Call for projects (from 1 September to 15 December 2022)
7th UNECE International PPP Forum (3-5 May 2023)
The UNECE secretariat is organising a competition[1] for the best PPP infrastructure projects that contribute to the circular economy agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 7th UNECE International PPP Forum on 3-5 May 2023.
This competition will showcase the best PPP and infrastructure projects that fulfil circular economy characteristics, such as, but not limited to: reduce the use of virgin materials, reuse existing resources, repair existing products, remanufacture assets, recycle components, and recover energy from non-recyclable waste, whilst keeping a localised approach and regenerating natural systems where possible.
To participate in the competition, please fill in the following form.
- Details of the competition
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A call for projects: everyone is welcome to submit their infrastructure projects. This call is especially made to PPP units, government agencies, companies, lenders, NGOs, academia and international organisations, and is looking for PPP and infrastructure projects at various stages of development (design, construction and operation phases) that contribute to the circular economy and that can help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Initial submission: The first step is for Participants to indicate their interest in entering the competition by completing and submitting a simple online form by 15 December 2022. All entries will be duly reviewed by the UNECE secretariat, and all completed submissions complying with the Terms and Conditions will be invited to the next step.
Detailed submission: The next step is for invited Participants to submit the following information by 15 March 2023:
- The UNECE PPP Evaluation Methodology for the SDGs (in its Self-assessment form) for the project;
- Slides on the project according to a UNECE template;
- Additional information on the contribution of the project to the circular economy (the UNECE secretariat will provide a number of simple questions to this effect);
- A short video on the project (optional); and
- Any supporting documentation: links to published information about the projects’ procurement and/or audit and monitoring (if available).[1]
The selection process: The International Jury,[2] composed of top international infrastructure experts, will review and select the projects that will be showcased at the 7th UNECE International PPP Forum on 3-5 May 2023.
Projects’ presentation: on 3 May 2023, the finalists will present their projects to the Forum in the presence of the International Jury.
Voting: The International Jury will shortlist those projects that best contribute to the circular economy. The shortlisted projects will be submitted to the participants in the Forum to select the winners through voting[3] during the Forum.
Award Ceremony: the winners will be announced during the award ceremony on 5 May 2023.
Prizes: The top-ranking projects will receive a letter of recognition from the UNECE secretariat acknowledging their ranking.
[1] This additional information will help the International Jury in its selection process.
[2] The members of the International Jury are divided in subgroups. Any potential conflict of interest is managed through a selective membership of subgroups and related allocation of projects to review, with consistency of evaluation guaranteed by the Jury’s president and vice president..
[3] More information on the voting will be provided by the UNECE secretariat nearer to the date of the Forum.
- Self-assessment tool
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The Self-assessment tool is available here.
- Circular economy criteria
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The circular economy criteria are available on the following online form.
- Terms and Conditions
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1. By entering the UNECE PPP and infrastructure award 2023 (hereafter referred to as the “Competition”), you warrant that all information submitted by you is true, up to date and complete. The secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE, “the Organizer”) reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
2. By entering the Competition, you accept the present Terms and Conditions.
3. No purchase or payment of any kind is required to participate in this Competition.
4. The Competition is open to PPP units, government agencies, private sector, lenders, NGOs, academia and international organisations to submit infrastructure projects at various stages of development (design, construction and operation phases) that contribute to circular economy and help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
5. Entries must be submitted electronically.
6. The individual submitting the project must be a legitimate representative of his/her Government, private company or organization. The Organizer reserves the right to determine what constitutes legitimate representation. Such determination shall not be subject to recourse.
7. The Organizer does not provide any equipment or technical/communication infrastructure necessary to create and submit an entry to the Competition.
8. Participants must not be staff members of UNECE or members of a UNECE staff member’s family or household, nor have been offered future employment with UNECE.
9. Participants may submit more than one entry, provided that entries submitted by the same participant are not substantially similar. The Organizer reserves the right to determine what constitutes ‘substantial similarity’ to decide if a submission is related to and aligned with the fields of interests of UNECE; its decision shall be final and not be subject to recourse.
10. The deadline for initial submission is 15 December 2022 (24.00 CET) and for the detailed submission is 15 March 2023 (24.00 CET).
11. All entries must be submitted in English.
12. All entries must: a. respect the intellectual property rights of third parties; b. be compliant with applicable laws; c. not depict, or incite, hatred; defame; abuse; harass; threaten a specific person or social or religious group, or incite violence or conflict; d. fully respect the legal rights of third parties.
13. Award: Finalists will be invited to present their proposals at the UNECE International PPP Forum on 3-5 May 2023. The International Jury and Forum participants will vote for the winning projects and an official award ceremony will be held on 5 May 2023. The winners will receive a letter of recognition from the Organizer.
14. All participants will retain the intellectual property rights on the contents of their submissions. However, by entering the Competition, each participant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, universal, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, communicate, demonstrate, make available for public display and distribute the content of his/her submission for the Organizer’s promotional, informational and educational or awareness purposes, via printed or digital or online media, including the Organizer’s website. The participant hereby warrants that he/she is legally entitled to grant such license to the Organizer.
15. Finalists shall allow the Organizer to use their names and/or photographs for promotional and awareness purposes in any media, worldwide, at no cost to the Organizer and without remuneration for the participants. Finalists who do not present their project at the 7th UNECE International PPP Forum will be disqualified and not be considered for the Award.
16. By entering the Competition, participants agree to release and hold harmless the Organizer from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to, negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property, infringement of trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights arising out of or relating to their participation in the Competition and the contents of their submissions.
17. The Organizer reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any submission which does not comply with the present Terms and Conditions and the spirit of the Competition. Any decision to remove an entry is final and not subject to appeal.
18. The Organizer is not responsible for lost, late, corrupted, mutilated or misdirected submissions, or submissions not received within the deadlines specified above.
19. Participants to the competition are not allowed to use the UN name and emblem or other branding elements on material that was produced by them.
20. The Organizer shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to abbreviate, modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the Competition without any future obligation, by notifying the participants via an announcement at www.unece.org.
21. Nothing in the present Terms and Conditions shall be deemed a limitation or a waiver, explicit or implicit, of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.
[1] In line with the Intersessional Implementation Plan for 2022-2023 of the Committee on Innovation, Competitiveness and Public-Private Partnerships.