Nominations open for 2025 LUSH Spring Prize

Deadline Date: September 27, 2024

 Donor Name: LUSH Spring Prize

 Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Nominations are now open for the 2025 LUSH Spring Prize to build capacity for those repairing the earth’s damaged systems and leaving the world lusher than they found it.

The LUSH Spring Prize is for organisations that are working to revive damaged social and natural environments, and who want to share what they are doing to inspire and inform others. 

People all over the world are developing ways to live in harmony with nature and each other. They are generating renewable resources, restoring ecosystems, nurturing solidarity and building health, wholeness and resilience. They are bringing life back to damaged land and oceans.

For the 2025 Spring Prize, the Influence Award will be decided in a different way. 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.

The Lush Spring Prize is here to support this regeneration movement through:

• A biennial £200,000+ prize fund. This is open to communities, organisations and businesses from the Intentional stage, through to Young and Established organisations, and Influencers.
• Events to bring people together to share their skills and experiences. 
• Publicity to raise awareness of regeneration and its potential to heal damaged systems, create resilience to crises, and grow abundance.

Categories

• Intentional Award
  • For great ideas and projects up to 1 year old.
  • This prize is for individuals, communities, aspiring businesses or newly formed groups and organisations to help establish a strong foundation from which to grow.
  • Knowledge sharing, training and strategy development are ways in which they would hope for this money to be used. They are also open to other suggestions if they will help make an idea a reality.
  • There are at least four prizes in this category, with each being awarded up to £10,000. They aim to award one prize to a small scale project in this category.
• Young Award
  • For young projects from 1 to 5 years old.
  • This prize is for young (1-5 years old) community groups, organisations, networks and businesses that have a proven track record and which are seeking more funding to expand or develop.
  • There are at least three prizes in this category, with each being awarded up to £20,000. They aim to award at least one prize to a small scale project in this category.
• Established Award
  • For groups or organisations that demonstrate successful and inspirational work over more than 5 years.
  • This prize is for established community groups, organisations, networks and businesses that can demonstrate successful and inspirational work over more than 5 years. They hope for prize money to spread the word of their work to inspire more people to get involved with the regenerative movement.
  • There are at least two prizes in this category, with each being awarded up to £25,000. They aim to award one prize to a small scale project in this category.
• Influence Award
  • The Influence Award is for organisations 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 (Intentional Award, Young Award, Established Award).

2025 Collaborative Prizes

• Be The Earth Foundation, The Savitri Trust and 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 an Influence Award or 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.
• Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Award
  • This award seeks to recognise and celebrate indigenous peoples’ knowledge and wisdom.
  • Run in partnership with Be The Earth Foundation and The Savitri Trust.
  • In a world shaped by (historic and current) oppressive colonial and patriarchal structures, this award honors the necessity and relevance of traditional and ecological knowledge, as well as ancestral and indigenous nature-based practices.
  • Prize recipients share an amount of £20,000, provided by Be The Earth Foundation and The Savitri Trust.
• Permaculture Magazine Award
  • Run in partnership with Permaculture Magazine
  • The Permaculture Magazine Award is for individuals, communities, businesses, groups and organisations that can demonstrate inspirational permaculture work over three years or more. It is looking for locally-led permaculture projects that are regenerating damaged land; enhancing habitat and biodiversity; helping people to gain practical and community skills; adding value to produce and developing local economies; building community, creating social glue and greater economic resilience; modelling new ways of cooperating and new cultural paradigms.
  • Prize recipients share a prize fund of £25,000, provided by Permaculture Magazine.

Eligibility Criteria

• They accept nominations from anywhere in the world.
• Lush, the company funding the Spring Prize, is a vegetarian company. As such, money awarded will not be channelled towards the direct slaughter or ill-treatment of animals.
• Although organisations farming animals will not be excluded, priority will be given to organisations which encourage alternatives to animal consumption.
• Any project which does not quite fit these eligibility guidelines is welcome to nominate themselves if they feel they can provide a strong argument for why they should consider them.
• Organisations may only submit an application to one category.
• Organisations which are more than 1 year old are not eligible for the Intentional awards.
• Organisations which are more than 5 years old are not eligible for the Young awards.
• No organisation will receive a prize two years in a row.
• Prizes are for ongoing work (not as a reward for past work).
• If offered a prize, recipients must:
  • attend the awards ceremony in person, unless there are exceptional circumstances (travel expenses will be paid).
  • prepare information on the winning project for the awards event.
  • fill in an evaluation form 10 months from the award being given.
  • support the PR and outreach activity for the prize.
• Ethical Consumer Research Association (a partner in the LUSH Spring Prize) will conduct due diligence research on nominated individuals and organisations prior to recommending initiatives for awards. It would be helpful if applicants flag up any potential concerns in advance.
• Other unanticipated ethical concerns will be considered on a case by case basis.

For more information, visit LUSH Spring Prize.