At the 2008 World Future Energy Summit, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, announced the launch of the Zayed Future Energy Prize – a tribute to his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his sustainability legacy.
By recognising pioneering solutions and technologies that can change the world, the Zayed Sustainability Prize, has rewarded innovators and visionaries whose achievements have furthered the global proliferation of innovative, impactful and inspirational sustainability solutions.
Over 335 million people have been directly or indirectly impacted by the sustainability solutions and school projects of the 86 recipients of the Prize winners since the first awards ceremony in 2009.
EVALUATION PROCESS
The evaluation of each submission to the Prize consists of a robust, three-tier process.
1
First Stage
A reputed international research and analysis consultancy firm conducts due diligence on all our submissions received. These independent consultants ensure that each entry meets the submission standards and then scores the entries against the criteria set out for the Zayed Sustainability Prize.
2
Second Stage
A Selection Committee, sub-divided per category by the member’s technical specialty and/or knowledge, evaluates and scores the shortlisted candidates. They then pass on the list of finalists for the final review stage.
3
Third Stage
The Jury meets, in person, to deliberate the entries and elect the winner in each category. The final decision must be unanimous. The Jury members are typically comprised of former world leaders, UAE government ministers, leading international business people and, occasionally, high profile international celebrities.
HOW TO APPLY
If you would like to apply for the Prize, the following steps will guide you through the submission process.
1
PREPARATION
Before starting your application, it is advisable that you identify an award category most suited to your organisation. Reading the Frequently Asked Questions can offer more details to help you get started.
2
CREATING AN ACCOUNT
The submission portal may be accessed here
To participate in the Zayed Sustainability Prize, you will need to create an account using your email address. After an account is created, you will receive an email to validate your email account. You must verify your email address before submitting your entry.
You may also create an account using your Facebook, Twitter or Google account.
3
COMPLETING THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
After you have created an account and verified your email address, please login to access the application form.
To ease completion of the application, the form is divided into sections. You must complete ‘Account Information’ and ‘Category’ sections before proceeding.
Complete the questions in the order presented.
4
SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY
You will be guided through a series of questions and there will be opportunities to attach documents to support your submission. Please ensure you read carefully which file formats and file sizes are accepted. Non-supporting files or sizes cannot be uploaded, nor can they be sent separately (i.e. emailed) outside of the online portal’s upload options.
You are not required to complete your application in one sitting. For your convenience, you may save your progress at any stage and return to complete it later (as long as this falls within the submissions phase).
Please note: We will not be able to process your entry until you have provided all the required information and it is officially submitted via the online portal. Incomplete entries or registrations not converted into full submissions will not be counted as an official entry.
5
ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR ENTRY
In acknowledgement of your submission, you should receive a confirmation email of its receipt. This will be in the form of a “no reply” email and no further correspondence will be entered into, unless the Prize administration team contacts you directly.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Publicity
- Masdar reserves the right to publish details of the entrants, shortlisted candidates, finalists and/or winners of the Prize on the Prize website and in other promotional and publicity material as it considers appropriate. This includes (without limitation) for the purpose of promoting Masdar and/or Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. By entering, entrants agree that they will be willing and available to participate in publicity and promotional activities and events and/or press conferences and that Masdar shall be entitled to use entrants' names, photographs, country of residence (but not full address) and other relevant information in publicity throughout all media, free of charge.
- Entrants shall not take part (or agree to take part) in any media coverage, or make any press releases or other announcements regarding participation in the Prize without the prior agreement of Masdar. No entrant shall refer to the Prize or permit it to be referred to by any third party for the purpose of promoting or publicising any company or business other than Masdar.
- Notwithstanding the paragraph above, following the announcement of the Awards, the winners may refer to the Prize and that they have been given the Award. If referring to the Prize or the Award for the purpose of promoting or publicising any company or business other than Masdar the winner must get the consent of Masdar.
- Masdar may enter into discussions with the entrants regarding the potential publication of the submissions.
Submission Details
- The submission should be sufficiently detailed and clear to enable the Jury to analyse properly and to form a view on all elements of the submission.
Entries
- All entries must be submitted through the dedicated online portal. Hard copy will not be returned.
- Entrants may be required to provide further information to assist the Jury in assessing the submission and each entrant agrees to fully co-operate with the Jury, as and if appropriate. Information which is not in the public domain and is marked by the entrant as confidential shall be treated as confidential by Masdar and the Jury, but each entrant is advised to take independent legal advice relating to the protection of any Intellectual Property (IP) or know-how that is included within the submission. Masdar shall not be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information submitted over the Internet, but shall use reasonable efforts to keep such information confidential.
- The entrant warrants that it has truthfully and accurately completed the submission and acknowledges and agrees that Masdar may, at its sole discretion, disqualify the entrant from the Prize at any stage if the entrant has provided any untruthful, inaccurate or misleading details or information in the submission and/or has failed to abide by the terms and conditions of participation.
