14/01/2026
Nominations are officially open for the 2026 Quality Professionals Awards (QPA), founded by Mesma and in partnership with the IEP and OAL.
The Quality Professionals Awards bring together the Further Education, Skills and Employability sectors to celebrate excellence, dedication, and the remarkable achievements of individuals, teams, and organisations in the fields of quality and compliance.
A New Category for 2026
This year promises to be bigger and better, with an exciting new category celebrating quality improvement approaches that build inclusive practice in further education or employability. This addition reflects the sector’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that all learners and job seekers have access to high-quality provision.
How to Nominate
You can discover all the categories and make your submissions at qualityprofessionalsawards.org or via the QPA website contact form at https://qualityprofessionalsawards.org/award-categories/#contact-form.
Nominations close Friday, 20th March, so don’t leave it too late to recognise the outstanding work happening across your organisation or sector.
Celebrating Excellence in 2025
The Quality Professionals Awards 2025 demonstrated the incredible impact of quality and compliance professionals across the sector. Over 300 people gathered at the Leeds Marriott Hotel in June 2025 to celebrate the achievements of finalists and winners representing organisations across the UK, including FE colleges, independent training providers, local authorities, universities, third sector providers, employers, and employability providers of all sizes.
From over 500 nominees, 76 finalists competed across 12 categories, with 18 winners and 13 highly commended awards presented on the night. The event recognised the contribution of those who build a culture of trust, supportive challenge and make systemic change to keep moving the dial on the experiences of students, apprentices and job seekers.
Stay Connected
Stay in the loop with sponsor news, category updates, and all the build-up to the big event by following QPA on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-quality-professionals-awards.
The Quality Professionals Awards continue to elevate the status of quality assurance and compliance, demonstrating the critical contribution of the many people who work alongside delivery teams to pave the way for a bright future for learners and job seekers.
For more information, contact hello@qualityprofessionalsaward.org