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Terms and Conditions

These T&Cs have been slightly updated from the 2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards Terms & Conditions, with input from 2025 participants. Please read these in full before submitting your 2026 award nomination.

For any questions, please email mavlab@mav.asn.au.

You are also welcome to join the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards Information Sessions on Wednesday 6th May.

Register here

2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards Terms and Conditions

  1. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) runs the MAVlab Innovation Awards.
  2. Entries must comply with the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards Eligibility criteria.
    1. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) reserves the right to refuse entries that do not comply. This decision is at the sole discretion of the MAV and no correspondence will be entered into.
    2. Entries that do not meet eligibility requirements and are removed from the assessment in 2026 may be submitted in future years.
  3. Entries in the eleven project categories (please refer to the Categories page), that is all categories except the two Innovatio Pro Bono Publico categories, must be submitted by any individual who is a fulltime, part-time or casual council staff member in a Victorian local council about council staff or council-led projects or programs.
    1. If an entry in these eleven awards is received from anyone other than a council staff member, they will not be eligible. The MAV will make our best efforts to inform them in a timely manner so that they may engage correct resubmission, however there will be no extensions or special considerations granted. Please note, Collaborative projects are encouraged, and partners can and should be noted in entries.
    2. Nominations in the two Innovatio Pro Bono Publico Awards for Emerging and Established leaders may be submitted by a sector partner, community group or organisation. For these awards, we invite you to include a referral from a council colleague as part of the submissions process. This is optional but any contributions will be included in the assessment of the nomination.
  4. Information supplied within the entries must be correct and complete.
    1. The MAV reserves the right to verify any information contained in each submission.
    2. All personal or sensitive information will be treated as confidential and used in accordance with the MAV’s Privacy Policy.
  5. All entries and accompanying documents must be supplied in English at minimum.
  6. Entries which do not use the awards platform, Award Force (MAVlab Innovation Awards) as linked to on the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards website will not be considered.
    1. Supporting content must be uploaded via the Award Force platform.
    2. We will not accept content emailed to the MAV staff outside of the entry process. If you have challenges with uploading content, reach out to MAVlab@mav.asn.au.
  7. Entries can be made by a person for more than one project per category. They can also submit one project as a nomination across multiple categories. The awards platform, Award Force, requires you submit one nomination per project per category, however supports copying of content, as well as saving and editing content over time. There is no limit to the number of projects submitted by councils or council staff.
    1. If multiple submissions are received for one project in one category, MAV will make our best efforts to inform the council in a timely manner, so that they may consolidate their submissions. Separate entries will be assessed as such.
    2. If multiple submissions are received for a person in the Innovatio Pro Bono Public categories, MAV will consolidate the entries.
  8. The finalists will be notified by email, to the email address/es (when multiple contacts are supplied) provided through the award platform, Award Force, by 31 July 2026.
  9. Entries must be about current Victorian council staff or projects/programs delivered or implemented in 2025 or 2026.
    1. People may not win the Innovatio Pro Bono Publico awards if they are not current Victoria council staff. MAV may choose to make exceptions at their discretion.
    2. Projects are not eligible if they were delivered or implemented prior to 1 January 2025, or if they have not yet been delivered or implemented. These should be submitted in future years.
  10. Entries may be submitted for people or projects that have previously won awards as part of other awards programs.
    1. A project or person cannot win an award in a particular category of the MAVlab Innovation Awrads more than once across multiple years.
    2. New iterations, instances, or improvements as part projects that were submitted in the 2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards are eligible, and will be considered a new project, so long as it was delivered or implemented in 2025 or 2026.
  11. Submitters must demonstrate the merit of their submission against the Challenge evaluation criteria (Criteria) as listed on the MAVlab Innovation Awards webpage and in the award platform, Award Force.
  12. The decision of the MAV in consultation with the Judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
    1. The MAV will host a rigorous assessment process to determine finalists and winners in each category across several stages.
    2. Each entry will receive a minimum of three scores. The MAV will not disclose scores publicly or to entrants however the MAV may share comments made by assessors with entrants via the award platform, Award Force.
  13. By entering the MAVlab Innovation Awards, applicants confirm they have all relevant permission(s) from involved parties associated with the entry including partner organisations and any parties involved with the development of the entry to allow the MAV to promote the entry across any of its promotional platforms without limitation, as stated in the Eligibility as part of the award platform, Award Force.
  14. The entry and accompanying documentation including diagrams, images, photographs and video content must be made available for use without limitation by the Municipal Association of Victoria for the ongoing promotion of local government in and outside Australia. Images and videos may also be supplied to media by the MAV for publication to further promote the project, the MAVlab Innovation Awards program and local government in general.
    1. The MAV will use its best endeavours to credit photography and videography submitted as part of an entry where such information has been supplied. All other images and AV material supplied to the media will be credited: Images courtesy of MAV, MAVlab Innovation Awards.
  15. All entries agree to participate in the documentation of their projects if selected as finalists and published online as part of the MAVlab Innovation Case Study Library to be shared with the sector.
  16. No Council may use the MAV logo without prior approval and consent from the MAV team, which can be requested by emailing comms@mav.asn.au.
  17. Entries for the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards will be accepted from 11am Thursday 23 April 2026 (AEDT) until 5.59pm on Wednesday 24 June 2026 (AEDT). No late entries will be accepted.
    1. No additions to entries will be accepted, once an entry is submitted it is considered final.
    2. The MAV may decide to extend the entry period at their own discretion, and will update this website as well as notify anyone with entries that are underway via the award platform, Award Force.
  18. By submitting an application to the 2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards, the applicant is agreeing to the above-mentioned Terms and Conditions of entry.
  19. These Terms and Conditions are subject to change. All council staff who have made submissions will be notified and the website will be updated.