Sponsorship: FONASBA launches the Young Ship Agent or Shipbroker Award for 2026

Full details of the criteria for 2026 Award can be found below:

PURPOSE OF THE FONASBA AWARD:

The aim of the Award is to develop professionalism among young people in ship agency and shipbroking and to encourage them to be actively engaged in the industry. A further objective of the Award is to enhance FONASBA’s academic resources.

AUTHOR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

The author shall be 40 years of age or under at the time of submission of the paper to the Review Committee. Entries are welcome from all eligible individuals employed by a company that is a member of a FONASBA Full, or Candidate Member association, or by an Associate or Club Member; and from external authors, who are employed elsewhere [companies that are not part of the FONASBA network].

PAPER CRITERIA:

Submissions should present a clear, well-structured analysis of the chosen subject, grounded in the professional perspective and practical experience of a ship agent and/or shipbroker.

For this year’s edition of the award, candidates are invited to focus their submissions on one of the following three thematic areas:

1. The Ship Agent Today: A Profession at the Crossroads

How roles, expectations and responsibilities are changing across ship types, ports and jurisdictions

2. Operating Under Pressure: Shipping Professionals in an Unsettled World

What geopolitics, sanctions and regulatory uncertainty mean for agents and brokers on the ground 

3. Platforms, Power and Practice: Who Shapes the Future of Shipbroking and Ship Agency?

Examining the impact of digital tools, intermediaries and new market structures

The paper should be written in such a way as to be understood by both professionals in the field as well as general (non-maritime) readers.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA:

To ensure consistently high standards, the subject of the paper will be agreed between the author and the Review Committee prior to work starting.

In a first instance, the author will be invited to submit the title and a brief summary [between 350 and 500 words] outlining the scope and contents of the work to the Committee for review and comment.

The Review Committee may suggest such changes to the proposal as it feels appropriate to ensure the finished work meets the required standards.

Once the scope of work has been agreed upon, the formal submission will consist of a written paper, including illustrations where appropriate, with a word count of no less than 4,000 and no more than 5,000 words, excluding the title, index, footnotes, and bibliography.

The paper, submitted in English, shall be an original work and shall not have been published in print or electronic media prior to being submitted for the Award. The editorial guidelines regarding the paper layout, visual content management, etc., will be circulated in due course.

The timetable for entering a paper to the Award scheme is provided below.

OWNERSHIP/PUBLICATION OF ALL PAPERS:

Copyright of the paper remains with the author. However, by entering for the Award, the author accepts full responsibility for the content, including any copyright and plagiarism issues. Authors also agree agrees that their work may be made available to the membership and the public via the FONASBA website, publications, and other communication media.

REVIEW PROCESS:

All aspects of the review process and selection of the winner of the Award will be undertaken by a Review Committee comprised of the following:

• A senior member of FONASBA as Chair, nominated by the Executive Committee
• The Chair for the Education and Quality Committee
• And any further individuals nominated by the Chair of the Review Committee

The Review Committee will be supported by the FONASBA Secretariat, which will administer all aspects of the Award scheme, including all communication with the authors.

AWARDING OF YOUNG AGENT/BROKER TITLE:

The Review Committee will consider all papers received by the closing date shown below and select the best entry.

PRIZES:

FIRST PRIZE

The winner of the first prize will receive the following:

• €1,000.00 from FONASBA,
•  €750.00 from ITIC,
• €300.00 from the FONASBA Members in Japan, JAFSA,
• complimentary access to a BIMCO e-Learning module of their choice
• complimentary entry into either the FONASBA ACB Liner Shipping Transportation or Tramp Shipping course.

They will also receive a certificate recognising their achievement.

Furthermore, the first prize winner will have the opportunity to present their work at the Annual Meeting scheduled for October 2026 in Tokyo, Japan.

SECOND PRIZE

The winner of the second prize will receive the following:

• €1000 from FONASBA
• €250.00 from ITIC,
• complimentary entry into ASBA course on Shipbrokering & Charter Vessel Operations (SBCVO).

THIRD PRIZE

The winner of the third prize will receive the following

• €500 from FONASBA,
• 5 textbooks of choice from the wide range of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers: publications.

The certificates and prizes will be sent by FONASBA for presentation locally. News of the awards will be publicised in the maritime media and via the FONASBA website, publications, and other communication media.

AUTHOR AND REVIEW COMMITTEE TIMETABLE:

Step 1.

Submission of the paper abstract, including the concept of the paper. To be presented alongside the name, age, email address, and company contact details of the author, together with the title and a short (350 – 500 word) summary of the scope and contents of the paper to be submitted to the Review Committee via the FONASBA Secretariat (generalmanager@fonasba.org) by 23rd February 2026.

Step 2.

Review Committee to reply to the author, accepting the proposed paper, or suggesting amendments, by 09th March 2026.

Step 3.

Completed papers to be returned to the Review Committee, via the FONASBA Secretariat, by 1st June 2026.

Step 4.

The Review Committee will select and announce the winner by 27th July 2026.