NMA Design Competition
Natural Materials & the Circular Economy
Design and make a product from natural materials and their waste
The competition is at the core of the NMA’s mission to develop a focus for knowledge exchange between materials scientists, product designers, innovators and those in education utilising the properties of natural materials
The Prizes
The Winner
£500 Cash
The unique Natural Materials Association Award
And a signed copy of
Designing with Natural Materials
worth £130
Designing with Natural Materials edited By Graham Ormondroyd and Angela Morris bridges the gap between scientific knowledge of natural materials and product design, addressing sustainability and pollution. The book introduces natural materials in design, featuring case studies, research, and historical perspectives. It explores the future of biobased materials, their impact on design, and the use of bioinspiration and biomimicry
Aimed at engineers, scientists, designers, students, and industry professionals, it offers insights into sustainable alternatives to manmade materials.
This work highlights the potential of natural materials to shape future design and production practices
First runner up
£250 Cash
A signed copy of Designing with Natural Materials
Second runner up
£150 Cash
A signed copy of Designing with Natural Materials
Highly commendable 4th and 5th places
Each, a signed copy of Designing with Natural Materials
To enter
The competition is open to anyone working with natural materials:
- Students
- Start-ups
- SMEs
- Industry
- Individuals
The Challenge
Waste is ubiquitous – globally, we generate over 2 billion tonnes annually.
This competition challenges you to source natural material waste and transform it into innovative products. From clothing to robots, ornaments to furniture, the possibilities are endless.
While natural materials are often renewable and biodegradable, this challenge emphasizes recycling, upcycling, and repurposing. Participants can create anything, provided it meets the essential criteria:
Each entry must:
Be made predominantly from natural material waste
Not exceed 6kg in weight (it can be lighter)
Be small enough to be transportable to the University of Edinburgh
Entries will be judged on:
Creativity and innovation
Technical excellence of the product
Waste sources used relative to the final product
Potential ‘quality’ value to society
Evidence of functionality / utility and design realisation
By reimagining waste as a valuable resource, this competition aims to inspire creative solutions for a more sustainable future
The NMA Design Competition awards will go to products/projects that showcase natural materials’ innovation at the highest level.
The awards will be presented at the NMA Design Award ceremony to be held at The University of Edinburgh in 2025
Submissions
The competition is in two stages:
Stage 1
Register your interest, get competition details and updates, email: competition@natmatassoc.org
By midnight 30 June 2025, prepare and submit:
Contact information: your name, address, phone number and email
4 images of your product
A comprehensive description (up to 500 words) of your product, covering its entire lifecycle from waste source to final manufacture
Include your design concepts and underlying philosophy, with particular emphasis on explaining why you chose this specific approach and product
All submissions must be sent in electronic format to competition@natmatassoc.org with the message title: NMA Competition [NAME OF PARTICIPANT]
No hard copy submissions will be accepted
There is no limit to the number of eligible products you may submit.
Finalists for the in-person competition will be selected by a panel of NMA professionals
The panel’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed. Competition finalists will be notified by July 31, 2025
Stage 2
The top 5 products selected from Stage 1 will advance as finalists and receive invitations to an in-person event at the University of Edinburgh
During this event, finalists will present brief pitches showcasing their products.
Final winner selection will be made on the day of the event by a professional jury from the NMA.
The judges’ decision is final and binding, with no appeal process
The jury retains the right to withhold any award. Prizes will be distributed during the event
Contact
Please direct requests for further information to the NMA Design Competition leads at: competition@natmatassoc.org