Please review the required terms for entering the 2026 Permaculture Design Contest below.

Contest Rules

1. To be eligible to submit an entry, participants must be fully paid PINA members and graduates of a Permaculture Design Course by the close of the submission period, September 15, 2026. Membership is available at pina.in.
2. All design submissions will be reviewed by a panel of experts convened by the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA).
3. Submissions must originate from within North America (including Hawaii) to be considered eligible.
4. All eligible submissions will be considered for the Grand Prize award.
5. PINA members in good standing will vote online to select the Grand Prize winner.
6. Only logged-in members may vote. Eligible voting members include Students & Volunteers, Practitioners & Allies, Diplomates & Professionals, Allied Organizations, and Regional Hubs. Each membership account, including group or organizational accounts, is entitled to one (1) vote.
7. To be eligible to vote, members must be current in dues through September 15, 2026. Members may update payment information via the Member Portal at pina.in.
8. All votes are final. Votes may not be changed or withdrawn once cast.
9. Voting will take place on the PINA website. Members experiencing difficulty voting should contact communications@pina.in for assistance.
10. In the event of a tie for first place, PINA will divide the Grand Prize equally between the tied contestants.
11. PINA is the final arbiter of all Contest rules and any disputes arising thereunder. PINA retains sole discretion to accept or reject any ballot, entry, or claim at any stage of the Contest.
12. Award funds are designated for implementation of the submitted design and must be applied accordingly. Prize disbursement will be structured as follows:

Grand Prize Track

• $5,000 awarded upon selection as the Grand Prize winner.
• Remaining balance disbursed upon project completion, contingent on submission of social media-friendly content documenting the project, including: 3–5 short-form video clips (under 60 seconds each), 3–5 high-quality photographs, and one (1) project tour video upon completion.

New Designer Track

• $1,500 awarded upon selection as winner.
• Remaining balance disbursed upon project completion, contingent on submission of the same social media-friendly content described above.

Any revision to or deviation of 10% or more from the approved submitted budget is subject to prior written approval by PINA before implementation.

Key Dates

August 15, 2026  Submissions open.
September 15, 2026 — 11:59 PM PT  Submission deadline. All entries and membership dues must be current by this date.
October 15, 2026  PINA announces the Top Five (5) finalists in each category.
October 16, 2026  Online voting opens.
October 22, 2026 — Online panel: Top Five Finalists in both categories present and describe their designs.
November 1, 2026 — 11:59 PM PT  Online voting closes.
November 2, 2026  Winners announced.

Terms and Conditions

The following terms are established by the Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA) for the 2026 Permaculture Design Contest. By submitting an entry, participants agree to all of the following:

License to PINA

By submitting an entry, the participant grants PINA a worldwide, royalty-free, unlimited-term license to publicize and otherwise use the submitted materials and information for non-commercial purposes in support of PINA’s nonprofit mission to promote permaculture. The participant retains copyright in all original materials, text, and graphics that are not in the public domain.

Representation of Originality

By submitting an entry, the participant warrants that they are the original creator of the submitted design and that they have full authority to publish and share all materials provided to PINA. Submissions must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party.

Cooperation & Publicity

If selected as a Top Five Finalist, the participant agrees to participate in the live online panel on October 22, 2026, or to submit a pre-recorded video presentation in lieu of live attendance. All participants, including winners, agree to cooperate with PINA in publicizing the project and to permit PINA, its agents, and members of the press reasonable access to the project site at mutually agreed-upon times in order to document work supported by the award.

Use of Award Funds

Award recipients agree to apply all prize monies to the implementation of the project as represented in the submitted design and approved budget. Any material deviation from the approved budget (10% or more) requires prior written approval from PINA. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of remaining disbursements.

Eligibility & Disqualification

PINA reserves the right to disqualify any entry or rescind any award at any time if a participant is found to have misrepresented their eligibility, plagiarized work, submitted a purely theoretical design without real-world context, or otherwise violated these rules or the spirit of the Contest.

Dispute Resolution

PINA is the final arbiter of all Contest rules and disputes. All decisions made by PINA regarding eligibility, scoring, voting, and award disbursement are final and binding. Participants waive any right to legal challenge of PINA’s determinations made in good faith under these rules.

Limitation of Liability

PINA shall not be liable for any damages, losses, or claims arising from participation in the Contest, including but not limited to technical failures, lost submissions, or delays in award disbursement beyond PINA’s reasonable control.

Amendments

PINA reserves the right to amend these rules and terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated to registered participants via the PINA website and member communications.

Governing Law

This Contest is governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which PINA is incorporated, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.