QE Award

QE Award QE Award

About the Award

European Quality Engineer of the Year is a new award celebrating outstanding individuals who significantly improve the quality of products, practices, and people through exceptional application of Quality Engineering principles. 

The award will be presented for the first time in 2026 during Tesena Fest 2026, where one overall winner will be announced from three finalists. 

The winner will receive: 

  • An original European Quality Engineer of the Year award 
  • Travel and accommodation covered to attend Tesena Fest 2026 
  • A complimentary ticket to Tesena Fest 2026 
  • The honour of becoming the first-ever European Quality Engineer of the Year 

Who Can Apply or Be Nominated 

You can apply yourself or nominate someone else.

Submit Nomination

Award Category – What This Award Recognizes

The award will be given to the quality engineer who has demonstrably raised the quality of products, practices, and people within their team or organization through: 

  • exceptional application of Quality Engineering principles 
  • a strong quality-first mindset 
  • and a commitment to continuous improvement over time 

Eligible contributions may include: 

  • a single high-impact project, 
  • a long-term transformation, 
  • or a combination of both. 

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must: 

  • Live and work in EEA countries, Great Britain, or Ukraine 
  • Have made their Quality Engineering contribution during the qualification period (1 January 2025 - 31 March 2026): 
    • within a European organization, or 
    • on a project with a clear European impact 
  • Have been actively working in a role with significant responsibility for quality, even if the job title does not explicitly include “Quality Engineer” 


Eligible roles may include, but are not limited to:

  • Quality Engineer / QA Engineer 
  • Test Engineer / Test Analyst 
  • Senior or Lead QA / QE 
  • Test Manager or QA Manager 
  • Software Engineer with a strong quality focus 
  • Software Development Engineer in test or Automation Engineer 
  • Delivery or Tech Lead with responsibility for quality outcomes 

The key requirement is that quality engineering was a core part of the candidate’s role and impact. 

Voting & Selection Process

From all valid applications: 

  • Three finalists will be selected 
  • The final decision combines expert judgment with the voice of the community
  • The winner will be announced live at Tesena Fest 2026