Following the latest celebration of the 10 winners of the 2020 awards at the time of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Zayed Sustainability Prize has formally introduced that its submissions process for the 2021 edition is now open.

Accepting entries from Jan 27, 2020 until May 21st, 2020, in its online portal, the UAEs pioneering international award for rewarding impact, innovation, and idea across five sustainability categories noticed a record-breaking number of submissions previous year, with 2,373 entries received from 129 countries.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, said: With a 12-year record of recognizing and rewarding extraordinary solutions, we are assured the Prize will continue to entice more of the worlds most devoted innovators to submit their entries, in aid of resolving the worlds most pressing sustainability challenges.

Inspired by Sheikh Zayeds legacy of commitment to international sustainability and humanitarianism, the Prize aligns with the emphasis our leadership has given this year to planning, preparing and discovering solutions for the next 50 years.

Now getting into its 13th submissions cycle, the Prize already rewarded a total of 86 winners whose solutions or school projects have, directly and indirectly, positively modified the lives of 335 million people, across the world.

The Prizes US$3 million annual fund rewards winners US$600,000 in each category; the Global High Schools category is split into six world region winners, with every school able to declare up to US$100,000 to begin or augment their project in their local communities. The Global High Schools category was brought in 2012, in recognition that to empower and enhance communities of the future, the subsequent era of sustainability leaders want to be engaged at the school level.
While the scope of submissions vary, core elements of each entry lie in the progressive methods in which technology, applications and solutions are using fine transformation of peoples lives. For the Health, Food, Energy, and Water categories, enterprises need to exhibit that they are enhancing access to vital products or services with a long-term vision for increased residing and working conditions. Many technological-based solutions frequently combine with impactful long-term programmes and mechanisms like practical skills training, social entrepreneurialism, and gender empowerment.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize has a three-stage assessment process, starting with the due diligence carried out with the aid of an independent research and evaluation consultancy. This identifies the qualified entries and results in the selection of shortlisted candidates. Evaluations are then undertaken by a Selection Committee consisting of category-specific panels of independent global experts. From this shortlist of candidates, finalists are chosen and then despatched to the Prize Jury who choose the winners, throughout all five categories.
The evaluation for the Health, Food, Energy and Water categories focus on three core criteria: Impact, Innovation, and Inspiration.

For Impact, submissions ought to demonstrate elevated quality of human lives in a social, economic, technological, infrastructural, or environmental capacity. For Innovation, candidates ought to exhibit a clear and unique value proposition, be disruptive or transformative, technically and commercially viable, and have been adopted in at least one market.

The Inspiration criterion requires organisations to demonstrate shared values with Sheikh Zayeds sustainability approach, have the potential to influence behaviour and moves in the wider community, and motivate others to improve complementary solutions for advancing sustainable and human development.

For the Global High Schools category, projects be designed to be studentled, with emphasis positioned on the students active involvement in planning, implementation, and monitoring processes. Projects have to demonstrate progressive methods that will also be impactful and inspirational to others. The six world regions of the Global High Schools category are: The Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, Europe &Central Asia, South Asia, and East Asia &Pacific.
Winners of the 2021 Prize will be declared at the annual awards ceremony held in the course of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in January 2021.

For more information visit www.ZayedSustainabilityPrize.com.