Quality Engineer of the Year 2026 - Official Competition Rules

Quality Engineer of the Year 2026 - Official Competition Rules 

Article 1 – Organizer 

1.1  The award is organized by tesena s.r.o. (“the Organizer”). The Organizer specializes in testing and quality engineering, providing expert services and customized training both in courses and directly within companies. 

1.2  These Official Rules are binding for all candidates, nominees, and voters. 

1.3  The Organizer reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the award in the event of fraud, technical failure, or any other circumstance beyond its reasonable control. 

Article 2 – About the Award 

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

2.2  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. 

2.3  This first edition runs as a single-category award. 

Article 3 – Eligibility 

3.1  Who Can Apply or Be Nominated 

Anyone may submit a self-application or nominate another person. 

3.2  Eligibility Criteria 

To be eligible, a candidate must meet all of the following conditions. The key requirement is that quality engineering was a core part of the candidate’s role and impact during the qualification period. 

  • Residence and employment: The candidate must live and work in a country within the European Economic Area (EEA), Great Britain, or Ukraine. 
  • Qualification period: The primary Quality Engineering contribution must have taken place during 2025/2026 (1 January 2025 – 31 March 2026). 
  • European scope: The contribution must have been made within a European organization or on a project with a clear European impact. 
  • Active role: The candidate must have been actively working in a role with significant responsibility for quality during the qualification period. 

3.3  Exclusions 

  • Employees of the Organizer (including contractors engaged full-time with the Organizer) are not eligible to apply or be nominated. 
  • Members of the Expert Jury are not eligible to apply, be nominated, or vote. 

Article 4 – Application Process 

4.1  Submission Window 

Applications and nominations will be accepted via the official submission form on the Organizer‘s website. The exact opening and closing dates will be announced on tesena.com. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. 

4.2  Application Content 

Applications must be submitted via the official form on the Organizer’s website. 

4.3  Third-Party Consent for Case Study Publication 

By accepting these Official Rules, the candidate declares that they have obtained from all third parties involved in their submitted case study – in particular from the candidate’s employer – all necessary consents with the presentation and publication of the respective case study by the Organizer. If this declaration is false, the candidate undertakes to compensate the Organizer for any damage incurred as a result. The candidate is obliged to present and hand over the written consent of all third parties involved in the case study to the Organizer prior to any presentation and publication. 

4.4  Consent to Rules 

By submitting an application or nomination, all parties confirm they have read, understood, and agree to these Official Rules in their entirety. 

Article 5 – Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated on one or more of the following four core criteria. Candidates are not required to address all four; depth and evidence of impact are valued over breadth. 

  1. Impact on Product or Service Quality 
  1. Improvement of Practices and Ways of Working 
  1. People & Culture Impact 
  1. Innovation or Creativity in Solving Quality Problems 

Article 6 – Selection Process

6.1  Finalist Selection 

All submissions will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility. From all valid applications, the Expert Jury will select three (3) finalists. Finalists will be notified privately before any public announcement. Their stories will be featured as part of the Organizer‘s communication campaign leading up to Tesena Fest 2026. 

6.2  Expert Jury (70 %) 

A panel of leading European Quality Engineering experts will evaluate all valid applications and determine the three finalists. The Jury will also cast votes determining 70 % of the final score for the winner. Jury members are selected by the Organizer and their identities will be published on the Organizer’s website. 

6.3  Public Voting (30 %) 

Open community voting will be conducted via the Organizer‘s website during a defined voting period announced by the Organizer. Public voting represents 30 % of the final score. Each person may cast one vote. The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify votes that appear fraudulent or automated. 

6.4  Winner Announcement 

The winner will be announced live at Tesena Fest 2026. The Organizer’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 

Article 7 – Prize 

7.1  The winner will receive: 

  • An original Tesena Quality Engineer of the Year 2026 trophy. 
  • Travel and accommodation covered to attend Tesena Fest 2026 (within reasonable limits as defined by the Organizer). 
  • A complimentary ticket to Tesena Fest 2026. 
  • Additional prize(s) to be announced by the Organizer. 
  • The honour of becoming the first-ever Tesena Quality Engineer of the Year. 

7.2  The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. If the winner is unable to attend Tesena Fest 2026, the travel and accommodation component will be forfeited. 

7.3  Winners who are not tax residents of the Czech Republic may be subject to taxation of the prize in their country of tax domicile. 

Article 8 – Personal Data & Privacy 

8.1  Personal data provided during the application process will be processed by the Organizer as data controller in accordance with applicable data protection law (GDPR). 

8.2  By submitting an application or nomination, the submitter confirms they have obtained any necessary consent from the nominee for processing their personal data. 

8.3  Finalist and winner names and submission summaries may be used in Organizer’s marketing communications, website, and social media. Candidates will be informed and may withdraw consent, which may result in disqualification. 

Article 9 – General Provisions 

9.1  The Organizer is not responsible for any technical failures that prevent the submission of applications or votes. 

9.2  The Organizer reserves the right to amend these rules at any time. Any material changes will be communicated via Organizer‘s website.