Stage 2 Guidance Notes

Stage 2 applications should be submitted by 12 noon on 6 September 2024.

No background material or appendices etc. will be accepted and examined for Stage 2 applications, so please do not send this.

Filling out the Stage 2 application form

Only those shortlisted as a Finalist from the stage 1 process are eligible to complete and submit a stage 2 application form. The maximum length for the Stage 2 application is 2 A4-pages plus the cover page - so to be clear this is 3 pages in total.

Please note that on the stage 2 judging day, judges will be looking at your stage 1 application entry, their feedback to you on improvements and suggestions to include in your stage 2 entry, your response to these questions and your stage 2 application entry.

The only exceptions to this are:

• The Reporting with Influence category where there is a separate stage 2 submission for updated URL links (since original submission) and answering judges' questions. This form will be sent to you via email. You must return to us by noon on 6 September 2024. On judging day your already submitted stage 1 submission and (updated) URL link(s)/your answers to any judges' questions, will be used.

• The Sustainability Institution of the Year category where live interviews with judges will take place (via Microsoft Teams) on the judging day - 3 October. Finalists will be emailed additional information. 

As a reminder, category descriptions and criteria can be found here.

What the judges are looking for...

A more concise entry showing an improvement from your Stage 1 application. In your confirmation email which contained your Green Gown Awards Application Form, you would have received the judges’ comments/questions giving you feedback on your stage 1 application (these are found within the form at the start of the stage 2 section) . It may identify areas where perhaps you are able to improve upon/include/go into more detail in your stage 2 entry. We encourage you to consider their questions in your stage 2 application. (Please note that your stage 1 entry is locked for editing. You are only to fill in the stage 2 section).

Applications that stand out through their clear signalling of achievements, succinct descriptions of work done and benefits achieved, and the provision of quantitative information, will have a greater chance of impressing the judges.

The judging will be based on a composite view of the application, taking account of the following criteria, and the specific nature of the Award category:

• How well does the project fit the category
• The nature and size of both environmental and non-environmental benefits (relative to its context)
• The relationship between benefits and costs
• Broader significance to the sector (e.g. originality, innovation/best practice within the sector, pathfinder status; replicability)
• The quality and reliability of evidence supporting the claims being made (e.g. quantitative evidence of benefits and outcomes)
• Unusual features which make the application ‘stand out from the crowd’ (e.g. extraordinary commitment and impact of a member of staff, quirky responses to topics that are sometimes seen as boring).

Organisation Awards Guidance

Please cover the following header topics in your application – and please update and include any new materials which have been added since the stage 1 application (you must only write in the stage 2 section - stage 1 is locked for editing):

Stage 2 section:

Page 1 (Cover Page)
►General Information:

• Please update with any new contacts or contact information or if you wish to update your project name.
• “What would it mean to your institution to win a Green Gown Award?”
  This information will be used as a marketing tool and if selected as a winner/highly commended, it will appear in various places such as the online Winners’ pages, website etc. Please get your VC/Principal to quote and include their full job title.
• The judges’ feedback on your stage 1 application is enclosed here. You have an opportunity to address this feedback on the next page.

Page 2
►Addressing judges’ questions to your stage 1 application – This is your chance to directly address any comments the judges provided from your stage 1 application. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your application by addressing key areas they raised/or requests for further information.

►Leadership and Engagement - How does your project fit within your wider institution’s strategy, value and ethos? How have you demonstrated leadership in communicating your initiative? What ways you have involved others in your project. This could include other departments/faculties, the local community and industry, as well as what communication about the project has taken place. Judging: This section has a maximum score of 10. Please provide the above answers in the relevant boxes.

Note: If you are applying for a category linked to an International Green Gown Award (2030 Climate Action, Benefitting Society, Creating Impact, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability, Nature Positive, Next Generation Learning and Skills, Sustainability Institution of the Year and Student Engagement), all questions must be completed in full (dissemination/ replication, project reach and scale of impact wider than the sector and the wider societal and graduate employer impact) as this forms part of the judging criteria for the International Awards.

