Free Printable Certificate of Participation Template

Participation certificates get dismissed as “everyone gets a trophy”, and that misses what they are for. Showing up to a science fair, a debate, a first competition or a workshop takes nerve, especially for children. This is the award that says the taking part was the point.

When to use it

Schools use them for science fairs, sports days, spelling bees and drama productions, where a handful of students take medals and the rest went through exactly the same preparation. Event organisers use them for workshops and hackathons. Clubs use them for a first tournament, where finishing is the achievement.

One practical tip: give participation certificates at the same moment as the winners’ awards, not afterwards as a consolation round. Handed out together, they read as recognition. Handed out separately, they read as a runner-up prize, which is the opposite of the intention.

How it works

Click any line on the certificate above and type over it. Choose your design, your paper size and, if you want to save ink, the black and white version. Then press Download PDF and print. Everything happens in your browser — your text is never uploaded anywhere.

Editable in PowerPoint and Word

If you need to add a logo, a second signature or a different wording, download the editable file instead. The PowerPoint version opens in PowerPoint, Keynote, LibreOffice and Google Slides; the Word version opens in Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice. Every line is a real text box.

Printing

Print at 100% scale, not “fit to page”, or the border will shift. Use landscape orientation and the paper size you downloaded — A4 outside the United States, US Letter inside it. Paper of 160 to 200 gsm costs very little and changes how the certificate feels in someone’s hands.

Questions

Should the winners get a different certificate?
Yes — use the achievement or the sports award version for placements, and this one for everyone who took part. Different wording, same design family, so they look like a set.

Can I add the name of the event?
Yes, in the reason line: “for taking part in the 2026 Regional Science Fair”.

Is it really free?
Yes, for personal, educational and commercial use, with no watermark and no account. The only thing you cannot do is resell the file itself as a template.

Which paper size should I pick?
US Letter in the United States and Canada, A4 almost everywhere else. If you are unsure, check the paper already loaded in your printer.