Businesses Sought for
Global Green Energy Awards

Call for entries closes 28 October 2008

Has your business made renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services more accessible? Or do you know of a business that has? The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy want to hear from energy pioneers now. Winners are guaranteed access to new marketing, promotions and publicity opportunities, as well as a cash prize for expansion of the award-winning work.

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are seeking inspirational and innovative local sustainable energy projects run by businesses. Entry is free; the winner will receive £30,000 in prize money for project development, with a second prize of £15,000. The Awards will be presented at a VIP ceremony in London in June 2009. Other Awards categories are schools, local authorities, charities, and international projects. Applications forms are online at http://www.ashdenawards.org/uk_awards.

Benefits of winning an Ashden Award include:

• Prize money of up to £30,000.
• The chance to bring winning sustainable energy solutions into the international arena.

• Continuing development support, where necessary.
• Engagement with key decision-makers in the sector.
• A documentary film about the award-winning work.
• Media exposure.

What does it take to be a winner?

The scheme must:

• Be up and running, delivering sustainable energy at a local level for at least one year.
• Benefit the environment.
• Be technically rigorous.
• Have an element of innovation.
• Make a genuine difference to local peoples’ lives, both socially and economically.
• Be replicable and help encourage the widespread uptake of local, sustainable energy.

The ‘scheme’ submitted for an Award may be the entire work of an organisation or a specific part of the work. Eligible schemes must involve the delivery of sustainable energy at a local level and scale. ‘Sustainable energy’ covers both renewable energy supply (electricity or heat) and reduction of energy demand.

Previous Business Award winners include: Kensa (2008), Ecotricity (2007), Solarcentury (2007), Good Energy (2006) and Second Nature (2005).

We ask entrants to show clear plans to use the Ashden Award prize money for expansion, replication and dissemination of the Award-winning work. It is also a requirement that the project is run by an organisation with the capacity and commitment to make sustainable energy more widespread.

Closing date for expressions of interest: 28 October 2008.

Details about the 2008 winners, including short films of their work, is online at http://www.ashdenawards.org/UK_winners_2008