►Significance for the Sector - Please summarise what you feel is distinctive about your proposal e.g. originality; replicability through the sector; outstanding example of best practice; application of new technology, process or approach; new application of an existing product. Describe learning from the initiative that could be of relevance to other institutions. Evidence of transfer to other institutions should be provided where available. Please Indicate what ways you have involved others in your project. This could include other departments/faculties, the local community and industry, as well as what communication about the project has taken place. Where possible include examples of engagement and/or the communication processes. Judging: This section has a maximum score of 10.

Page 3
►Wider Societal Benefits - Please outline the wider societal impact and value of your application. What is the impact of your application to society outside of your institution, staff and students? What is the legacy of your application as it benefits wider society? Did your project help widen participation? Provide evidence of the impact. Judging: This section has a maximum score of 10.

►Learner/Graduate Employer Benefits - Please outline the benefit and value of your application to learner/graduate employers. How has your application improved learner/graduate employability attributes that will attract them to potential employers? What is the legacy of your application as it benefits learner/graduate employers? Provide evidence of the impact. Judging: This section has a maximum score of 10.

►Updated information – to include any relevant, new material since your stage 1 submission. Please provide clear headings.

You must not exceed the 2 page limit, plus 1 page cover (so 3 pages in total for the stage 2 section). You may delete the red text at the foot of page 3 to provide more room.

Individual / Team Awards Guidance

For the Sustainability Champion Awards - Staff and Student, please follow the same guidelines as above but note the following exception:

►Leadership and Engagement - Please summarise what you feel is distinctive about your actions. How does your role sit within the institution’s strategy, values and ethos? Have any of your actions had an impact in this area? Also include information on any communication/engagement about your actions. Include numbers involved. Judging: This section has a maximum score of 10

Special notes

We will have confirmed with the main applicant which institution is the leading institution and the Award will be made out to the lead institution only. However, we recognise that partnerships can have a significant role to solving sustainability issues and these will be recognised – if appropriate - in the form of a group/partnership name.

We ask you to check your annual turnover (in £millions). A small institution is labelled as one with an annual turnover of £100 million or below. If the stage 1 number you originally provided is incorrect, then please include the correct number in your stage 2 application (if above £100 million). If it is correct, please ignore.

Generic criteria

To make a strong application please provide facts and figures to support your application and meet all the criteria within your chosen category. You should also include the following generic criteria:

• Demonstrate the impact of any measures taken
• Provide quantitative clear data to support claims being made and include overall tonnes of CO2 saved using the DEFRA/DECC conversion factors. Include, where appropriate, metrics such as: carbon savings relative to output/activity. This might be tCO2/student or tCO2/staff member and/or cost of a project relative to the amount of carbon that has been saved, i.e. £/tCO2. Note: For the Campus of the Future category, these figures MUST be included    
• Include savings made relating to carbon related issues    
• Demonstrate the impact of your initiative and show documented outcomes    
• Provide industry norm versus over and above requirements    
• Document mature projects which have been evaluated and monitored longitudinally. Note: for any building projects, the building must be completed and date of completion included within the application    
• Applications need to go above and beyond standard practice. For those categories asking for a holistic, whole life-cycle approach, the application must focus on the whole life-cycle and not on an individual campaign(s).     
• Explain clearly how the project includes academic staff and/or professional sector staff/support staff and include numbers of others involved including students. Where students and staff are involved, as well as including the actual numbers, include how they were involved and what impact/influence they have had    
• If your initiative is a joint partnership or includes 3rd parties, provide details on the roles of all parties and state who is the main driver  - and state if selected, the name of the partners as they should appear on the certificate/trophy - if appropriate    
• Explain any KPI's that are relevant to your application and any relevant costs/resources, inputs/outputs. For example: Before initiative:10% of students were engaged. After initiative: 70% of students were engaged
• ***Small institution criteria is measured against an annual turnover of £100 million or below.