London Construction Awards 2026 Opens Categories for Retrofit, Low-Carbon Heating and Building Performance
New for 2026: categories recognising low-carbon building, energy-efficient innovation and retrofit, open to heating and plumbing engineers, installers, manufacturers and consultants across the built environment
Entries are now open for the London Construction Awards (LCA) 2026, the annual celebration of the projects, people, products and teams shaping the UK's built environment. This year's expanded categories give HVAC specialists and building services teams a dedicated route to recognition for work on decarbonisation, retrofit and energy performance. Entry is free, and the deadline for submissions is Friday 4 September 2026.
Why entering matters for the heating and plumbing sector
The shift toward low-carbon heating, retrofit and building performance is central to where the construction industry is heading, and it is work that often goes unrecognised outside the immediate project team. Award recognition gives that work independently judged, third-party credibility that can be used in client conversations, marketing and recruitment, at no cost to enter.
The judging panel is drawn from senior, independent figures across the built environment, so a shortlisting or win carries real weight, both with clients assessing competence and with prospective hires evaluating an employer at a time when the sector is competing hard for skilled engineers.
New for 2026: categories relevant to heating, plumbing and retrofit
The awards have expanded to 21 categories this year, with several speaking directly to the work CIPHE members and the wider heating and plumbing industry are doing. These include:
- Low-Carbon Building Award
- Energy-Efficient Innovation of the Year
- Retrofit Project of the Year
- Digital Transformation Project of the Year
- Career Development Initiative
- Excellence in Health and Safety
The full list of 21 categories, spanning projects, products, teams and individual achievement, is available at www.londonconstructionawards.com .
How to enter
Entry is completely free. Organisations can submit either a five-minute video or a three-page PDF (maximum 1,000 words) outlining their entry, sent to awards@londonbuildexpo.com and labelled "COMPANY NAME - AWARD CATEGORY". Multiple category entries are welcome, provided each submission is unique to that category. Entrants must be able to send a representative to the ceremony to be considered for the shortlist.
Deadline for entries: Friday 4 September 2026
Start an entry at: https://www.londonconstructionawards.com/start-your-entry
The ceremony
Winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 25 November 2026, at the Platinum Suite, Excel London, the first night of London Build Expo and elementalLONDON. elementalLONDON partners with CIPHE, so the ceremony falls within a wider event with a direct connection to the plumbing and heating sector. The 2025 ceremony brought together more than 450 industry professionals for an evening celebrating the projects, people and businesses raising the bar across UK construction. This year's ceremony will be hosted by award-winning comedian and 2025 Taskmaster champion Maisie Adam, known for Live at the Apollo, A League of Their Own and Mock the Week.
Rachael Shattock, Event Director of London Build Expo and elementalLONDON said: “We're proud to open entries for the London Construction Awards 2026. This year's expanded categories, covering sustainability, building performance and social value, reflect the direction the industry is moving in, and we want the awards to keep pace with that. Entry is free and open to organisations of every size, and I'd encourage anyone with a project, product or team worth celebrating to put themselves forward before the deadline.”
- Entries are free and open now, closing Friday 4 September 2026.
- 21 categories for 2026, spanning projects, products, teams and individual achievement, including several focused on low-carbon heating, energy efficiency and retrofit.
- Entry via 5-minute video or 3-page PDF (max 1,000 words) to awards@londonbuildexpo.com.
- Ceremony: evening of Wednesday 25 November 2026, Platinum Suite, Excel London.
- Held on the first night of London Build Expo and elementalLONDON.
About the London Construction Awards
The London Construction Awards celebrate achievements, developments and innovation across the UK's construction industry, with categories for solution providers, suppliers, contractors, architects, civil engineers, developers, local authorities and more, including heating, plumbing and building services specialists driving the industry's shift toward low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings. The awards are part of London Build, the UK's leading construction and design show, produced by Nineteen Group.
Good Luck!