Entry Guidelines
Awards Information
The cidb ERWIC Awards has become a highlight on the calendar for women in the construction industry, traditionally thought of as a male-dominated industry. Thanks to the evolving concerted efforts to encourage women into the sector, today women are increasingly assuming positions once considered ‘male’ roles and overcoming outdated stereotypes.
Enterprise development and empowerment of the emerging sector is core to the cidb’s strategy towards fulfilling and implementing an integrated strategy for the reconstruction, growth, and development of the construction industry. The cidb has identified women as a critical target for development and has chosen to celebrate and encourage this target through an industry awards process.
The aim of the cidb Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction Awards (ERWIC Awards) is to encourage excellence among women and commitment among stakeholders to support women in their professional growth and development. It also aims to promote role models for women in lower grade construction categories and motivate women in the higher grades.
The annual event celebrates, acknowledges and awards
the excellence of women operating within the construction industry.
Awards Guidelines
- Finalists may be organisations or individuals from the private or public sector, meeting the entrant criteria for each category
- Depending on the description and criteria of the category, the finalists may nominate themselves or be nominated by a third party.
- ONLY 2 categories in total may be entered by any one individual, organisation or entity in a given year – across all the category groupings.
- The majority of the judging process is based on qualitative criteria and not a quantitative process.
- A scorecard to be provided to advise the entrants how BBBEE and ownership will be scored. The ENTRY form will also have this scoring detail.
- Two entries in a category are sufficient to maintain that category.
- By entering this awards competition, participants agree to allow their name, likeness, and entry details to be used by the organisers for promotional and marketing purposes related to the awards. This includes, but is not limited to, publication on websites, social media, press releases, and other media channels. Participation in the awards constitutes consent to such use without additional compensation or approval.
- One entry in a category may be awarded a COMMENDATION if the judges believe it is a worthy single entry. Should the single entry not be valid, the category will be withdrawn for that year.
- Requirements of all entrants:
- Entrants must be actively registered with the cidb, where applicable.
- Entrants must disclose their BBBEE status this applies to companies/organisations.
- Projects entered must be from Southern African regions.
- Projects entered must have been fully completed within the awards time period.
- A signed declaration from the client is required.
- Entrants must complete and sign the Entry Declaration.
- Only projects completed between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024 are eligible for entry into the project awards categories for 2025. Projects must be completed on time, within budget and to the satisfaction of the client, and abide by all health and safety regulations.
- Projects entered in the awards competition in one year may not be re-entered for competition in any other consecutive year.
- No winner, second or third place finalist may enter that SAME category in the consecutive year following that placement.
- Categories are divided into the following groups:
- Projects
- Business
- Individual
- The awards entry closing date is subject to change but will be adequately communicated by the cidb.
- Finalists will be required to be interviewed by judges. Convenient times will be determined and in some cases site visits will be coordinated.
- The awards event will take place in mid- to late-August, in keeping with August traditionally being positioned as Women’s month.
FAQ
You can begin by visiting our website and heading to the Categories and Criteria page. Once you find the category that suits your project or business, you’ll see two submission options: an Online Submission form and a Manual Download form. Choose whichever method suits you best, and follow the steps provided.
Eligibility differs slightly by category, but broadly speaking, entries must be from women-owned individuals or businesses that are active in the construction industry in Southern Africa, and registered with the cidb, where applicable.
The awards are mainly focused on the construction industry but there are a few awards that are aligned to the built environment industry, so businesses outside these parameters – like IT or consulting – wouldn’t be eligible unless they’re directly involved in construction project delivery.
Projects must be fully completed between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024 to qualify for the 2025 Awards.
Unfortunately, only projects that are fully completed between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024 will be eligible for entry into the 2025 awards. So ongoing projects would need to wait until they’re completed.
Each person or business can enter a maximum of two categories. If more than two are submitted, we’ll contact you to confirm which ones you want to go with and remove the extras.
The basic documentation includes:
- A signed entry form
- A declaration from your client
- Proof of cidb registration (where required)
- BBBEE status disclosure for companies
Each category might have additional requirements, so be sure to check carefully.
You can enter a project again as long as you weren’t a finalist in the previous year – as long as it is still within the parameters for the category.
Judging is based on qualitative criteria like innovation, project excellence, sustainability, and client feedback. We also have external adjudicators that judge the entries and then an external auditing team that review the process.
Yes — there must be at least two valid entries per category. If not, the category may be withdrawn or the entry may receive a commendation instead of a placement.
All entries must be from the Southern African region.
The ceremony will be held on 14 August 2025. More details on the venue and logistics will be shared closer to the time.
If your business is not directly involved in construction or infrastructure projects, unfortunately, it wouldn’t meet the eligibility criteria. The ERWIC Awards focus specifically on women-owned entities or individuals within the construction industry, including general building, civil, electrical, mechanical, and related sectors.
