The ICDE Prize of Excellence was inaugurated in 1999 as the global prize of excellence in open and distance education and is awarded to deserving institutions and individuals for the highest possible excellence in the fields.

The ICDE Prize of Excellence will be awarded in the following areas:

• The Institutional Prize - This prize will be awarded to an institution, an association, or a network of institutions for very significant achievements or contributions to the international community of open, flexible, and distance education during the past five years. This relates particularly to leadership and innovation through mainstream developments, which contribute to the continuing enhancement of open, flexible, and distance education across cultural and linguistic barriers.
   
• The Individual Prize: This prize will be awarded for

            ० Very significant contributions to the field over the past five years. The prize will focus on rewarding innovation and progress in the field, as well as very significant contributions to the international community of open, flexible and distance education during the past five years.

            ०  The Individual Prize may also be awarded to individuals who have shown great leadership and excellence in the work of an educational association of open, flexible and distance education at national, regional or global level over the past 5-10 years, and moved the international agenda of collaboration forward in a decisive manner.

• The Prize for Lifelong Contribution to the field - The prize will award very significant lifelong contributions to the field. These lifelong achievements should represent significant contributions to the international community of open, flexible and distance education.