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We are delighted to announce the shortlist of projects for the 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards. There was a record number of entries this year, thanks to all firms who entered.

Congratulations to all of the shortlisted firms and projects, which can be seen here.

The presentation of the awards takes place at the Gala Dinner on Friday 27th March in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin 4.  Tickets are selling fast! So don’t miss out – book your table today!

We look forward to welcoming ACEI members and guests on the night.
We are pleased to announce that the application process is now open for the ACEI Engineering Excellence Awards 2026 – Closing date has been extended to 23 January 2026
The full list of categories is provided below, and all engineering disciplines can apply as appropriate:
1) Civil
2) Structural
3) Mechanical & Electrical
4) Sustainability Built Environment
5) Sustainability Natural Environment
6) SME firm (up to 20 employees)
7) Project Management
8) Innovation
9) Overseas

Note: Applicants are required to review and familiarise themselves with the 2026 Awards Procedures before submitting nominations to ensure they have entered into the most appropriate categories.  The same project can be entered into multiple categories (eg Civil, SME & Innovation) however a separate application should be made for each project being submitted for consideration in more than one award category.

Closing date for receipt of project nominations: Friday 23 January 2026.

The shortlisted projects will be announced during Spring 2026.

We look forward to receiving many nominations for the 2026 Awards and applications are welcome for all project sizes, small, medium and large from all member firms.

** We particularly encourage nominations from SME firms (up to 20 employees) for all categories.
Save the Date in your Diary Now!

The 2026 Awards Dinner will take place on the 27th March at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin 4.  Bookings will open in January 2026.

If you have any queries, please contact Louise at louise.patterson@acei.ie 

We are pleased to announce that the application process is now open for the ACEI Derrick Edge Future Leader Award 2026

Award Criteria

The 2026 ACEI Derrick Edge Future Leader award will be presented to a consulting engineer with excellent communication skills, business acumen, technical capabilities and strong ethical values. The award competition is a great opportunity to showcase your experience to date, add value to your credentials and be publicly recognised as a rising talent by the senior leaders in your profession.
Candidates are required to submit a written application including:

  • A description of the qualities and skills you believe you possess that meet the criteria of an ACEI Future Leader (max 400 words);
  • An outline of the main challenges currently facing the consulting engineering profession in Ireland and how you think they could / should be addressed and the role that ACEI could play in this context. (max 600 words);
  • A description of a project in which you played a key consulting engineering role. Demonstrate clearly how you met the client’s brief and brought excellence in design, innovation, sustainability, health and safety and value for money to the project (max 1200 words). Photos / images can also be included.
Entries should also include up to two other pages containing the following information:

  • Full name and date of birth of applicant;
  • Name of ACEI member company;
  • Qualifications obtained to date and CPD courses undertaken;
  • Brief career history including dates, company name(s) and position(s) held;
  • Professional memberships and voluntary committee / organisation activities;
  • Signature and supporting statement (max 200 words) from an ACEI Fellow (FConsEI)
To qualify for the competition applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Be a Chartered Engineer;
  • Be 35 years of age or under on 31st March 2026;
  • Have four or more years relevant experience;
  • Be employed in an ACEI member company;
  • Be supported by an ACEI Fellow Professional Consulting Engineer (FConsEI).
Future Leader 2026 Applications collated in one pdf document should be sent by email to: louise.patterson@acei.ie not later than 5pm on Friday 23rd January 2026
The ACEI will set up an adjudicating panel to assess the applications and may chose a shortlist of up to five candidates. The short-listed candidates will need to make themselves available to undertake an interview with the panel in early February 2026 where two or three finalists will be selected. The finalists will be invited to submit their entry to the EFCA Future Leaders Award. The overall ACEI winner will be formally announced at the ACEI Annual Awards Dinner on 27th March in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin 4.

We are pleased to announce that the application process is now open for the ACEI Engineering Excellence Awards 2026 – Closing date has been extended to 23 January 2026
The full list of categories is provided below, and all engineering disciplines can apply as appropriate:
1) Civil
2) Structural
3) Mechanical & Electrical
4) Sustainability Built Environment
5) Sustainability Natural Environment
6) SME firm (up to 20 employees)
7) Project Management
8) Innovation
9) Overseas

Note: Applicants are required to review and familiarise themselves with the 2026 Awards Procedures before submitting nominations to ensure they have entered into the most appropriate categories.  The same project can be entered into multiple categories (eg Civil, SME & Innovation) however a separate application should be made for each project being submitted for consideration in more than one award category.

Closing date for receipt of project nominations: Friday 23 January 2026.

The shortlisted projects will be announced during Spring 2026.

We look forward to receiving many nominations for the 2026 Awards and applications are welcome for all project sizes, small, medium and large from all member firms.

** We particularly encourage nominations from SME firms (up to 20 employees) for all categories.
Save the Date in your Diary Now!

The 2026 Awards Dinner will take place on the 27th March at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin 4.  Bookings will open in January 2026.

