last price tier thereafter; PAGE gives this day as the registration deadline
- 24 June 2027Award ceremony in Berlin, according to PAGE
All amounts plus VAT
Sources: German Brand Award, PAGE
The award's FAQ lists further costs and deadlines. The invoice for the registration fee arrives about two weeks after the admission confirmation. The award only invoices a service fee after the jury results have been announced. The award does not say how high the service fee is on the pages we checked. The registration can be revoked within 14 days of confirmation.
The sources contradict each other on the registration deadline. PAGE gives 5 March 2027 as the registration deadline, but the fee page still charges the highest tier for registrations after that day. The list of dates on the award's homepage also has some mixed-up labels, such as "Early Bird Deadline" twice. Therefore, only 11 December 2026 is reliable as the end of the cheapest rate.
Who can submit?
According to the FAQ, registered companies, agencies, service providers and institutions from all industries, both national and international, are eligible. Individuals and graduates cannot participate. Freelancers without a registered company are excluded under this wording. Whether an agency may submit work for clients is not expressly regulated in the FAQ; however, the form asks for the commissioning party, client and agency.
The call for entries on PAGE, labeled as a sponsored post, lists 86 categories in the two disciplines "Excellent Brands" and "Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation". A panel of experts awards the distinctions in the tiers Winner, Gold and Best of Best. The award's homepage names Gabi Bauer, Sophia Rödiger, Dr. Saskia Diehl and Dr. Christian Loefert as jury members.
What this means for you
Calculate before 11 December whether a project is worthwhile. On top of the cheapest tier come VAT and the service fee. An inquiry to brandaward@gdc.de will clarify the amount before you register bindingly. After confirmation, you have 14 days to revoke.
If you work as a freelancer without your own company, your client or an agency has to submit. Bring up the topic early, before the deadline draws closer. According to the FAQ, the invoice address can be changed to the client on request. Our assessment: with three-digit fees per project, participation is worthwhile mainly for work that demonstrates a consistent brand strategy, less so for individual logo commissions.
The organizers opened submissions on 4 November 2026; PAGE published the call for entries on 6 November 2026.
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