2015 EGBC Awards
Applicant Guidelines
The Emirates Green Building Council was formed in 2006 with the
goal of advancing green building principles for protecting environment
and ensuring sustainability in the United Arab Emirates.
Address: PO Box 121838, Dubai, U.A.E.
Tel: +971 4 346 8244
Fax: +71 4 346 8248
E-mail: [email protected] – [email protected]
Website: www.emiratesgbc.org
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Introduction
2015 EGBC Awards
The EGBC Awards Program honors companies that demonstrate clear implementation of
sustainable design, construction and/or operation of buildings and structures. Its ultimate
goal is to help establish a regional model for the sustainable built environment that is world
class and replicable.
As such, the EGBC Awards identify, recognize and highlight organizations for innovative and
outstanding sustainable building principles and practices. They are designed to facilitate
greater understanding of the contributions from the construction sector to sustainable
Table of Content
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
2015 EGBC Awards .............................................................................................................. 2
Presentation of the 2015 Applicant Guidelines ...................................................................... 3
2015 EGBC Awards Terms and Conditions ........................................................................... 3
Entry fees .............................................................................................................................. 5
Mandatory documentation ..................................................................................................... 5
Judging criteria ...................................................................................................................... 6
2015 EGBC Awards Categories and Descriptions ................................................................. 7
Award 1: Green Building of the Year ..................................................................................... 7
Award 2: Green Facility Management organization of the Year ............................................. 8
Award 3: Green Building Material/Product Award .................................................................. 9
Award 4: Green Building System Award .............................................................................. 10
Award 5: Green Building Research Award ........................................................................... 11
Award 6: Training Initiative of the Year ................................................................................ 12
Special Award: Dr. Sadek Owainati Award for Students ...................................................... 13
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development, and lead to exchange of ideas and good practice in sustainability in the United
Arab Emirates and the MENA region.
The 2015 Awards Program is composed of 6 professional Awards, and 1 special Student
Award (Dr. Owainati Award for Students).
Presentation of the 2015 Applicant Guidelines
The present Guidelines aim at facilitating the understanding of criteria and preparation of the
mandatory synopsis to be submitted by the organizations. They should be carefully read and
understood before submitting your application to ensure that you have enclosed all
mandatory documentation and that you agree with the 2015 Terms and Conditions.
The Guidelines are comprised of the following:
1. Terms and Conditions that need to be reviewed and approved by the applicants before
submitting their files, including Eligibility criteria and procedures;
2. Description of each of the Award categories, including their respective requirements;
3. Questions and bullet points to cover the items that should be addressed in the 10-
page synopsis.
2015 EGBC Awards Terms and Conditions
1. Eligibility: Awards categories are open to all organizations operating in the MENA region
including public and private sector enterprises, associations, consultants and
practitioners.
2. Submissions: All applications must be completed and submitted via:
a. Online submission (recommended) through EGBC website congress or awards email
b. Hand-delivered to the EGBC Head office at:
Al Joud Center, M-20, Shk. Zayed Rd., Dubai, UAE
Entries, once submitted, will become the property of EGBC and will not be returned.
3. Receipt of Application: Upon reception, entries will be acknowledged by email. It is the
applicants’ responsibility to ensure that they have received confirmation of their entry
before the closing date as no correspondence will be entertained after the submission
deadline.
4. Proof of Entry: In relation to the above-mentioned point, any proof of sending via email
or post will not be acknowledged in place of the official receipt/confirmation sent by the
EGBC.
5. Supporting Material:
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a. Maximum 10-pages synopsis that covers the applicant’s details and project
description. This synopsis is the most important document in the application and
should properly address the criteria presented in the Applicant Guidelines.
b. Supporting materials play an important role in the judging process as they can
assist the decisions of the judging panel. Applicants are therefore kindly advised to
submit comprehensive documentation of high quality. All materials received by
EGBC will be retained. Confidentiality of all materials will be strictly maintained.
c. Material may include Reports, Brochures, CDs, Sales Figures, Brand Media
Coverage, Clippings, Photos, Research Documents and Testimonials.
6. Language: All entries should be in English. Entries in any other language than English
will not be considered for review and rating.
7. Closing Date for Submission: All applications must reach EGBC on 19 February before
5pm (UAE time). EDIT: the final deadline to submit the applications as been extended
to 5 March before 5pm (UAE time).
8. Verification: Judges reserve the right to audit any information supplied. If required,
applicants may be subjected to further evaluation processes including meetings, site
visits and submission of reports and technical datasheets. Applicants that are not able to
provide sufficient and relevant information during this verification process will be
penalized through the Award’s rating system.
9. Results: Entries will be reviewed by a Judging Panel that will assess and rate the
applications, determine a shortlist and designate the Awards winners. Finalists will be
notified by 30 April latest, and the winners will be chosen from the shortlist and
announced at the Gala Awards Ceremony which will be held in Dubai in May 2015
(exact date and location will be disclosed in due time when confirmed).
10. Judging: The Judging panel’s decision is final and no correspondence or communication
will be considered following its final decision. The results and grading details are
confidential and will not be shared.
11. Feedback: companies can ask the Judges for feedback on their application by sending a
request by email to the EGBC Office Team including specific questions. In view of the
confidential nature of the grading details, it is the Judges’ discretion to provide an
answer or reject the demand.
