Such competitions may be open, receiving bids internationally, domestically, or regionally.
Famous early examples of design competitions were for the Acropolis of Athens in 448 BCE, and the dome of the Florence Cathedral in 1418.
A well-known example is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. designed by Maya Lin.
Urban and landscape projects may solicit design proposals in a competition.
Specific rules are included in the EU's Directive on Public Contracts for the conduct of a design contest organised as part of a procedure leading to the award of a public contract or a design contest with prizes or payments to participants.