Blog article: Toronto Open Data Awards 2026: Call for Submissions
Article text
The Toronto Open Data Awards are back for 2026!
If you’ve used open data to build something this year – whether it’s an application, a visualization, an analysis or article, or a software tool – this is your chance to share your work and be recognized! Even if your project doesn’t win, it may be featured in our Open Data Gallery.
👉 Applications are open from now until Dec. 4, 2026. Click here to submit your project.
Thinking about starting an open data project and need some inspiration? Read about our past award winners, or check out the projects in our gallery!
Eligibility
To qualify, projects must:
- Make use of at least one open dataset from open.toronto.ca
- Be active or completed in 2026
- Be freely accessible to the public; projects that exclusively charge for access (e.g. subscriptions, fees, paywalls, etc.) are not eligible
- Not be a previous Open Data Awards winner (projects that were submitted in previous years may re-apply, provided they remain in active development)
Categories and Criteria
This year, we’re changing how we categorize and evaluate projects. There’s such a diversity of open data projects that it can be challenging to compare them; it’s not always easy to evaluate a mobile application vs. a research report, or to apply the same criteria to volunteer projects and tools built by large teams or well-funded companies.
So we’re adding some rigour to our rubric, in an effort to make judging the Open Data Awards more of an apples-to-apples exercise.
First, we’re distinguishing between grassroots projects and those with financial support. So whether you built your project off the side of your desk, or as part of a research grant or business endeavour, you’ll be judged alongside your peers.
Second, we’ve developed criteria for different kinds of projects. When you submit your awards application, you’ll choose one of the following categories that best fits your project:
| Category | Best for… | Judges will look for… |
|---|---|---|
| Open Data Applications Example: 2024 winner Open Water Swimming | Websites, mobile apps, or other tools that use open data to help residents find services or solve civic issues. | A clear civic problem, proof of use or impact, quality of design, accessibility, engagement with users, and contributions to the open source community. |
| Open Data Analysis Example: 2025 honourable mention Toronto Parking Insights | Maps, charts, dashboards, reports, or articles that use open data to share insights and help residents understand civic issues. | A clear research question connected to a civic issue, strong analysis, new insights, creative use of open data, and proof of impact. |
| Open Data Infrastructure Example: 2025 honourable mention CKAN MCP Server | Projects focused on backend work, automation, data links, or AI/ML. They may support open data access and use, rather than solve one civic issue. | A clear technical problem, a strong or innovative solution, open code and documentation, and potential for reuse or scale. |
| Student Projects Example: 2025 winner BetterMyCity | Open data projects made by high school or undergraduate students. | A clear problem or question related to a civic issue, creative use of open data, lessons learned and room for the project to grow. |
| City Projects Example: 2025 winner SafeTO Mapping Prevention | Open data projects created by City staff to help residents access, understand, or use City information. | A clear public need, high-quality data, useful metadata, and efforts to help residents find and use datasets. |
What’s next?
The call for submissions will be open until Dec. 4, 2026. We’ll review the submissions, notify the winners and host the awards gala in early 2027.
We can’t wait to see all the cool ways you’ve been using open data. So submit your project today!
If you have any questions about the awards, the criteria or the City’s Open Data Program, drop us a line at opendata@toronto.ca.