The aim of the Green Energy Awards is to celebrate the best projects, leading organisations and inspiring people that make up the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector. We want to inspire more great projects, drive innovation and recognise and encourage high standards.

We are an independent not-for-profit that uses our expertise to work with industry, communities and the public sector to revolutionise the way we generate, supply and use energy.

This protocol sets out the procedure and rules for the Regen Green Energy Awards. It is a public document available from the Regen website.

Selection of Judges

• A panel of judges is selected by Regen to provide a mix of relevant experience to the awards including: experience in sustainable energy; understanding of political and public perception of renewables and experience in business and innovation more generally. 
• The role is unpaid and so we rely on the goodwill of those who want to support the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors by judging the nominations on the basis of good faith. 
• Judges will be identified on the Awards website. 
• Judges who have a conflict of interest are expected to follow our procedure for dealing with conflicts. 
• In order to avoid conflicts of interest Regen will not have a representative on the judging panel.
  

Criteria 

The criteria for the awards are published on the website. They set outthe geographical area from which entrants may apply

• whether the award is for individuals or organisations 
• the questions which nominees are required to answer.

Nominations

• Nominations are invited each year. They are submitted via an online platform, which sets out a maximum length and deadlines for submissions. 
• The Awards are promoted extensively via the Regen database and that of willing partners and sponsors. 
• Nominations can be from third parties or from the nominee themselves.
  

Shortlisting

• Following the set closing date Regen will review all the nominations against the criteria published on the Regen website and select a shortlist.
• All nominations and the shortlisting will be reviewed by at least one judge from the panel who will have the final say on the short list.
• After being shortlisted nominees are invited to put forward a full nomination based on the questions in the set criteria and submit supporting evidence.
  

Judging process

• The full nominations are compiled by Regen on the shortlisting platform for the judges.
• The judges will be provided access to their category for two weeks prior to a judging sessions, which will take place online.
• A ‘lead’ judge is selected by Regen for each category. The lead judge introduces that Award category at the judging session. 
• Judging is done on the basis of the application submitted and against the criteria set for that Award category.
• Regen attend the judging– but do not vote. 
• The judges formally vote on a winner for each category. 
• A record is kept by Regen of the vote and the judges reasoning behind the award. 
• The winners and shortlisted candidates are not notified until the Awards night.

Conflicts of interest

• All judges are required at the beginning of the judging day to declare any conflicts of interest. 
• Where a conflict is declared that judge will leave the room until the award is decided.

Sponsorship

• The awards are partly funded by sponsors. 
• All sponsors of the awards will be clearly identified on the Awards website.
• Sponsors are not entitled to be nominated for the specific award they are sponsoring. However, there is no bar on them being nominated for other awards.
• Where sponsors have suitable expertise they may be invited to nominate a judge.

Timeline

• Nominations open in the mid October. 
• They remain open for three calendar months and close in mid January.
• The internal short listing takes place by Regen one week after the closing date.
• All nominees are then notified by email.
• Shortlisted nominees are invited to submit a full application and given one week to submit this via email to Regen.
  
• The judging pack in complied and sent to the judges via email. 
• Judging takes place in mid February.
• The Award winners are selected on the judging day but are not notified until the Awards evening.