African Union CommissionCompetition

$5,000 AU Logo Design Competition

Oct 23, 2026 23:59:00 Africa/Addis_Ababa

Opportunity type

Competition

Funding

No Funding

Location

Global

Deadline

Oct 23, 2026 23:59:00 Africa/Addis_Ababa

About this opportunity

The African Union Commission is asking young Africans aged 18 to 24 to design the official logo and visual identity for the AU Theme of the Year 2027, which marks the Union's 25th anniversary and focuses on the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and new technologies. Its Infrastructure and Energy Department runs the competition with support from AUDA-NEPAD. The winning design will be unveiled at the AU Summit and used across the continent throughout 2027.

What you get:

USD 5,000 for first place, USD 2,000 for second and USD 1,000 for third
A certificate of recognition and official acknowledgement through African Union platforms
Training opportunities for the winning applicants
For the winner, the chance to take part in the AU Summit where the winning logo is unveiled, and to refine the final design with the African Union

What you'll do:

Design one primary logo that works with and without the campaign title, in colour, monochrome and reversed versions
Set out a basic colour palette and typography direction
Show the design on three mock-ups: a digital card, an event backdrop and a publication cover
Write a concept note of up to 500 words explaining the idea, symbolism and colours
If shortlisted, send editable vector files (SVG, EPS or .ai) within three working days, plus sketches showing your process

Key dates:

Call opened 24 September 2026
Submissions close 23 October 2026 at 23:59 East Africa Time (UTC+3)
The winning logo is unveiled at the AU Summit

More information:

Read the Terms of Reference and the Applicant Declaration and Consent form, both linked from the AU call page, before you start
Entries are submitted through the official entry form linked from the call page as "Click here to register"
Competition questions go to the contact address listed on the entry form

Who can apply

Citizen of an African Union Member State
Aged 18 to 24 on 23 October 2026
Individual entries only, no joint or team submissions
One entry per person
Proof of nationality and age is required
Work must be original, made for this competition, and not previously published, sold, awarded or entered elsewhere
No generative AI: logos generated, modified or substantially enhanced with generative AI tools are not accepted
AU Commission staff, competition committee members, staff of partner organisations running the competition, and their immediate families cannot enter

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

We could not fully verify this organization or all of its details. Check it independently on the official website before you apply, and never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

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Cross-checked 10 of 10 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+Run by the African Union Commission, with the winning logo used as the official identity of a continental theme for all of 2027
+Free to enter and no formal qualifications needed, so a self-taught 19-year-old designer is as eligible as a professional
+The winner takes part in the AU Summit where the logo is unveiled
+Prizes of US$5,000, US$2,000 and US$1,000 for the top three designs

Worth checking yourself

!Winning means giving up your rights: the winner must assign copyright and other intellectual property in the design to the AU Commission as a condition of receiving the award, and the design can be adapted and refined for official use
!The signed declaration form goes further than the Terms of Reference: it says all artwork submitted may be used by the AU Commission and its partners for promotion, publication, adaptation and reproduction, and lets the AUC use your name, photo and content for non-commercial purposes for two years after the competition, so read it before signing
!All awards are subject to final approval, availability of funds and confirmation by partners, and the AU Commission may decide not to make an award at all
!The page says the winner can take part in the AU Summit but does not say who pays for travel
!"Training opportunities" are listed as a prize but not described
!Generative AI use of any kind in the design leads to disqualification, and shortlisted entrants may be asked for sketches and process evidence
!The AU's event listing shows the call ending at 15:00 on 23 October, earlier than the 23:59 East Africa Time written everywhere else. Submit before 15:00 to be safe
!Open only to citizens of African Union Member States, aged 18 to 24 on 23 October 2026; proof of nationality and age is required
!The entry form's upload slot for the signed declaration accepts only PNG or JPEG files, so scan or photograph the signed form as an image

Sources checked

AUau.intApplyAUau.intApplyAUau.intApplyACaccreditation.au.intOfficialAUau.intApplyAUau.intApplyOPopportunitydesk.orgOfficialOPopportunitytracker.ugOfficial

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