07/05/2026
FINAL Call for ENTRIES for the AUTUMN Awards of the 24th European BSB Innovation Awards 2026:
Submission Period and Deadline
December 1, 2025, to May 29, 2026 (Categories 3 and 4)
Deadline: Friday, May 29, 2026, 6:00 PM CEST
For all deadlines, the following applies: by this time, ALL components of an application—specifically the SAMPLES required for each respective sub-category—must have arrived here.
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions of Participation on the homepage (see www.bsbinnovationaward.de, at the very bottom)!
Important: Please read carefully.
PREAMBEL
The European Innovation Award was established in 2003 to support the global dissemination of knowledge and innovation.
BSB aims to provide optimal support to the industry and therefore works in close cooperation with it.
Submission Fees
A submission fee applies starting from the 3rd entry (inclusive) for many entrants. In other words: the first 2 entries submitted within a given year remain free of charge for every company.
Special Case: End Products for Categories 1 or 2: Since entries in these two categories ALWAYS undergo evaluation in two sub-categories—(a) the product itself and (b) the packaging—this effectively utilizes the allowance of 2 free entries per company per year for non-sponsors.
The fee is 150 euros net per entry, plus VAT.
The following fee structure applies:
1. Sponsors
Levels 1–3: All entries free of charge
Level 4: Four (4) free entries
Level 5: Three (3) free entries
Participation fees are included in the sponsorship contribution.
2. Non-Sponsors
Fees apply starting from the 3rd entry. Fees must be paid by April 1st (for spring awards) or September 1st (for autumn awards) of any given year. Failure to do so will result in the submissions being automatically rejected.
**Basic Rules**
1. One application per company and sub-category.
(As a trading house, you may submit applications for two of your companies per sub-category.)
2. Each application must include an assignment of the submission to one of the 13 sub-categories. The requested assignment will be reviewed. As a general rule, we honor the preferences of the submitting companies; however, BSB reserves the right to correct the assignment if deemed necessary. A submission without an assigned category is considered incomplete and cannot be accepted.
3. Manufacturers of finished products may submit entries ONLY in sub-categories III, IV, VII, VIII, IX, XI, and XIII.
4. Manufacturers of raw materials may submit entries ONLY in sub-categories I, II, V, VI, IX (in this category, only apps and strategies), X, XII, and XIII.
5. When shipping finished products or raw material samples (Sub-Cat. X) in any relevant sub-category:
a) For shipments sent from outside Germany, please allow at least 3—preferably 4—weeks to ensure the products arrive in good time before the submission deadline.
b) Regarding Customs:
i. It is absolutely essential that you declare the contents of the package.
ii. Clearly indicate that you are shipping SAMPLES.
iii. Do *not* declare the retail value of the products (i.e., what they would cost if sold), as we are not selling them but rather testing them. Instead, declare a nominal value of €1, as customs authorities do not recognize a value of €0.
iv. For shipments from non-EU countries (e.g., Switzerland): BSB’s EORI number for customs purposes is DE2084295.
c) Sample size: Typical trade fair giveaways.
A) Categories
In the current year, the BSB Innovation Award is being presented in the following categories:
Category 1: Cosmetics:
Closed; awards presented.
Category 2: Natural Products:
Closed; awards presented.
Category 3: Applied Concepts
Sub-Category IX: Concepts of all kinds and strategies for the production of finished cosmetic and household products, as well as apps.
Sub-Category X: Application concepts of all kinds for raw materials, presented within a sample formulation.
Category 4: Environmental Award
Sub-Category XI:
Finished products (both in the cosmetics and household sectors).
Sub-Category XII:
Raw materials of all kinds for cosmetics and household products.
Sub-Category XIII:
Manufacturing processes and approaches within the circular economy sector that demonstrate a positive environmental impact.
B) Jury Evaluation Criteria
These can be found under "Home / Additional Information" (please scroll down) at www.bsbinnovationaward.de.
C) When is a raw material considered innovative?
a) If it is new (launched since the last awards ceremony) and relevant.
b) If it is older, but currently fully on-trend, and has not yet been submitted—or if it demonstrates a significant improvement over a predecessor product or the current market standard.
D) What criteria must a finished product meet to be eligible for submission?
In Sub-Categories III and VII, submissions consist of finished products that are already available on the market (and are no older than one year).