- The entrant warrants that it owns the intellectual property rights relating to the submission or has obtained any licenses required to use the intellectual property rights relating to the submission.
- As between Masdar and the entrant, the entrant shall retain ownership of any intellectual property rights in its submission.
- Masdar, the Selection Committee or the Jury (as the case may be) may decline to submit or consider a submission if, at the sole discretion of Masdar, the submission is deemed to infringe on the intellectual property rights of a third party. Any such decision shall be final and non-appealable.
- Any cash awards ("Awards") will be awarded at the sole discretion of the Jury. The decision of the Jury shall be final and non-appealable and no correspondence will be entered into. The Jury will be under no obligation to provide any reasons for their decision.
- Masdar shall retain all submissions and may use such submissions at its discretion to analyse the success and future of the Prize.
Selection Committee
- Selection of the vetted entries, received from the first stage review, will be undertaken by the Selection Committee to be put forward for consideration by the Jury.
- The finalists will be selected based on stringent judging criteria.
- The Selection Committee reserves the right to take external advice and guidance from such other experts as they consider appropriate, including but not limited to advice relating to the originality of the submission and whether the submission infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party.
- Members of the Selection Committee shall disclose to the prize administration team if they (a) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered participant in the Prize (including but not limited to a sponsor or financier of any such participant); or (b) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered participant or participant sponsor, whereupon such members will be recused from reviewing, assessing, or voting on any matter relating to the relevant participants.
The Jury
- The Jury reserves the right to take external advice and guidance from such other experts as they consider appropriate; including, but not limited to, advice relating to the originality of the submission and whether the submission infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party.
- No member of the Jury shall (a) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered participant in the Prize (including, but not limited to, a sponsor or financier of any such participant); or (b) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered participant or participant sponsor.
- If the Jury members consider that the criteria have been met and that one or more of the finalists should win the allocated prize pool, Awards will be awarded and the winners will be announced by Masdar, in accordance with the Guidelines.
- The Jury will be under no obligation to declare a winner or winners or issue any award. As set out above, the Jury’s decision shall be final and non-appealable.
The Award
- The fund allocation per category is as follows:
- Health US$600,000
- Food US$600,000
- Energy US$600,000
- Water US$600,000
- Global High Schools US$600,000 (Divided between six school winners, each from six world regions)
- There is no alternative to the cash Award.
- The Awards shall be used by the winners, per category, to further the ideas and ambitions within the winning submissions.
- An Award may be subject to withholding tax (if applicable) and/or income tax or other applicable tax which shall be payable by the winner, as applicable. Masdar shall not be liable for any taxes which are or become payable on the Award.
- An Award may be revoked and a refund required if it is discovered that a winner has provided misleading or erroneous information within the submission or it is subsequently discovered that the submission infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party.
Eligibility
- The Zayed Sustainability Prize is open to all entrants other than:
(a) Board members and employees of Masdar; and
(b) Anyone who has been involved in organising, promoting or judging the Prize.
- Masdar, the Selection Committee and the Jury reserve the right and have full discretion to reject or not select any submission for any reason that may, in the sole opinion of the Selection Committee, the Jury or Masdar, damage the reputation of the Prize, the UAE, Abu Dhabi or Masdar, or bring the Prize, the UAE, Abu Dhabi or Masdar into disrepute. The decision of the Selection Committee, the Jury or Masdar shall be final and no follow up correspondence shall be replied to.
Masdars Liability
- Masdar accepts no liability for entries lost, corrupted or delayed in transmission and proof of submitting an entry is not proof of receipt.
Important information
- Masdar reserves the right to modify the Guidelines and these Terms and Conditions of Participation as necessary, during the term of the award cycle. Masdar will update registered entrants or related parties as appropriate as to any such modifications.
- In registering to enter the Prize, each entrant does not rely on, has not relied on, and shall have no remedy in respect of, any statement, representation, warranty or other provision (in any case whether oral or written, express or implied and whether negligently or innocently made) of any person which is not expressly set out in the Guidelines and/or these Terms and Conditions of Participation.
- Masdar shall be free to assign, transfer, sub-license or otherwise dispose of or deal with its rights under the Guidelines and/or these Terms and Conditions of Participation.
- The Prize shall be governed by the Guidelines and these Terms and Conditions of Participation.
Governing Law
- The Guidelines and the Terms and Conditions of Participation are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Abu Dhabi.
- The courts of the UAE have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any disputes which may arise in connection with the Guidelines and Terms and Conditions of Participation.
Confidentiality
- Masdar acknowledges that as part of the application process, entrants may be requested to disclose confidential or sensitive information in their submissions. Masdar undertakes to handle any such information submitted – including any financial information pertaining to the applicants – with the strictest of confidence and will only ever disclose such information to members of the Selection Committee and the Jury.
APPLY HERE
Staff Writer
This article was written and edited by a staff writer.
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