diff --git a/src/components/admin/round/filtering-dashboard.tsx b/src/components/admin/round/filtering-dashboard.tsx
index 1827e1a..afd9b6f 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/round/filtering-dashboard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/round/filtering-dashboard.tsx
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ export function FilteringDashboard({ competitionId, roundId }: FilteringDashboar
       utils.project.list.invalidate()
       toast.success(
         `Finalized: ${data.passed} passed, ${data.filteredOut} filtered out` +
+        (data.routedToAwards > 0 ? `, ${data.routedToAwards} routed to award tracks` : '') +
         (data.advancedToStageName ? `. Next round: ${data.advancedToStageName}` : '')
       )
       if (data.categoryWarnings.length > 0) {
@@ -483,7 +484,12 @@ export function FilteringDashboard({ competitionId, roundId }: FilteringDashboar
                         This will mark PASSED projects as eligible and FILTERED_OUT projects as rejected.
                         {stats && (
                           <span className="block mt-2 font-medium">
-                            {stats.passed} will pass, {stats.filteredOut} will be filtered out, {stats.flagged} flagged for review.
+                            {stats.passed - (stats.routedToAwards || 0)} will pass to main pool, {stats.filteredOut} will be filtered out{stats.flagged > 0 ? `, ${stats.flagged} flagged for review` : ''}.
+                            {(stats.routedToAwards || 0) > 0 && (
+                              <span className="block text-amber-700">
+                                {stats.routedToAwards} already routed to award tracks (excluded from main pool).
+                              </span>
+                            )}
                           </span>
                         )}
                         This action can be reversed but requires manual intervention.
diff --git a/src/server/routers/filtering.ts b/src/server/routers/filtering.ts
index 990b105..eb264c1 100644
--- a/src/server/routers/filtering.ts
+++ b/src/server/routers/filtering.ts
@@ -1153,6 +1153,19 @@ export const filteringRouter = router({
 
       const passedIds = passedResults.map((r) => r.projectId)
 
+      // Exclude projects confirmed for SEPARATE_POOL award tracks from main pool
+      const awardRouted = await ctx.prisma.awardEligibility.findMany({
+        where: {
+          projectId: { in: passedIds },
+          shortlisted: true,
+          confirmedAt: { not: null },
+          award: { eligibilityMode: 'SEPARATE_POOL' },
+        },
+        select: { projectId: true },
+      })
+      const awardRoutedIds = new Set(awardRouted.map((a) => a.projectId))
+      const mainPoolPassedIds = passedIds.filter((id) => !awardRoutedIds.has(id))
+
       const operations: Prisma.PrismaPromise<unknown>[] = []
 
       if (filteredOutIds.length > 0) {
@@ -1164,10 +1177,10 @@ export const filteringRouter = router({
         )
       }
 
-      if (passedIds.length > 0) {
+      if (mainPoolPassedIds.length > 0) {
         operations.push(
           ctx.prisma.project.updateMany({
-            where: { id: { in: passedIds } },
+            where: { id: { in: mainPoolPassedIds } },
             data: { status: 'ELIGIBLE' },
           })
         )
@@ -1197,7 +1210,8 @@ export const filteringRouter = router({
         entityId: input.roundId,
         detailsJson: {
           action: 'FINALIZE_FILTERING',
-          passed: passedIds.length,
+          passed: mainPoolPassedIds.length,
+          routedToAwards: awardRoutedIds.size,
           filteredOut: filteredOutIds.length,
           demotedToFlagged: demotedIds.length,
           categoryTargets: input.categoryTargets || null,
@@ -1207,7 +1221,8 @@ export const filteringRouter = router({
       })
 
       return {
-        passed: passedIds.length,
+        passed: mainPoolPassedIds.length,
+        routedToAwards: awardRoutedIds.size,
         filteredOut: filteredOutIds.length,
         demotedToFlagged: demotedIds.length,
         categoryCounts,