Question 1

How can I register for the PAVE International Student Design Competition?

Accepted Answer

To register for the PAVE International Student Design Competition, visit the official competition page on our website at www.paveglobal.org/sdc. There, you'll find all the details, including registration steps and access to the project brief. The process is simple and ensures you have everything needed to participate.

Question 2

I just registered/I registered over the weekend, when will I have access to the project submission form?

Accepted Answer

Please allow up to 2 business days to gain access to the Project Submission Form.

Question 3

How do I submit my project or access the submission form?

Accepted Answer

Log in to Submittable.com and go to your submissions dashboard to access the project submission form. Select your submission titled "PAVE GLOBAL - 2025 PAVE Student Design Competition sponsored by The Hershey Company." Click "Continue" and follow the prompts to submit your project. You'll receive a confirmation email within 1-2 business days.

Question 4

I submitted my project, how do I know it's been accepted?

Accepted Answer

You will receive an email that your submission has been accepted, declined, or requires changes within 2 business days of submission.

Question 5

Can I edit my registration/re-upload my project?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely!

To Edit Your Registration:
1. Log in to your Submittable account.(https://manager.submittable.com/login)
2. Navigate to your registration for the competition, and click “Edit“ towards the top right-hand side to request access to edit your registration.
3. You will receive an email to let you know that your registration has been opened for editing. 
4. Make your changes and resubmit.

To Edit Your Submission:
1. Log in to your Submittable account.(https://manager.submittable.com/login)
2. Navigate to your registration for the competition.
3. Navigate to the Project Submission Form.
4.  Click “Edit“ towards the top right-hand side of the form to request access to edit your Project Submission Form.
3. You will receive an email to let you know that your submission has been opened for editing. 
4. Re-upload your project and resubmit.

Please note: It may take 1-2 business days to gain access to edit your registration/project. You will receive an email notification once it is open for editing.

Question 6

I received an email I have a draft/incomplete submission. Can you confirm I submitted it?

Accepted Answer

Due to the high volume of entries, we cannot confirm each inquiry. If you are receiving this message, you may have a second registration associated with your account that is incomplete.

To check, please log in to your submittable.com account. On your dashboard, you should see your registration for this competition. Click on it and check your messages to confirm that it has been accepted. If it has been accepted, please navigate to the "Draft" tab on your dashboard, where you can safely delete any incomplete registrations.

Question 7

Are international students eligible to participate in this competition?

Accepted Answer

Yes, international students can participate in this competition. Undergraduate and graduate-level college students from all over the world are invited and encouraged to join.

Question 8

Can students work on this project in teams?

Accepted Answer

No, the 2025 Student Design Competition accepts individual submissions only. Team submissions will not be accepted for this year's competition.

Question 9

When will we know the results?

Accepted Answer

Results will be announced via email, social media, and the PAVE website in mid to late November.

Question 10

Registration requires a school-issued email address, but my school doesn't give students email accounts, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

If your school does not issue students personal email accounts, please register with your personal email address. If we require further verification of your school enrollment, we will send you a message through Submittable.

Question 11

What units of measurement should we be using?

Accepted Answer

As an international competition, we understand that students from different parts of the world learn and design using different units of measure (metric or imperial).

As long as all size requirements outlined in the competition brief are met, you may use the units of measure that you are most comfortable and familiar with. If you need a metric conversion calculator, you can find one here.(https://www.metric-conversions.org/)

Question 12

Where should I cite my sources?

Accepted Answer

You may include a reference page at the end of your project. This reference page will not be included in the page count.

Question 13

What should I name my project file?

Accepted Answer

You may name your project file anything you wish. The Submittable system will hide your file name from the review panel, the judges will only be able to see the contents of your PDF.

Question 14

If we can't include our name or school on my project, how do you know it's ours?

Accepted Answer

Your project submission form is unique to you and attached to your competition registration. Your full registration as well as your file's name are hidden from the review panel by the Submittable system and can only be accessed by the competition administrators.

Question 15

Is there somewhere I can view past winning projects to see the caliber of work that has been done before?

Accepted Answer

Yes, of course! Please take a moment to check out all of the past winning projects here.(https://www.paveglobal.org/sdc)

Question 16

Are there any size requirements for the area/space that we are designing within the store?

Accepted Answer

While there are no strict size restrictions, the brief suggests considering a 12' x 12' space as a starting point.

However, you are not limited to these dimensions. The key requirement is that your design must be scalable across multiple retail footprints, from large box stores to small convenience stores and kiosks.

Focus on creating a concept that can be adapted and scaled for various store sizes while maintaining its impact and functionality.

Question 17

Where can I find and download assets?

Accepted Answer

All competition assets, including the design brief, Hershey brand guidelines, logos, sustainability standards, and other resources, are available immediately upon registration.

Students must register through the Student Registration Portal to gain access to these materials.

The assets are provided as downloadable links in your registration confirmation email and through your registered account dashboard.

Emails come from submittable.com (submittable.com)and may be in your spam/junk folder.

Question 18

My graduation date is before the project deadline, may I still participate?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you are graduating this year you may participate as a current student, but you must complete and submit your project before your graduation date to remain eligible.

Question 19

Can we include a video walk-through of our submission?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on the project submission form, there is a space to submit a video walk-through of your project.

Please note that video walk-throughs are OPTIONAL and will only be viewed/shared if your project is one of the 3 winners.

Videos will not be visible to judges during the review.

Question 20

Can I still participate in the competition without the guidance of an Instructor/Professor?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! There are plenty of students who participate in the competition outside of their regular classes/studios. Students are not required to have the guidance of an Instructor to participate.

Simply leave the section of the registration blank or enter "N/A" for the Instructor Contact questions.

PAVE STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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PAVE STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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PAVE STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS