The Retail Design Institute's Annual

International Design Competition

Celebrating outstanding and innovative retail spaces

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you'll find answers to commonly asked questions about the competition. If your question isn't answered here, please reach out to info@retaildesigninstitute.org. This page will be updated regularly as additional questions come in.

Am I required to pay for the Outstanding Merit Awards?

No, paying the additional fee for an Outstanding Merit Award simply guarantees that your project will be considered for that award. If you opt to not pay the fee, the judges can still award your project for Outstanding Merit Awards at their discretion. Paying the fee does not guarantee you will be awarded.
What happened to the Innovation Awards?

The Innovation Awards have been redeveloped and are now known as the Outstanding Merit Awards.
How do I access the "Saved Draft" of my competition entry?

1. Visit manager.submittable.com and log in with the email and password used when you created your Submittable account. 2. Under the "My Submissions" title, you will see 3 tabs- My Submissions, Drafts, and External Submissions. Click the tab that says "Drafts." 3. You will then see all of your saved drafts. You have the option to Continue, Preview, or Delete each draft.
Why does it say PAVE Global on the submission portal?

The PAVE Global logo appears on this submission portal due to our shared platform technology. While PAVE Global is a valued partner of the Retail Design Institute, PAVE Global is not affiliated with the 54th International Design Competition, its judging process, or outcomes. The competition is solely managed by the Retail Design Institute.