If you have any queries, please contact Louise at louise.patterson@acei.ie 
Commenting on the 2026 Budget Director General Shane Dempsey said:
“We welcome the Government’s infrastructure ambition, but today’s Budget must now be coupled with a bonfire of the redtape that is strangling housing and infrastructure delivery.  Without this, a large proportion of the €116bn announced for infrastructure will evaporate due to delays, judicial reviews, and legal disputes.
We need to see — in full — the forthcoming report on removing barriers to infrastructure delivery in the regulatory system, and we must quickly move to put its recommendations into practice. The real test will be in how that report is deployed not the figures mentioned today.
In particular, reform of public sector procurement and tendering is essential.  Precluding the selection of the lowest bid and focussing on quality in public procurement will see better delivery, less delays and better turns across the lifeycle of projects.
Better contracting models, fairer risk sharing, earlier engagement between public clients and engineering firms, will see less of today’s investment diverted to legal issues and disputes.
The engineering sector stands ready to help design, deliver and maintain Ireland’s critical infrastructure — but Government policy must focus now on ensuring that funding commitments translate into delivered projects on the ground.”
To support this, ACEI calls on Government to:
  1. Make the ministerial report public immediately, including draft timelines for implementation and sectoral impact assessments.
  2. Embed procurement reform as a core component of delivery acceleration — including reducing overly burdensome procurement cycles, limiting repeated rounds of retendering, and ensuring transparent risk allocation.
  3. Lock in statutory or administrative timelines for decision-making across planning, environmental, grid and statutory approvals, with clear accountability and sanctions for delays.
  4. Limit the scope of judicial review appeals in clearly designated strategic infrastructure projects, while preserving fair access to challenge in appropriate contexts.
  5. Provide certainty in multi-annual funding to support multi-year projects and avoid stop / start cycles in delivery capacity.
  6. Build delivery capacity in the public sector – more project management resources, specialist procurement units, and better coordination across ministries and State Agencies.

The Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland is delighted to welcome Tim Murnane, Managing Director at PUNCH Consulting Engineers, as our new President for 2025.

With a wealth of experience in structural and civil engineering and a deep commitment to excellence in consulting engineering, Tim brings strong leadership and insight to the role. His focus on innovation, collaboration, and sustainable infrastructure will guide ACEI’s continued work in championing our industry and supporting our members.

We look forward to working alongside Tim as we continue to advocate for consulting engineering and shape the future of the profession in Ireland.

Read Tim’s Presidential speech – Press release – Tim presidency – Copy

The ACEI Future Leader Award recognises a consulting engineer as a potential leader with excellent communication skills, business acumen, technical capabilities and strong ethical values.  ACEI congratulates the 2025 Derrick Edge Future Leader Award Winner Declan Haugh, DBFL Consulting engineers

Declan is pictured above receiving his Award from Anne Marie Conibear, ACEI President and Future Leader adjudicator John Purcell, at the ACEI Awards dinner on Friday 28th March.

Declan and his fellow Future Leader nominees Cian Long and Darragh Noble are entered into the EFCA 2025 Future Leader Award, which will be presented during the EFCA Conference on 16 May in Luxembourg.

ACEI is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards.

Anne Marie Conibear, ACEI President presented certificates on Friday, 28 March to the award winners at a gala dinner in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin.  Kevin Rudden, CEO of Garland Ireland was also presented with the 2025 President’s Award on the night.

Congratulations to all our winners and nominees—your innovation and dedication continue to shape the future of engineering, our communities and our lives.

🏆 ACEI Awards 2025 Winners:

🏅 Project of the Year – Fehily Timoney and Company. for the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme
🏅Civil Category (Large) – Roughan & O’Donovan, Clontarf to City Centre Project
🏅 Civil Category (Medium & Small) – Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates Consulting Engineers for the Snugborough Interchange Upgrade Scheme
🏅 Structural Category (Large) – PUNCH Consulting Engineers for The Distillers Building
🏅 Structural Category (Medium & Small) – Cronin & Sutton Consulting for 9-12 Dawson Street
🏅 Sustainability – Built Environment (Large) – JV Tierney & Co. Consulting Engineers, for DCU Polaris
🏅 Sustainability – Built Environment (Medium & Small)- RPS, Uisce Éireann National Water Laboratory
🏅 Sustainability – Natural Environment – Ryan Hanley in partnership with Stantec, for the Kilkenny Regional Water Supply Scheme Upgrade
🏅 Project Management – Donnachadh O’Brien & Associates for St Conleth’s Park Redevelopment
🏅Innovation – Roughan & O’Donovan, Clontarf to city Centre Project
🏅 Overseas Project – Roughan & O’Donovan for Herring Bridge, Great Yarmouth, UK
🏅 M&E Category – Varming Consulting Engineers Ltd. Consulting Engineers for Block J, Garda HQ

A huge thank you to all our members, sponsors, judges, and guests who made the night so special.

We are pleased to announce that following a number of member requests, the closing date for receipt of project nominations for the ACEI Engineering Excellence Awards 2025 has been extended to Thursday 23rd January.

1) Civil
2) Structural
3) Mechanical & Electrical
4) Sustainability Built Environment
5) Sustainability Natural Environment
6) SME Firm (up to 20 employees)
7) Project Management
8) Innovation
9) Overseas
Closing date for receipt of project nominations: Thursday 23rd January.

The shortlisted projects will be announced during Spring 2025.

The entry forms and procedures can be found below:

ACEI_AwardsNominationForm_2025

ACEI_Annual_Excellence_Awards_Procedures_2025