The Ashden Awards reward organisations that deliver, or play a key part in delivering, renewable energy and energy efficiency at the local level, and through this bring social, economic and environmental benefits. In 2012 we will make a total of up to six International Awards. One Gold Award will have a prize fund of £40,000 and the others will win prize funds of £20,000 each.
An Ashden International Award also brings:
- Kudos of winning a prestigious Ashden Award.
- A short, broadcast-quality documentary film of your Award-winning work.
- Opportunities to present your work to large and influential audiences at the Ashden Awards ceremony and conference.
- National and international publicity, through the work of our specialist media team.
- Tailored help from our support team to take your work further: this can include professional mentoring, training, and introductions to grant, carbon and investment financers.
- Membership of the network of Ashden Award-winners, who are all leading practitioners in local, sustainable energy.
Who can apply for an Ashden International Award?
- Businesses, NGOs, social enterprises and government organisations are all eligible.
- The application can be for a specific programme, or for a product or service that has been proven on the market. This may be the whole work of an organisation, or part of it.
- The work must be delivered in areas that do not have developed world standards of living. These can rural or urban, and in either Africa, Central and South America, or Asia.
What are we looking for?
The Ashden Awards are a showcase. Award-winning work must add something to what pastwinners have shown. It could have reached more people, provided a new or cheaper solution, oropened up opportunities in different countries. In 2012 we are particularly interested in:
- Organisations delivering end-user or carbon finance, to help provide access to renewable electricity or clean cooking.
- Manufacturers who have developed and brought to market new products that provide renewable electricity or clean cooking for low income customers.
- Off-grid and grid-connected renewable electricity schemes bringing significant localbenefits.
- The production of renewable fuel for heat or electricity generation, e.g pellets made from biomass, briquettes made from crop waste.
- Renewable energy schemes or enterprises that demonstrably reduce deforestation through their work, e.g better charcoal production, more efficient cookstoves, energy efficiency measures for homes.
General criteria for the International Ashden Awards
To be shortlisted and win an Award, work must:
- Have been delivering, or helping to deliver, renewable energy and energy efficiency at a local level for at least one year. Examples include biogas, hydro, solar pv, wind and efficient stoves. We do not reward start-up, pilot or demonstration projects.
- Be delivering, or helping to deliver, significant social and economic benefits to individuals and communities. Benefits could include improvements in quality of life, health and welfare, educational facilities, food security or income-generating activities. Work must respect local culture and customs.
- Be delivering, or helping to deliver, demonstrable benefits to the environment. We need to see evidence of the energy generated or saved, greenhouse gas emissions reduced and benefits to the local environment, such as avoided deforestation.
- Be operating at significant scale, have the capacity to expand, and be replicable. We are looking for work that has significant potential to grow, and that will encourage the widespread uptake of local, sustainable energy.
- Be financially sustainable. We are looking for efficient use of funds and evidence that future funding is secure, whether from sales, carbon finance, investment, grants or any other source.. Organisations can be for-profit or not-for-profit, but must have a clear path to being financially sustainable.
- Show an innovative approach to sustainable energy. Many Award-winners use established technologies, but there must be innovative aspects to the work as a whole. These could include novel approaches to marketing; better financing schemes; training and skills development; introducing a technology to a different country or region; different business models.
- Be run by an organisation with the capacity and commitment to expand the work. Award-winning organisations must demonstrate good governance and management, a continuing commitment to sustainable energy, and a willingness to work with others such as finance organisations or training providers.
Apply online for a 2012 Ashden International Award
If your sustainable energy work fits the Awards criteria, and our particular interests for 2012, then apply for an Ashden Award, by filling in the online application form.
If you want to discuss whether your work is relevant to the Awards, or have questions about how to fill in the online form, then you are welcome to contact the Awards coordinator at internationalapps@ashdenawards.org, and one of our team will get in touch with you.
It is important to read the detailed information about the Ashden Awards, and some of the case studies of previous winners on the website www.ashdenawards.org before applying. Applications must be received by Tuesday 18 October 2011.
Moreinfo: http://www.ashdenawards.org/int_awards
