Eligibility and selection
The St Andrews Prize welcomes applications from individuals and organisations (including community groups) who lead projects that protect the environment or contribute to its sustainable development.
As a core aim of the Prize is to bring about substantial progress in solving environmental problems, we seek applications from projects where winning would lead to a step-change in the development and implementation of the idea.
As a general rule, the University is unlikely to be able to make payments to countries under international sanctions. Therefore, we encourage projects based in such locations to consider carefully if this may impact them before applying.
Contents
Eligible projects
For a project to be eligible, it must:
- be an established project with a proven track record of success
- be related to sustainable development or biodiversity, and be aligned with the UN Goals for Sustainable Development
- be replicable from one geographic area to another and ideally be scalable in size
- have a clearly defined need for funding
- have the ability to inspire others in the field
- contribute to the global pursuit of sustainability in the short- to long-term
- meet high ethical standards in respect of intellectual property, and in how it interacts with people and with the environment
- be inclusive.
Ineligible projects
- Projects at the idea, pilot or prototype stage
- Research projects
- Projects with no environmental benefit
- Major infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a building
- Projects focused on special interest groups or that exclude particular groups in society
- Regular or annual events that are not connected to a new initiative
- Projects related to political activities, lobbying or religious groups
- Projects that are designed purely for fundraising purposes
Selection
Entries will be reviewed by the Screening Committee, which will draw up a shortlist for the Trustees’ consideration. Applicants who progress to the shortlisting stage will be contacted and invited to submit a short video summarising their project. They will also be asked to provide contact details of two independent referees who can be contacted during the due diligence process.
Three projects will be selected to participate in the St Andrews Prize for the Environment final, which will take place at the University of St Andrews from Monday 20 to Tuesday 21 November 2023. Finalists must be available to travel to St Andrews from Sunday 19 to Wednesday 22 November 2023 to participate in the proceedings in person, unless national regulations at the time prevent this.
Right to deselect an entry
The judges reserve the right to reject any entry which in their opinion does not engender a satisfactory level of confidence.
2023 Prize
Entries for the 2023 St Andrews Prize for the Environment closed on Wednesday 12 April. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the University of St Andrews on Tuesday 21 November 2023.