Esbjerg Municipality on Denmark’s west coast has opened nominations for its 2026 Integration Prize, an annual award honouring people, businesses and associations that make a special effort to help refugees and immigrants settle and participate in local life. The Esbjerg integration prize 2026 highlights the role that everyday community work plays in welcoming newcomers to the municipality.
Who can receive the Integration Prize
The prize is organised by the municipality’s Forum for Integration and Employment (Forum for Integration og Beskæftigelse). It recognises individuals, companies and associations that have contributed in a particularly dedicated way to integration in Esbjerg, whether by building strong communities, helping newcomers find work, or working for inclusion over a long period.
Anyone in the municipality can suggest a candidate. The nomination is made through the municipality’s own website, where nominators are asked to describe what the candidate has done, who has benefited from the work, and why the effort stands out.
Integration Prize 2026: criteria and the award
To be considered, a candidate must meet at least one of four criteria: strengthening integration through communities, promoting the integration of refugees and immigrants in the workplace and on the labour market, working persistently with integration over several years, or taking an innovative approach to including ethnic minorities.
The winner receives the Integration Prize 2026 itself together with DKK 10,000, which must be used to continue and strengthen the integration work that earned the nomination.
FAKTA: The 2026 Integration Prize at a glance
- What: Esbjerg Municipality’s annual Integration Prize, honouring special efforts for the integration of refugees, immigrants and ethnic minorities.
- Organiser: The Forum for Integration and Employment (Forum for Integration og Beskæftigelse) under Esbjerg Municipality.
- Award: The prize itself plus DKK 10,000 for the winner to continue and strengthen their integration work.
- Criteria: Nominees must meet at least one of four criteria – building integration through communities, supporting refugees and immigrants into work, long-term integration work, or innovative inclusion of ethnic minorities.
- Deadline: Nominations must be submitted via the municipality’s website no later than 30 October 2026.
Language and work at the heart of integration
In Denmark, municipalities run the day-to-day integration work for refugees and immigrants, including Danish language courses and job-oriented activities such as counselling, internships and skills training. Language skills are widely seen as a key step on the road to employment, which in turn is considered the principal channel for becoming part of Danish society.
A yearly tradition in Esbjerg
The Integration Prize is awarded every year, and the municipality invites its residents to point out the people, businesses and associations that make a difference. Previous editions have gathered local volunteers, organisations and employers at community venues, where the awarding has been accompanied by talks on community, employment and networks.
The prize puts a spotlight on voluntary and local initiatives that otherwise receive little public attention, from neighbourhood associations to employers who have opened their doors to refugees and immigrants.
Conclusion
With nominations now open, Esbjerg is asking its residents to help celebrate the quiet, practical work that makes integration possible. The winner of the 2026 prize will be honoured not only with the award itself but with funding to keep their integration work going – and the 30 October deadline gives the municipality’s residents just a few weeks to make sure the right candidates are put forward.
