“The great thing about Ashden, unlike other awards, is that they give you long term support afterwards. They put us in touch with policy makers, funders, and other winners so we can actually share ideas and thoughts with them.”
Trewin Restorick, Global Action Plan, 2008 winner

Applications for the 2012 UK awards are now closed. Applications for the 2013 Awards open on 1 June 2012.

This page is for UK applicants only. International applicants please visit this page

• Ashden UK Award winners are increasing the use of sustainable energy, changing the way people use energy and teaching the next generation to save energy and care for the environment.
• Do you want to put your local sustainable energy solution in the global spotlight and inspire others?
• Do you want to help your organisation to grow, to be more influential?
• Do you want to contribute to policy and influence key decision makers?
• Do you want to be part of an exclusive club that connects you to other trail-blazing energy champions?

If you can answer yes to all of the above then, you are in the right place... read on.

Each year the Ashden Awards reward ground-breaking sustainable energy initiatives, sharing their hard-won success and gaining them wider recognition. Your solution may be simple – but if it’s inspiring, practical and innovative too, we want to hear about it.

What we are looking for

The Ashden Awards are a showcase. Award-winning work must add something to what past winners have shown. It could have reached greater numbers of people, provided a cheaper solution, improved quality or used new technology.

We are particularly interested in:

• Businesses that have made local renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services more accessible.
• Architects, developers, construction businesses and engineering services companies that are working to minimise carbon emissions from the built environment.
• Not-for-profit groups such as Energy Agencies and charities that have carried out an effective programme to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy demand or increase the supply of renewable energy (electricity and/or heat).
• Public sector organisations that have carried out an effective programme to improve energy efficiency, reduce demand or increase the supply of renewable energy (electricity and/or heat) at a local level. Any public sector organisation may apply.
• Schools or colleges which have developed both an ethos and practice of sustainability, in which the responsible use of energy is a key component. The sustainable use of energy should be integrated into the curriculum, pupil behaviour and the school building and grounds.
• Organisations promoting behavioural change to reduce CO2 emissions. The work should be creating behaviour change in both day-to-day routines and one-off purchasing decisions.
• Organisations building capacity and skills. We are looking for organisations that are helping build capacity in the sustainable energy sector in the UK. This could include vocational courses, higher education and any other training that equips people to deliver sustainable energy technology in the UK.

Please note that schools are now invited to apply as part of the general UK Awards and no longer need to complete a separate application form.

Interior of St Luke’s School, Wolverhampton, designed by Architype

“What was great about the whole Ashden process, is the way you brought all the winners together and enabled us to build positive relationships with each other.”
Jonathan Hines, Architype, 2009 UK Ashden Award winner.

More than an annual Awards scheme – the benefits

We are more than an Awards scheme. In addition to individual prizes of up to £10,000, with an overall UK Gold Award of £20,000, we make a short, broadcast-quality film about the winning work and offer our winners a substantial package of benefits and support to help them grow.

We dedicate ourselves to building sustainable energy champions that can be held up as inspiring examples of sustainability in action. That is why receiving an award is just the beginning of the journey for most of our winners.

In the last year we helped one of our winners attract new finance to their business; we helped a charity to strengthen its political influence by demonstrating its effectiveness through research; we created opportunities for one of our winners in government and we undertook a year-long research project that took the experience of our UK winners right to the heart of UK policy making.

Our UK winners represent the diversity of approaches to sustainability that the UK needs to achieve a low carbon future: developing the supply and demand for renewable energy; making it easier for us to opt for microgeneration, energy efficiency and solar thermal; and engaging our future citizens and the wider community in living more sustainably.

The 2011 UK Awards rewarded businesses, housing associations, community initiatives and charities throughout the UK. Read about them here.