AGFUND International Prize 2018 for Pioneering Human Development Projects ($1million Prize)

Deadline: November 30, 2018

The AGFUND International Prize 2018 is now open for nominations. AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Human Development Projects is an annual prize established in 1999 by the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), with the aim of inciting and encouraging innovation and creativity in human development work.

Stemmed from AGFUND’s approach to enhance development performance and support key development projects, the overall objective behind the Prize idea is to contribute to the efforts aiming to achieve sustainability in development and investment in people. AGFUND invites the United Nations, international and regional organizations, ministries and public institutions, social business enterprises, national NGOs, individuals and development actors worldwide to submit nominations for the Prize.

Prize Objectives

• Support the distinguished efforts aiming at the promotion and development of the concepts and dimensions of human development.
• Disseminate the successful project experiences.
• Highlight the best practices, which aim to improve the living conditions of the poor and disadvantaged with particular emphasis on women and children.
• Enhance the exchange of experiences and develop better mechanisms to find solutions to the problems of poverty, marginalization and socioeconomic exclusion of vulnerable groups.

Prize Theme

The subject of the 2018 Prize is the first goal of the SDGs 2030 – End of poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Targets of the first goal of Sustainable Development Goals

• By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, measured as people living on less than $1.90 a day
• By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
• Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
• By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
• By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
• Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
• Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

Prize

AGFUND Prize amounts to US$1,000,000, divided into four categories;

• the First category prize (US$ 400,000), specified for projects implemented by UN agencies or international and regional NGOs,
• the Second category prize (US$ 300,000), specified for projects implemented national NGOs,
• the Third category prize (US$ 200,000), specified for projects implemented governmental bodies (ministries and public institutions) or social business enterprises and
• the Fourth category prize (US$ 100,000), specified for projects initiated, funded and/or implemented by individuals.

It is worth mentioning that the projects that best contribute to achieving one or more of the targets of the first Sustainable Development Goal 2030 ” End of poverty in all its forms everywhere” shall be eligible to compete for AGFUND Prize 2018 and that the deadline for receiving of nomination is 30 November 2018.

Eligibility

• The eligible projects for the prize are those implemented in the developing countries to achieve one or more of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal specified as the theme of the prize.
• The eligible projects are those implemented in the developing countries by:
  • The UN, international and regional organizations
  • National NGOs.
  • Ministries and public institutions or social business enterprises.
  • Individuals

Evaluation Criteria

• The following criteria shall be applied to projects that are nominated for AGFUND International Prize:Innovative ways in which the project meets AGFUND mission, values and objectives.
• The quality of the project design to achieve its specific objectives.
• The degree of the project relevance to the Prize subject and the extent to which it contributes to the achievement of the SDG set as subject for the Prize.
• The project impact in terms of quality of services provided, and the new ideas and information forwarded.
• The accessibility for the targeted beneficiaries to reach the services and benefits of the project.
• Project replicability or adaptability in other areas/ countries.
• The efficiency in financial management and the use of resources.
• The attainment of project objectives.
• The sustainability of the project’s activities, benefits and services.
• The environmental and social impact.

Nomination

1. Nomination of a pioneering and sustainable project for the AGFUND International Prize constitutes a moral engagement between the Nominator and AGFUND.
2. Nomination for AGFUND Prize shall be made by filling out the online Nomination Form on AGFUND website.
3. The nomination documents should contain the documents listed in the item number (17) below.
4. Non-winning projects in a given year may not be resubmitted before three years from the date of their first submission.
5. Profit projects shall not qualify for Prize.
6. The nominators may not nominate the projects in the implementation or funding of which they have participated.
7. The nominator shall submit a formal Nomination Letter explaining the reasons which justify the project’s nomination.
8. The nominator should be an agency or a qualified expert who is thoroughly aware of the project.
9. Projects dealing with themes or topics other than the specified one(s) shall be disregarded.
10. Only the completed and evaluated projects, or the ongoing projects with a completed and evaluated phase are eligible to compete for the prize.
11. Nominations including all supporting documents shall be submitted in English.
12. For the Third category (assigned for government projects “ministries and public agencies or social business enterprises”), the eligible projects are those which have been conceived, designed, established, funded and implemented through pure national efforts, without participation of any international organizations or foreign governments.
13. All sections of the Nomination Form should be properly filled in by providing the requested information. In case any of the requested information is not available or is irrelevant, it should be clearly indicated as “not available or not applicable”.
14. Each winner will be asked to sign a letter of Intent, prepared by AGFUND, on how to use the proceeds of the Prize, since the said proceeds are meant to finance the efforts aimed to supporting the expansion, sustainability and/or replication of the project.
15. The winning organizations shall confirm their commitment to post, on their websites, news and information about their projects’ winning of the Prize.
16. The winning organizations shall confirm their participation in the award ceremony by their highest officials to receive the Prize:
    • The chairperson of the organization in the case of international organizations, social business enterprises and NGOs.
    • The concerned minister or the head of the concerned public agency in the case of government projects.
    • The founder of the project in the case of individual projects.

17. The project may not be evaluated unless the required documents, as listed, are submitted. However, if these are too large to be loaded they could be sent by e-mail: (rewards@agfund.org)
    1. Nomination Letter.
    2. Recommendation letter (s).
    3. Project document in full, with annexes if any (including, work plan, implementation schedule, budget and financial information  etc…)
    4. Projects budget and financial statements if not contained in the project document.
    5. project completion reports.
    6. project Evaluation report.
    7. For ongoing projects completion and evaluation reports of phase one or any other phases.
    8. Latest Annual report of the implementing agency (if available).
    9. CV of the implementing person (in case of individual projects).
    10. Any documents that highlight the activities of the project (photograph, videos, printed materials).

Submit your nomination.

For more information, visit AGFUND International Prize.