Leadership Awards
2026 SPLC Leadership Awards
The SPLC Leadership Awards recognize and honor the organizations and individuals demonstrating exceptional dedication and innovation in integrating sustainability into core procurement practices. Each year, submissions reflect the growing sophistication of sustainable procurement—from circular strategies and supplier engagement to equity-focused sourcing and measurable emissions reductions.
If you or someone in your network is doing work that stands out, we encourage you to submit an individual or project case study for nomination.
Submissions for the 2026 SPLC Leadership Awards must be received by 5:00 pm ET on September 11, 2026. Winners will be selected by a panel of experts and honored at a virtual event in late 2026.
Preview the Case Study Requirements
Important Information
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SPLC strongly encourages submissions that address social, economic, and ethical aspects of sustainable procurement, as well as environmental impacts.
For example:
- Have you worked to develop the sustainability competency and capabilities of your small and diverse suppliers?
- Have you addressed supply chain human rights concerns like conflict minerals and human trafficking?
- Have you challenged your suppliers to put in place anti-discrimination and affirmative hiring practices?
- Have you connected your purchasing to local economic development that improves the community in which you operate?
- SPLC awards are intended to recognize organizational and individual achievement in sustainable procurement leadership, and not to showcase specific products or services. Case studies that primarily promote a supplier’s products or services will be disqualified.
Juried Award Categories
| Overall Program |
Recognizes an organization whose overall sustainable purchasing program exemplifies the qualities defined in SPLC’s Principles for Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing |
| Special Initiative |
Recognizes an organization for a specific purchasing initiative that demonstrates exceptional leadership in improving the environmental, social, and economic performance of the organization and supply chain. |
| Supplier Engagement |
Recognizes a purchasing organization that has done an exceptional job of motivating and helping to develop high sustainability performance by its suppliers. |
| Business Case |
Recognizes the organization that best demonstrates the business value generated by sustainable purchasing. |
| Supplier Leadership | Recognizes a supplier organization whose actions have enabled institutional purchasers to better understand and improve the impacts of their procurement decisions. |
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Public Interest Advocate Leadership |
Recognizes a public interest advocate organization whose actions facilitate market transformation towards sustainability – in particular those who have enabled institutional purchasers to better understand and take responsibility for the consequences of their spending. |
| Circular Economy Leadership | Recognizes leadership in work to forward circular procurement |
| Individual Leadership | Recognizes one or more individuals whose vision, leadership, and dedicated effort have been fundamental to the advancement of sustainable procurement best practice and building the sustainable purchasing movement. Nominations for the Individual Award can be made by the individual themselves, and/or by another person or organization. |
| Outstanding Case Study | This award is given to all high quality case studies submitted that meet our outstanding case study criteria but are not selected for juried awards at this time. Recognizes the contribution leaders make when they take the time to document and share their work with others to provide models of excellence in sustainable purchasing. All Outstanding Case Study submissions will be included in the SPLC Case Study Library. |