The jury evaluates these products based on the following criteria: Performance (application testing), Product Story, Raw Material Usage, and Packaging.
E) Applied Concepts / Ideas (Cat. 3)
Category 3 (Sub-Categories IX and X) is not intended for the same types of products as those submitted in Category 1 or 2.
Cat. 3 applies to products currently in the phase between the initial idea to concrete market launch. For this reason, we have named it "Applied Concepts."
If, in addition to finished products or raw materials, you have a different "concept," please ask us whether it fits into this category.
Specifically: Finished Products
Typical indications that a finished product falls under Sub-category IX include: a) the absence of final packaging, and b) the absence of final marketing brochures, etc.
Items to be submitted:
i) For finished products:
a) A product story—preferably including a draft of intended advertising copy—in English or German.
b) The product prototype itself (five copies).
c) INCI declaration.
The jury evaluates the product concepts based on the following categories: Performance (application testing), Product Story, and Raw Material Usage.
Unfortunately, concepts for hair-shaping products, hair colorants, and pure fragrance products cannot be submitted. To ensure that your shipment reaches us safely, please provide us with the package tracking number and the name of the carrier as soon as this information becomes available to you. For submissions from outside the EU (e.g., Switzerland): BSB’s EORI number for customs purposes is DE2084295. We accept no liability for the proper delivery of your shipment.
ii) For raw materials:
Items to be submitted:
a) A product story in English or German (PowerPoint format preferred).
b) The innovative application demonstrated within a base formulation (five copies). Sample size: typical promotional giveaways (e.g., those distributed at trade fairs).
c) INCI declaration for the formulation.
The jury evaluates the product concepts based on the following categories: Performance (application testing), Product Story, and Raw Material Usage.
iii) Apps
If—for instance, as a raw material supplier—you have developed an app that assists finished product manufacturers with product formulation, it may be submitted here. iv) Strategies for End-Product Formulation
Here, we require only a presentation describing the innovative strategy for formulating end products.
F) Environmental Award (Category 4)
In this category, raw materials, finished products, and production processes may be submitted that fall under one or more of the following criteria:
- Source of raw materials, including the substitution of another raw material
- Additives (e.g., preservatives) within a finished product
- Biodegradability
- Packaging reduction (reduction of "virgin" plastic content; proportion of recycled material)
- Waste reduction
- Water consumption in the production process
- Energy consumption and type (i.e., renewable sources)
- Emission reduction (e.g., CO2 reduction/neutrality)
- Material Health (Cradle-to-Cradle)
- Social Equity (Fair Trade, Fair for Life, wages, absence of child labor)
- OSHA compliance throughout the entire value chain
A raw material or finished product that has already been submitted in one of the first three categories (Categories 1–3) may ALSO be submitted here. If you wish to submit an end product or packaging—which you have already entered in one of the first three categories—in this category as well, we require 10 samples instead of the standard 5, as they must be distributed to members of two separate juries.
If submitting solely in this category with a packaging material or end product: please send 5 samples.
If you believe you have a product or raw material that would be a suitable fit for this category, yet does not fall under any of the criteria listed above, please feel free to contact us.
G) In what format may I submit my proposals? Finished Products:
Please send 5 copies of the product in its final retail form (the jury should evaluate the product in the exact form a consumer would receive it; if the final retail packaging is not in English or German, please include an accompanying English translation) to:
"BSB Dr. Riedel e.K., Kasernenstrasse 11, 21073 Hamburg, Germany".
If you wish to submit your product here AND in Category 5 "Environment," please send 10 copies instead of 5.
Part of the Submission:
To ensure that your shipment arrives safely, please provide us with the package tracking number and the name of the shipping carrier as soon as you have this information. For submissions from outside the EU (e.g., Switzerland): BSB's EORI number for customs purposes is DE2084295.
We assume no liability for the proper delivery of your shipment.
Raw Materials:
Please send your proposals (preferably as a PowerPoint presentation; a one-pager/OPP is not sufficient) via file transfer service (e.g., "WeTransfer"—for files larger than 4 MB, this method is mandatory!), email, or postal mail (on a USB stick). In all cases, submissions must be in ELECTRONIC format—unfortunately, paper versions CANNOT be considered (please do not send physical samples).
