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Activities

Restoration Prize

Annual distinction of €20,000 (indicative) for an exemplary restoration project on a cultural property.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Recognising restoration work

Necklace (100s BCE)
Necklace (100s BCE)

The Restoration Prize rewards a project that restores a cultural property's legibility without betraying its history. It carries an award of €20,000 (indicative amount) and is presented each year at the General Assembly. It recognises scientific quality as much as the transparency of the approach.

Restoration workshops, museums, foundations, collectors and university teams may apply.

Applications are submitted online between October and January.

  • Prizes
  • Restoration
  • Preservation

Restoration Prize in figures

€20,000Award (indicative)
1 per yearLaureate
4 monthsCall opens (indicative)
9Jury members

Source: Events and Communications Directorate.

Breakdown

Scientific quality35 %
Documentation25%
Reversibility and conservation25%
Sharing with the public15%

Indicative weighting of the criteria.

What the prize rewards

The prize recognises a project completed within the three years preceding the call: restoration of a painting, consolidation of a site, treatment of a textile or an archaeological object. The file must show the initial condition, the methodological choices and the result.

A collective project is eligible. The award is then divided according to the laureate's decision, justified in writing to the jury.

Stater: BODVOC on plain field (obverse); Horse, Wheel, and Crescent (reverse) (10 BCE–20 CE)
Stater: BODVOC on plain field (obverse); Horse, Wheel, and Crescent (reverse) (10 BCE–20 CE)
Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts, Giuseppe Castiglione (1736–70s)
Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts, Giuseppe Castiglione (1736–70s)
Solidus with Busts of Constans II and Constantine IV (obverse) (659–661)
Solidus with Busts of Constans II and Constantine IV (obverse) (659–661)

Evaluation criteria

The jury assesses the scientific quality of the preliminary study, the appropriateness of the materials, the reversibility of interventions wherever possible, the documentation and the transmission of knowledge. It also considers respect for the integrity of the property and its context.

A property of disputed provenance is excluded. The applicant must be able to establish that the object was lawfully held and that the owner has consented to the application.

Preparing the file

The file comprises a presentation of no more than fifteen pages, a restoration report, photographs before, during and after, the list of contributors and a letter from the owner. It is submitted online, in one of the Organisation's three languages.

A two-page summary for the public is required. It is used to present the finalists in OIMAP publications.

Hearings and decision

After reviewing the files, the jury selects five finalists, whom it hears in May. Each has ten minutes to present their project, followed by questions. The jury then deliberates and designates one laureate and two mentions.

Unsuccessful applicants receive a reasoned reply. They may resubmit a file in a later edition, after a one-year interval.

Application file

Four documents
DocumentFormatRemark
Project presentationPDF, 15 pages maximumThree languages accepted
Restoration reportPDFInitial and final condition
PhotographsImagesBefore, during, after
Owner's letterPDFConsent to the application

Milestones

  1. Call opens

    Rules published.

  2. Closing

    Submission of files.

  3. Hearings

    Five finalists.

  4. Prize ceremony

    General Assembly.

Provenance

Bracelet (1700s)
Bracelet (1700s)
Portrait of Pope Paul II Barbo (obverse) and (reverse), Cristoforo di Geremia (c. 1468)
Portrait of Pope Paul II Barbo (obverse) and (reverse), Cristoforo di Geremia (c. 1468)
Portrait of a Woman, Gerard ter Borch (c. 1665)
Portrait of a Woman, Gerard ter Borch (c. 1665)

Individual or collective project

American Red Cross War Council Medal (reverse), Daniel Chester French (1920)

Individual

A restorer
  • Simpler file
  • Award to a single beneficiary
  • Sole responsibility

For a workshop.

Octagonal Pendant (324–26 CE)

Collective

A team
  • Several specialities
  • Justified allocation
  • Coordination required

For a complex site.

Submitting an application

  1. Read

    The rules.

  2. Gather

    The supporting documents.

  3. Write

    The presentation.

  4. Submit

    Before the closing date.

  5. Present

    At the hearings.

Complete file

A laureate

Solidus of Justinian I (reverse) (545–565)
« The recognition of the prize enabled us to train two young restorers and to publish our method. »
Laureate, restoration workshop

Restoration vocabulary

Reversibility
The possibility of undoing an intervention.
Initial condition
Assessment before treatment.
Mention
Secondary distinction.
Finalist
Applicant heard by the jury.

Use of the award

The award is intended to support continued conservation work: financing a new project, training a young restorer, a scientific publication. The laureate reports on its use within twelve months of the ceremony.

No part of the award may finance a commercial operation. Failure to comply with this rule entails repayment of the sum.

Frequently asked questions

What is the amount?

€20,000 (indicative).

Can an individual apply?

Yes, with the consent of the owner of the property.

In which language should I apply?

French, English or Spanish.

Where can I see previous laureates?

Useful documents

Contacts

Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh, Felice A. Beato (1858)
Small Mosque in the Kaiserbagh, Felice A. Beato (1858)
Events and Communications DirectorateParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 07 00evenements@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

See the laureates

Portrait of a Woman, Anna Claypoole Peale (1820)

Discover the distinguished projects.

Laureates
Image credits (17)
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