Southern Regional College was named Workplace and Estates Team of the Year at the Facilities Management Awards 2026, held on 11 March 2026 at the Royal Dublin Convention Centre. The recognition honours a team that demonstrated a level of digital maturity and operational confidence rarely seen within the public sector, delivering measurable results across efficiency, compliance and estates performance.

Central to the team's winning entry was the Digital Shadow project, a data consolidation initiative that transformed how the college manages its estates portfolio. By bringing disparate systems and information into a single, operationally integrated platform, the team achieved real gains in efficiency and smarter decision-making across the built environment. The project stands as a clear example of how digital investment, when properly governed and purposefully implemented, can drive sustained operational value rather than incremental improvement.

Judges were particularly struck by the strength of the culture underpinning the team's performance. A life-saving CPR intervention by a team member served as a defining illustration of a workforce that combines technical preparedness with genuine care for the people it serves. "This team demonstrated a level of digital maturity rarely seen in the public sector, using data-led systems to drive efficiency, compliance, and smarter estates management," the judges noted. "With clear results, strong governance, and a people-first approach, this is facilities management delivered with confidence and impact."

Southern Regional College's win reflects the rising standards within the Facilities Management Awards, where the strongest entries demonstrate not only operational performance but the organisational culture and governance frameworks that make that performance sustainable.

Explore the full list of 2026 winners and discover the categories at the official Facilities Management Awards website and subscribe to the newsletter for updates on the 2027 programme.