Deadline: September 30, 2025
The GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards 2026 mark their fifth year of celebrating groundbreaking projects that redefine the future of the mobile and digital industries.
This opportunity offers multiple significant benefits to participants and winners. It provides industry recognition allowing entrants to demonstrate their expertise and leadership to peers, coupled with valuable networking opportunities to connect with influential industry figures. Participants can elevate their market presence through enhanced brand visibility and achieve market differentiation by highlighting their unique value propositions. Winners gain recognition for excellence in innovation and dedication, culminating in receiving a trophy at the prestigious MWC Barcelona 2026 event.
The awards evaluate projects on several key criteria: innovation & creativity focusing on uniqueness, originality, proprietary rights, and the core importance of the initiative; achievement & recognition emphasizing market traction and readiness of technology; potential/commercial use which considers scalability, growth prospects, and sustainability; and impact, which assesses contribution to solving real-life challenges by either overcoming specific obstacles or providing solutions to prevalent issues. Only projects completed within the calendar year 2025 meet the timelines criterion.
The program recognizes projects across five thematic innovation clusters, namely Intelligent Networks & AI-Driven Infrastructure, which covers automation and intelligence in telecom networks; Next-Generation Connectivity & Access, focusing on expanding connectivity scope including satellite and private networks; Trust, Security & User Protection, dedicated to protecting consumers, enterprises, and networks; Enterprise Innovation & New Revenue Models, which unlocks new business streams through mobile tech; and Cross-Cutting Excellence, honoring transformative solutions that span multiple categories and set new telecom standards.
The awards present a unique platform where innovation meets industry recognition. For participants, the benefits are multi-fold, ranging from enhanced brand visibility and networking opportunities to standing apart through clear market differentiation. Winners not only gain recognition for their leadership and excellence but are also honoured with a prestigious trophy presented during MWC Barcelona 2026.
Evaluation criteria are designed to highlight the very best in global innovation, with an emphasis on originality, scalability, market readiness, and real-world impact. Only projects that are part of the GSMA Foundry initiative are eligible, ensuring a consistent standard of excellence and collaboration. Projects must focus on impactful outcomes that either solve pressing challenges or create new opportunities in connectivity and digital transformation.
The thematic award clusters offer wide-ranging innovation benchmarks. From intelligent networks and AI-driven infrastructures to next-generation connectivity, secure digital environments, enterprise innovation, and cross-cutting transformational excellence, the categories encourage diverse yet focused contributions. Each theme represents a vital frontier in shaping the telecommunications and digital technology landscape.
The awards timeline begins with the opening for submissions on 1st August 2025, closing on 30th September 2025. Shortlisted projects will be announced on 6th February 2026, with the final recognition taking place at MWC Barcelona 2026. These structured phases provide ample preparation for participants to showcase their projects to the global stage.
By building on past successes and recognising future-defining solutions, the GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards 2026 continue to highlight extraordinary achievements that influence global connectivity and digital progress.
For more information, visit GSM Association.
