CDMO Leadership Awards 2026

Independent recognition based on verified sponsor feedback

The CDMO Leadership Awards recognize contract development and manufacturing organizations based on direct feedback from biopharma sponsors who have worked with them within the past 18–24 months. Awards reflect real-world outsourcing performance and are grounded in verified sponsor feedback, not submissions or self-nominations.

Strengthening rigor and transparency

For 2026, the CDMO Leadership Awards introduce a new research partnership with the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. Tufts CSDD provides independent oversight of survey design, respondent validation, and analysis, reinforcing the rigor and objectivity behind the awards.

Survey responses are collected from qualified biopharma professionals with recent outsourcing experience. CDMOs cannot self-nominate, submit materials, or otherwise influence scoring.

Learn more about the 2026 program updates and research partnership in the official press release.
Press Release

2026 Awards timeline

January–early February 2026
Survey fielding and data collection

Late February 2026
Shortlists announced

March 2026
CDMO Leadership Awards USA recognition during DCAT Week in New York City

Fall 2026
CDMO Leadership Awards Europe recognition

This timeline reflects the planned cadence for the 2026 awards cycle. Additional event details will be shared closer to each recognition moment.

How the awards are determined

The CDMO Leadership Awards are based on a proprietary scoring model that blends quantitative performance metrics with qualitative sponsor feedback. Recognition is determined by verified responses and minimum qualification thresholds within each modality and cohort.

More detail on eligibility, scoring, and award categories is available in the FAQ section.

2025 Awards at a glance

The 2025 CDMO Leadership Awards were informed by hundreds of verified sponsor responses evaluating more than 200 CDMOs across global, international, and North American categories.

Explore 2025 winners and highlights below and throughout this site.

Juried & Best In Class Awards

In addition to the CDMO Leadership Awards, Outsourced Pharma's Juried and Best In Class Awards capture more of what the CDMO industry and professionals excel at every day.

Juried Award finalists and winners were voted on by a panel if industry professionals. Three of these categories represent the suppliers and partners that provide CDMOs with the equipment, technology, support and know-how to allow them to focus on delivering quality results for their customers. A fourth Juried Award recognizes the best new or transformed CDMO in the last year.

Best In Class Awards recognize additional qualities sponsors value when selecting a partner. Finalists and winners were calculated using the same survey results that support the Leadership Awards.