2023 OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development

The OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development (AAD) is an esteemed accolade that recognizes outstanding contributions to sustainable development and carries a prize of US$100,000. Since its establishment in 2006, the award has celebrated noteworthy initiatives that align with a specific global development theme. For the 2023 edition, the AAD theme centers around Gender Equality and Climate Action, highlighting the crucial importance of these issues for the sustainable development agenda.

In the effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change, gender equality has emerged as a crucial factor, with women and girls playing a leading role in the fight against it. To achieve better outcomes in climate action, it is imperative to incorporate women in climate discussions, planning, and decision-making processes. This approach acknowledges the vital role that women play in the fight against climate change and recognizes the need to empower and include them in shaping climate policy and actions.

The OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development (AAD) aims to honor a project partner who is actively involved in promoting gender equality, development, and climate action. The award recognizes the pivotal role of women in advancing the international development agenda. The 2023 AAD specifically seeks projects that demonstrate tangible progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 13, which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and mitigate its impacts.

Requirements and eligibility criteria for 2023 OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development:

Nominees must be legal entities and have been so for at least three years.
Nominees must have audited financial statements dating back at least two years.
Nominees must have expenditures greater than US$1,000,000 (in their most recent audited accounts).
Nominees may not be local offices of parent organizations, specific programs within organizations, university-based projects, or fiscally sponsored organizations.
The nominee for the OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development must be a well-established charitable organization that operates in countries other than the 12 member countries of the OPEC Fund, which are Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. The organization must also be non-governmental in nature.

Application Procedure for 2023 OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development (How to apply);

An interested applicant who wants to apply for the 2023 OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development, should know that the process below will be taken;

To nominate an organization for the AAD, individuals can use the online platform provided by the OPEC Fund. Once a nomination is submitted, the OPEC Fund will directly communicate with the nominated organization for any further details or supporting documents required. The nominating party may also be contacted by the OPEC Fund for the same purpose.

The nomination process involves the following steps:

Step 1: Call for nominations. AAD information and nomination forms are available via the OPEC Fund’s website.
Step 2: The nominating parties submit nomination forms in English via the designated email address: AnnualAward@opecfund.org. Nominations must be signed by a senior official (e.g. CEO, Vice-President, or Head of Operation) and cite the motivations for nomination. Supporting documents should also be submitted. The nominating party may only nominate one organization per year.
Step 3: The OPEC Fund contacts the nominee and/or the nominating party for additional information and supporting materials.
Step 4: The OPEC Fund AAD Committee reviews the nominations based on the aforementioned criteria, and makes a recommendation to the OPEC Fund Management for approval.
Step 5: The OPEC Fund informs the successful nominee and nominating party of its decision via an official letter, including terms of utilization of the AAD grant proceeds.
Step 6: Upon confirmation of acceptance of the AAD and terms of utilization of its proceeds by the awardee, the OPEC Fund plans and implements a dedicated communication campaign in partnership with the nominee. The nominee is expected to provide audio-visual material and written testimonials of its work, and agree to one or more filmed interviews with the OPEC Fund and select journalists for this purpose.
Step 7: The OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development will be announced at the 2023 OPEC Fund Development Forum held in Vienna, Austria on June 20, 2023. Both the nominee and the nominating party are invited to the ceremony.
Step 8: The ceremony may be preceded or followed by a press event hosted by the OPEC Fund in Vienna, Austria. Awardees may be expected to provide brief statements and press engagement. The OPEC Fund will work with awarded teams to prepare appropriate audio-visual material and testimonials for release ahead of the said occasion.
Step 9: The nominee is expected to showcase the AAD on its website and provide the OPEC Fund with updated audio-visual material and work testimonials both in advance of and within one year of receiving the AAD. The nominee shall also report to the OPEC Fund within two years of receiving the AAD, outlining the main achievements attributable to the AAD. In addition, the nominee shall contribute to one of the OPEC Fund’s publications on subject matter related to the award and/or participate in a special event (TBD) to share learnings of recent achievements.

Application Deadline: May 12, 2023.

For more information visit the official website

2023 OPEC Fund Annual Award for Development