ENTRIES for the 2026 CFJ Awards have officially opened.
If you have an installation that’s worth shouting about, now is the time to put it forward for the next awards. The categories are*:
Flooring in Bars, Cafes & Restaurants
Flooring in Community & Public Venues
Flooring in Education – Colleges & Universities
Flooring in Education – Schools
Flooring in Healthcare – Care homes
Flooring in Healthcare – Hospitals & Medical Facilities
Residential Developments – Newbuild
Residential Developments – Refurbishment
Flooring in Offices – Newbuild
Flooring in Offices – Refurbishment
Flooring in Hotels
Industrial Flooring
Flooring in International Venues
Flooring in Retail
Flooring in Sport & Leisure
Flooring in Visitor Attractions
Charitable Initiatives
Next year will also see the return of the individual awards including Lifetime Achievement of the Year; Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility; CFJ Contributor of the Year; Manufacturer of the Year; Distributor of the Year; and Apprentice of the Year, run by the CFA.
This year saw Westcotes Flooring win Installation of the Year with its Visitor Attractions project at Bechstein Hall – Flagship Piano Showroom, Recital Hall & Accommodation in London.
Westcotes’ partners on the project included Sasgo, Ted Todd, Cellecta, Planners Services & Sundries, Protec International, Mapei UK, FSE Foundry, Forbo Flooring Systems, and Milliken.
Flooring Matters took second place with its residential refurbishment at Cliff Orchard, Torquay, while Westcotes also claimed third with its Cambridge office refurbishment at Shakespeare House, Project Generator.
Altro with MacGregor Flooring won Sustainability Initiative of the Year for its project at Parkhead Health and Social Care Hub in Glasgow.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Geoffrey Ball, who helped build F Ball and Co into one of the UK’s leading flooring adhesives manufacturer. Joining the family business in 1965 and becoming managing director in 1982, he championed employee welfare, reinvestment, and industry support.
Helen Tidmarsh, operations director of the CFA, received Outstanding Contribution of the Year for nearly 35 years of service. Her expertise has shaped training, apprenticeships, publications, standards, and events, as well as ensuring the smooth running of CFA, FITA and NICF councils.
Other winners included TradeChoice Carpet & Flooring (Distributor of the Year, by popular vote) and F Ball and Co (Manufacturer of the Year).
Entertainment came from stand-up comedian and former carpet fitter, Jack Skipper, who delighted the audience. He follows in the footsteps of Richard Coles, Jo Caulfield, Justin Moorhouse and Hal Cruttenden, but was the first comedian with direct flooring experience.
Judging was carried out by an independent panel: head judge Richard Renouf, chartered surveyor Graeme Dewar, Hillside Contracts director Tony Mathe, and Kelly Gayle of AG Flooring, who replaced much-loved former judge Fiona Bowman after her retirement.
Organised by Contract Flooring Journal, the CFJ Awards remain the UK’s premier celebration of excellence in contract flooring, recognising outstanding installations, innovation, and talent across the industry.
* These categories are subject to change
