Entries are now open for the 35th edition of the DAME Design Awards, with organizers inviting Metstrade exhibitors to submit new marine products for the design competition. Since its launch in 1991, the awards have recognized excellence in marine equipment design, evaluating products on functionality, innovation, sustainability, ease of use, construction, styling, and value. Organized and funded by Metstrade, the competition is considered one of the industry’s most prestigious design awards. Products entered by the Sept. 18 deadline will undergo a multi-stage judging process, including an initial virtual review followed by a two-day, hands-on assessment by a jury of designers and end-user experts at RAI Amsterdam. Accepted entries must arrive in Amsterdam by Oct. 5. The jury will select nominated products to compete in multiple categories, as well as a discretionary Environmental Design Award. One category winner will be named the overall DAME Design Awards winner. The winners will be announced during the official opening of Metstrade on Nov. 17. All nominated products will be displayed in the DAME Design Awards Showcase in Hall 13 throughout the three-day exhibition. New for 2026, companies with nominated products will also be eligible to attend free “fast track sustainability training” on Nov. 16. The program, organized by Marine Impact Lab and co-hosted by The Sustainability Toolbox and MarineShift 360, will focus on helping companies evaluate, improve, and communicate the sustainability value of their products. As in previous years, 100% of DAME Design Awards entry fees will be donated to a charitable organization selected by the Metstrade Exhibition Committee. This year’s beneficiary is the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM), a volunteer rescue organization founded in 1824 that provides search and rescue, medical assistance, and other emergency services on Dutch coastal and inland waters. The committee also announced plans to introduce a charity suggestion box at Metstrade 2026, allowing exhibitors and visitors to nominate organizations for consideration as the 2027 beneficiary. Since the program began, more than €300,000 has been donated to charitable organizations through these entry fees.