Packaging
Your big chance to showcase your innovations
Tuesday 12. May 2026 - Europes largest packaging exhibition invites you to take part: companies, institutions and individuals from home and abroad still have until 5 June 2026 to submit their innovations and best packaging solutions and innovations for the German Packaging Award. The award, organised by the German Packaging Institute (dvi), is decided by an independent jury of experts across all materials and sectors in ten categories.
The winning teams will receive a trophy, a certificate, plenty of attention and the acclaim of the industry at the awards ceremony in November 2026.
The “1st German Packaging Competition” was launched in 1963. Today, the German Packaging Award is Europe’s largest and most prestigious showcase for packaging – with entries flooding in from across Europe and beyond. Then as now, the award promotes innovations. It showcases outstanding achievements and the people behind them on the big stage. “The German Packaging Award generates attention and prestige, motivates, rewards and provides compelling, officially endorsed sales and marketing arguments. Reap the rewards of your work now and submit your innovations and best solutions to the German Packaging Award by 5 June 2026,” invites Oliver Berndt, Head of Events & Marketing at the dvi.
Ten categories to choose from
There are ten categories in which products or prototypes can be submitted, ranging from Design, Functionality and Convenience, Product Presentation, Cost Effectiveness and Sustainability to Logistics and Material Flow, New Materials, Digitalisation, and Packaging Machines (engineering, technology, software). Products can be submitted in several categories at the same time. Pupils, students and trainees have their own special category.
Independent jury and fixed criteria
The dvi assembles a new and independent jury of experts each year to draw on the expertise and insight of around two dozen experts from industry, research and academia. They scrutinise all entries in person during a two-day meeting. Fixed, category-specific criteria, which are clearly set out on the German Packaging Award website, are used to assess the entries. The dvi will also be introducing the members of the 2026 jury there.
Extended submission deadline
Recognising that many companies have not only a well-stocked innovation pipeline but also an extremely busy schedule in the run-up to this year’s Interpack, the dvi is extending the deadline for submissions by a good 10 days this year. This extends the time to register online and enter your new solutions for this major challenge until 5 June 2026.
The winning innovations will be announced on 30 July 2026 and publicly honoured at a gala awards ceremony in November 2026. The jury also has the option to celebrate particularly outstanding solutions from among the winning innovations with a Gold Award.
The dvi provides all the information about participation as well as access to the submission platform on the verpackungspreis.de and packagingaward.de websites.