Formica Canada Launches Ninth Annual FORM Student Innovation Competition
Students are invited to design mood-boosting furniture pieces that spark joy
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, September 10, 2025 — Formica Canada announces the opening of the 2026 FORM Student Innovation Competition. Now in its ninth year, the annual furniture design competition invites students studying architecture, industrial design and interior design in Canada, the United States and Mexico to design original furniture pieces using Formica® Brand and FENIX® products reflecting this year’s theme of “Mood-Boosting Design.”
A natural extension of the ongoing focus on designing for well-being, “Mood-Boosting Design” reflects the pursuit of joy at the heart of recent design trends. Formica Canada encourages students to play with expressive elements like color and texture to create pieces that inspire, spark joy in and emotionally uplift both themselves and the end user. Students entering the competition will provide a project statement and color rendering of their furniture design. Each entry must include at least three Formica® Brand and/or FENIX® products.
“The last edition of the competition drew an outstanding group of Canadian students, who stood out not only through their strong participation but also with the creativity and quality of their designs,” said Christelle Locat-Rainville, Canada Marketing Manager & Green Team Leader. “We were especially proud to see two teams of Canadian students place in the top three. We’re excited to see how participants in the 2026 competition will bring the theme ‘Mood-Boosting Design’ to life and to discover their creations.
Each entrant will have the chance to win cash prizes and national recognition, including the opportunity to have their design showcased at NeoCon 2026, the leading design event for commercial interiors. The competition is open through Feb. 27, 2026, with winners announced in early May. A distinguished panel of industry leaders will judge the students’ entries.
The grand prizewinner will receive a $2,000 USD cash prize and their design will be fabricated and displayed during NeoCon 2026 in Chicago. The second-place winner will be awarded $1,000 USD and the third-place winner will receive $500 USD. The top three winners will be invited to attend NeoCon, in Chicago, as guests of Formica Corporation for the opportunity to network with industry professionals and gain exposure to the design community.
The current iteration of FORM is inspired by a challenge Formica Corporation held in 2008, when the company invited design greats — including Jaime Velez, Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli, among others — to create works of art from Formica® Brand products. Their designs, which ranged from domestic pieces to conceptual sculptures, were then exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.
The 2026 FORM Student Innovation Competition has evolved over the years to engage students by challenging them to create original furniture designs and spotlight their unique design perspectives as the next generation of the industry.
Entries are accepted through Feb. 27, 2026. This year, students will enter the competition at formica.com/FORMCompetition, where they can also find additional information including complete competition details, resources and rules.
About Formica Canada Inc.
Formica Canada Inc., part of the Broadview Materials family of companies, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. Formica Canada is a proud partner of the Well Made Here program. For more information about Formica Canada Inc., its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA™.