An AIPM community award
AI Project
of the Year
Recognising AI that actually delivered, inside real projects.
A proposal for Ricardo Vargas and Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez · Edition 2027
15 minutes · 8 slides · 5 decisions
Why it should exist
Nobody recognises AI that was delivered responsibly inside a real project.
AI awardsJudge the product
Strong on what was built. Silent on whether it was governed, adopted and delivered.
Project awardsJudge the delivery
Strong on how the work was run. Nothing on how the AI itself was applied.
We checked 25 programmes. None recognises responsible AI inside delivered project work and gives the team feedback on its own practice. That space is open, and AIPM can own it.
What it is
One free entry. Up to three recognitions.
Always conferredAI Project of the Year
The project that best combines responsible AI, real adoption, measurable outcomes and delivery rigor.
From the finalistsExcellence in Responsible AI
For the finalist with the strongest governance, human accountability and trustworthiness.
Only if earnedExcellence in Agentic AI
Only where a finalist applies agentic AI responsibly. A bar to clear, not a slot to fill.
Free to enter, and free proof for winners
Any sector, any country
Delivered work with evidence, not ideas, tools or demos
How it works Proposed dates
From announcement to ceremony in six steps.
5 Nov 2026
Announced on International Project Management DayWith the award page, and the case-study book if it is ready
From launch
Nominations openWindow length to set together
Early 2027
Regional juries: Americas, EMEA, Asia-PacificAmbassadors alongside external experts
Early 2027
Global panelFinalists pitch live and are re-scored from zero by Ricardo, Antonio and invited experts
April or May 2027
Ceremony, online
After
Finalists' case studies feed the next AIPM case-study bookOnly with each finalist's consent
Why the result can be trusted
Six weighted criteria, published before the call opens.
Outcomes, benefits and impact
25%
Responsible AI governance and Human-in-Command
20%
Adoption and change management
15%
AI solution fit and innovation
15%
Project management and delivery rigor
15%
Learning and contribution to the community
10%
And three safeguards: conflicts of interest handled by rule, not goodwill · every entry scored by at least three jurors · every finalist receives written feedback on each criterion.
What it gives AIPM
A yearly engine for content, community and reach.
BookEvery edition produces vetted case studies for the annual AIPM case-study book
JuriesA real role for ambassadors, judging in their own region
3 regionsEntries and jurors from every region, in the languages our ambassadors speak
FirstNone of the 25 programmes we checked owns this space
Together with the book, it is a second gift to the community: free, non-commercial, and about practice.
What is ready
The award is designed and built. It is waiting on dates.
DoneReady to use
- Rules and rubric, reviewed by the core team across the three streams
- Entry platform, tested end to end: nomination, evidence upload, secure resume by email
- Award page, ready to go live with the announcement
NextAfter your decisions
- Dates written into the rules and the page, once
- Judging tool finishes its pilot in mid-December
- Call for jurors, alongside the new ambassador round
Designed by the AIPM Award core team. AI in Real Projects: Farhad Abdollahyan, Marcin Nowakowski, Steve Hansen · Best Practices & Frameworks: Tooran Khosh, Mohammed Al Hadeeth · Community & Growth: Vitor Rodovalho, Maria Antonieta Huertas.
What we need from you
Five decisions, and we can launch on 5 November.
- The calendarAnnouncement on 5 November, the nomination window, and the ceremony date in April or May
- The judging modelRegional ambassador juries, then your global panel: confirm it, and who sits with you
- Who carries the awardThe owning stream, and who does what
- Where the entry page livesIts web address, and the account it runs on
- Case studies for the bookConsent asked of finalists and winners, never a condition of entry
Detail on request: the benchmark of 25 programmes, the operating rules, the entrant FAQ, and the full working review.