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Lush Spring Prize 2025 opens for applications
Photo above: Cooperativa Tonanzintlalli co-founder Maritza del Carmen Centeno González harvests regenerative organic coffee grown under the tree canopy Nicaragua
From 5 August – 27 September 2024, regenerative organizations, community groups, businesses and other projects from around the world can apply to the Lush Spring Prize 2025: a £200,000+ prize fund and other support activities.
Application forms are available via the Lush Spring Prize website (www.springprize.org) and entries close at 10:00 BST Friday 27 September 2024.
The Prize awards and celebrates those repairing the earth’s damaged systems, helping to leave the world Lusher than they found it. It seeks to increase the capacity of communities and societies to thrive in harmony with nature and each other, building healthy and resilient ecosystems and livelihoods.
The work and stories of shortlisted projects will be published on the Spring Prize website and prize recipients will be invited to a celebratory co-learning event taking place in May 2025.
What is the Lush Spring Prize?
Launched in 2017, the Lush Spring Prize is now in its sixth cycle of celebrating and awarding prizes to groups working toward eco-social regeneration.
It is a joint venture between Lush Cosmetics and the Ethical Consumer Research Association, with both organizations shaping the development and coordination of the project, whilst integrating feedback from those that participate in its processes. This includes applicants, shortlisted projects and prize recipients, decision makers, event attendees, media partners and collaborative prize partners (organizations that have contributed support, solidarity and funds towards themed prizes e.g. Be The Earth Foundation and Permaculture Magazine).
Since 2017, the Spring Prize has has:
- Received and reviewed nearly 2,000 applications.
- Distributed £1,055,500 to 67 regenerative projects around the world.
- Hosted five co-learning events that explored the topic of regeneration with prize recipients and others.
- Supported learning visits and financed representatives from projects to attend strategic national or international events.
- Birthed two sister organizations – Regenerosity: www.regenerosity.world and Re-Alliance: www.re-alliance.org.
- Completed a five year review: springprize.org/review
This has resulted in a diversity of shortlisted projects, prize recipients and stories that explore the concept of regeneration in a variety of contexts and in multiple languages.
Why was the Spring Prize set up?
The Spring Prize was set up to support ‘regenerative’ projects – those that go beyond sustainability by taking holistic approaches to building the health of ecology, economy and social systems.
By supporting regenerative projects, the Spring Prize hopes to raise the profile of the movement as a whole to inspire more individuals, groups, communities, funders and businesses to start engaging with regenerative processes.
People all over the world are developing ways to live in harmony with nature and each other. They are generating renewable resources, restoring ecosystems, and nurturing solidarity. They are bringing life back to damaged land and oceans, and building health, wholeness and resilience.
The Lush Spring Prize is here to support these regeneration movements through:
- A biennial £200,000+ prize fund. This is open to communities, organizations and businesses from the Intentional stage, through to Young and Established organizations.
- Events and learning visits that bring people together to share their skills and experience.
- Publicity to raise awareness of regeneration and its potential to heal damaged systems.
- Collaborations that increase the capacity and flow of resources into grassroots regenerative work.
Photo above: Tahina Roland Frederic (left), co-founder of Taniala Regenerative Camp, discusses legumes with Bendray Zoemana (right) at the project in Madagascar.
Prize Categories
The 2025 Lush Spring Prize will award at least 9 prizes across 3 different Spring Prize categories: from the Intentional stage, through to Young and Established organizations. Applicants can also be considered for two collaborative prizes: Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Award, and the Permaculture Magazine Award.
For 2025, The Influence Award will be allocated in a different way. At least £25,000 will be distributed by judges to projects shortlisted in other categories – to highlight and support influential work. Applicants are automatically eligible for the Influence category if they apply under any of the other core categories.
Intentional Award: 4 prizes
For great new ideas and projects up to 1 year old, to help build knowledge and a solid foundation from which to grow.
Young Award: 3 prizes
For projects or organizations that are 1-5 years old, to help develop their environmental and social regeneration work.
Established Award: 2 prizes
For organizations that have worked towards regeneration for 5+ years, to help share knowledge and inspire more people and ideas.
Influence Award
The Influence Award is for organizations and networks of any size that are campaigning or lobbying to influence policy, regulation or public opinion in support of regeneration. For the 2025 Spring Prize at least £25,000 will be allocated by judges to a project shortlisted in other categories – to highlight the influential work of an applicant. Applicants are eligible for the Influence category if they apply under one of the other core categories.
Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Award
For indigenous and traditional knowledge-led projects and organizations. Prize recipients share an amount of £20,000, provided by Be The Earth Foundation and The Savitri Trust.
Permaculture Magazine Award
For individuals, communities, businesses, groups and organizations that can demonstrate inspirational permaculture work over three years or more. Prize recipients share a prize fund of £25,000, provided by Permaculture Magazine.
Collaborative prizes
Be The Earth Foundation, The Savitri Trust and the Permaculture Magazine have partnered with the 2025 Lush Spring Prize to add two collaborative prizes: the Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Award and the Permaculture Magazine Award.
To be considered for these collaborative prizes, apply to one of the Spring Prize categories (Intentional Award, Young Award, Established Award) and complete the question on “Would you like your application to also be considered for one of the following 2025 collaborative prizes?” No additional application is required.
The Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Award and the Permaculture Magazine Award are separately funded and have their own judging panel. For each award, prize recipients share a prize fund of at least £20,000.
For inspiration, prize recipients and shortlisted projects from previous years can be viewed on the Spring Prize website. Videos of prize recipients are also available at vimeo.com/lushspringprize
Image above: March for a CAP that serves the Peoples! 25 March 2017 – Rome
Nominations
The Lush Spring Prize will also be running a nomination system whereby anyone can nominate a project, organization or individual that they feel is doing amazing regenerative work. The Spring Prize team will then contact all nominated projects and invite them to apply.
The deadline for nominations is 3 September 2024 10:00 BST through this link.
Searching for a Lush customer and staff judge
Each prize year, the Spring Prize team welcomes one Lush customer and one Lush staff member onto the Spring Prize judging panel. These people will work with the other Spring Prize judges (who collectively represent different regenerative movements) to choose prize recipients from a shortlist of around 50 Spring Prize applications. Customers and staff can apply to join the judging panel using this form, between the 5th and 29th of August: forms.gle/cRwzk9JQUN338qoU6
Website: www.springprize.org (Contains descriptions of and links to all previous prize recipients and shortlisted projects)