Email: [email protected]
Concepts:
Please send 5 copies of your proposal to:
"BSB Dr. Riedel e.K., Kasernenstr. 11, 21073 Hamburg, Germany".
If you wish to submit your product here AND in Category 5 "Environment," please send 10 copies instead of 5.
Part of the Submission:
To ensure that your shipment arrives safely, please provide us with the package tracking number and the name of the carrier as soon as you have this information.
For submissions from outside the EU (e.g., Switzerland): BSB’s EORI number for customs purposes is DE2084295.
We accept no liability for the proper delivery of your shipment.
Environmental Award:
Please submit a document in English stating which finished product, raw material, etc., you are nominating, and what makes it particularly environmentally friendly. In the case of packaging or a finished product, we also require 5 samples. If you are submitting a raw material or a production process, relevant background information is required (a one-page summary is not sufficient).
Specifically for Finished Products:
Please send your submission in quintuplicate (5 copies) to:
"BSB Dr. Riedel e.K., Kasernenstr. 11, 21073 Hamburg, Germany".
Submission Process:
To ensure that your shipment reaches us safely, please provide us with the package tracking number and the name of the carrier as soon as you have this information.
For submissions from outside the EU (e.g., Switzerland): BSB’s EORI number for customs purposes is DE2084295.
We accept no liability for the proper delivery of your shipment.
H) Terms and Conditions of Participation
Please refer to the very bottom of the homepage (Home) at www.bsbinnovationaward.de.
- BSB Innovation Award® is a registered trademark of BSB Dr. Riedel e.K. I) The 2026 Juries
See www.bsbinnovationaward.de /2027
J) Live Awards Ceremony for RAW MATERIALS (Categories 1 and 2):
Presented in Paris in April
K) Awards Ceremony for FINISHED PRODUCTS (Cats. 1, 2)
Presented online in April
L) Awards Ceremony for APPLIED CONCEPTS (3) and ENVIRONMENT (4)
As in previous years, the BSB Innovation Award for "Environment" will be presented—together with the "Applied Concepts" awards—in the autumn, in a virtual format and without a live event.
This approach is intended to prevent any unnecessary impact on the "carbon footprint."
The specific date will be announced in due course; it is scheduled to take place in September.
M) Prizes
All award winners receive permission to use the logo corresponding to their specific award and year—without any time restrictions—for all marketing purposes.
Costs for sending additional certificates:
See www.bsbinnovationaward.de /2027
N) Sponsorship
After 24 years, the BSB Innovation Award stands for:
Innovation (naturally) – Integrity – Recognition
The BSB Innovation Award is—quite rightly—regarded as Europe's most important innovation prize!
You, too, can benefit from having your company or brand name mentioned and showcased in association with the BSB Innovation Award.
After 24 years, this award is undoubtedly well-known to your customers worldwide. Leverage this success within your marketing mix.
Use the award as a benchmark, given that all the key industry players register their products here.
Sponsor Services and Benefits
a. Assistance with reviewing submitted documentation regarding scope, quality, etc. Naturally, the companies themselves remain solely responsible for the content of their submissions.
b. Guidance on the optimal placement of submissions within the various subcategories; however, due to the independent nature of the juries, we naturally CANNOT guarantee that a submission will receive an award.
c. Timely reminders regarding deadlines or other key dates (this has already helped secure several wins).
d. Complimentary issuance of certificates—e.g., for participation in the Awards, prizes won in previous years, or winner certificates for the current year (see also Point L).
e. Only in years when a live event is possible: Complimentary admission to the subsequent Awards ceremony (number of attendees determined by the table on page 3; additional seats may be purchased).
f. From the "Supporter" level upwards: Admission for two guests to the reception preceding the live Awards evening. From the "Friends" level upwards: Admission for guests to the subsequent dinner as well.
g. Non-sponsors are required to pay an entry fee of €150 net (plus VAT) per submission for their third and any subsequent entries (please refer to the "Entry Fees" section in the Preamble at the very top of this page).
Further information—such as the costs for each of the five sponsorship levels—is available upon request.
How can you become a sponsor?
Please feel free to contact us personally (see the Legal Notice/Imprint).
The ORIGINAL since 2003. THE award for cosmetics and natural products, their ingredients and packaging as well as concepts. BSB award Environment
