Why participate?

The Play for Change Awards are open to all toy makers with products available within Europe or with initiatives running within Europe. Any entries must have been launched on the European market between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022.

Entries open on 13 March 2023.

The closing date for entries to the Play for Change Awards is 12 May 2023.

Judging takes place from June 2023.

The winners of the Play for Change Awards will be announced on 19 September 2023.

Yes. All entries will be treated equally and will be judged on: aims; creativity of solution; effectiveness; impact or improvement over existing product; implementation; originality; production values.

Each category will have three winners who will receive:

• A Play for Change winners logo for use on packaging, on promotional material, letterhead, email signatures etc.
• A Play For Change trophy to get pride of place at company headquarters or trade shows.
• Promotion on the Play For Change and TIE websites and social media channels and to toy industry press etc.

No. The Play for Change Awards are open to toy makers only.

Yes, the Play for Change Awards are open to all toy makers.

The Play for Change Awards will be presented on September 19 in Brussels.

The Play for Change Awards entry form should be submitted in English.

Yes.

Yes. We encourage entries from smaller companies.

Once cleared for safety, the jury will receive all the information and pictures you provide us through the application form. Pictures of your toy or initiative are important but do not leave them to speak for themselves. The more information you can provide, the better. It will make it easier for our jury members to understand the reasoning behind your toy or initiative and it will increase your chances to win. Seeing the actual toy, for all entries that are toys, is also a crucial part of the assessment. So, do make sure your toy reaches us on time.

We have seen in past editions that many ‘coding’ or ‘STEM’ toys which focus on very specific IT skills were proposed for this category. While these are very valuable contributions and will definitely help prepare children for the challenges of the 21st Century, we also want to ensure that toys that encourage the development of less ‘technological skills’ can participate and win. To be successful in the future, children also need to be able to negotiate, to learn how to be patient, to develop empathy and so on. There is a whole range of ‘social skills’ that are important. See meeting the demands of the 21st Century.

See past winners

For the sustainability category, we will consider the overall positive impact on the environment by looking at the full lifecycle of the product. This could mean, for instance, that the introduction of a more readily recyclable material together with actions to ensure that this material is indeed ultimately recycled will score higher than an introduction of a new more sustainable material alone. Similarly, if the submitted toy or project considers how the product or materials can be kept in use for as long as possible, beyond their first use, this would also be recognised in the judging process. By considering all those elements, the jury will be able to assess the overall impact on the environment.

This approach reflects the expectations of policymakers and consumer alike. The industry is expected to address ‘green’ challenges and we really want to celebrate the toy makers who are the most visionary and far-reaching in this field. We will of course continue to take into account the effort relative to the size of the company.

See past winners