12. Publicity: Applicants are responsible for appropriate arrangements to protect any
intellectual property associated with their applications, as winning applications will be
subject to publicity. Winners are requested to participate in event publicity.
13. Other:
a. The EGBC reserves the right to withdraw an Award from any applicant supplying
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false information within their application.
b. By submitting the entry form and supporting documentation, the applicant agrees to
the above terms and conditions.
Entry fees
1. Conditions: Payment in full must accompany each Awards entry. Entry fees are not
refundable.
2. Amount: 500 Dirham for first application, 250 Dirham for each supplementary
application.
Example: Organization A applies for one Award category, entry fees to be paid: 500 Dh. Organization B applies for 2 Award categories, entry fees to be paid: 500 + 250 =750 Dh.
3. Mode of Payment: Entry fee is payable by cheque, or cash, or bank transfer to EGBC.
Applicants should contact the EGBC office to receive bank details, which will be
provided at time of invoicing.
4. Payment and deadline: The entry fee needs to be paid prior to the identification of short-
listed organizations by the Judges. In case any delay occurs in the banking process, the
EGBC Office should be notified at the earliest and a copy of the payment statement
should be provided to confirm the payment has been processed as per deadline (19
February 2015. EDIT: new deadline 5 March before 5pm)
5. As delays in payment should be strongly avoided, the EGBC Office Team will be
managing such cases on individual basis and gives itself the right to disregard
applications should the company not provide sufficient guarantees regarding its financial
processes.
6. In case the payment is not processed and received as per deadline, the application will
be disregarded and removed from the submissions provided to the Judges for review.
Mandatory documentation
It is critical that your application fulfils the following requirements to be considered for the
review and rating by the Official Judges. Based on the above-mentioned Terms and
Conditions, EGBC will not be responsible for any missing documentation or
misunderstanding on the requirements.
Your application needs to include the following:
1. Online form available on the EmiratesGBC website: to be filled with relevant
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information on the Award Category you are applying to; a short description of the
submitted project/product; contact details of relevant focal points for future follow-up.
Using the online form is highly encouraged but not mandatory. If you do not apply via
the online form, please make sure to include these details in the files you submit to
EmiratesGBC.
2. Fees: The payment of the entry fees is mandatory for all submissions. See previous
section for details.
3. 10 page max. synopsis: The Award synopsis is actually the most important part of the
application as it is the main document to be reviewed and rated by the Judges. It is
therefore most important that you pay great attention to the information you will
disclose in the synopsis and that you make it as comprehensive, detailed and concise
as possible. Keep in mind that Judges will mainly rate the synopsis and will be
reviewing annexes documents only if they need to check and assess the data and
references you mention.
The content should be clearly structured, and your facts and data should be properly
referenced. Any synopsis longer than 10 pages will be disregarded or penalized
through the rating system.
4. Annexes: annex documents should complement the synopsis and cover data and
facts that are addressed in it. They should be well structured and referenced, and
should clearly relate to Award category’s description and requirements. Applications
whose annexes are not relevant with the topic and synopsis content will be penalized
through the point systems.
Judging criteria
The submissions will be reviewed and rated based on the following criteria:
- 35 points to cover the completion of the application against the requirements of each
Award Category: the requested documents to apply to the EGBC Awards have been
provided and duly filled; they are well referenced and relevant to the chosen
Category.
- 5 points to grade the organization’s profile: The individual/company submitting the
application is implementing environmental standards/CSR measures internally (if this
information is not included in the synopsis, it should be either available on the
applicant’s website and/or submitted upon request)
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- 60 points to cover the requirements specific to each Award category as detailed in
the below descriptions.
2015 EGBC Awards Categories and Descriptions
In 2015, the following categories are open for applications. For each category you will
find:
1. Award description: describing the scope of the Awards and the types of projects that
can be submitted.
2. Eligibility: criteria that need to be fulfilled by the project/the organization to be
eligible.
3. Mandatory submissions: documents that are expected to be enclosed in the
application.
4. Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: a list of questions and topics
that can guide the preparation and outline of your synopsis. It is strongly advised to
properly cover these questions as the answers are taken into account by the Judges
as part of their rating instructions.
Award 1: Green Building of the Year
Definition
Award 1 rewards a finalized building in the MENA region whose construction and completion
has respected the highest sustainability standards and included innovation in design and
processes.
Description: A building finalized in the past 3 years (between 2012 and 2015) in the
MENA region that shows excellence in terms of design, construction site
management, waste and green standards.
There will be 4 sub-categories for this Award:
1) Green Hotel,
2) Green Commercial Building,
3) Green Residential Building, and
4) Green School.
Eligibility: Includes all commercial and public buildings, hotels…that have been
finalized in the MENA region as per the above-mentioned time frame. Submissions
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from any key stakeholder involved in the project (designer, architect, contractor,
owner), joint-submissions allowed.
Mandatory submission:
10-page max. synopsis describing the organization leading the building itself
(including design plans, contractor implementation and final product), the
implemented standards, and key data in relation to these points;
Annex documents: technical documentation to illustrate the information provided
in the synopsis.
Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: The following questions should
guide the preparation of your application.
Introduction: Presentation of the organization and summary of key facts and data on
the building
Eligibility: Has the building been completed in the MENA region in the past two
years?
Project description: has the building been finalized according to design, budget and
deadlines?
Green standards: has the building achieved any green rating (LEED/Estidama or
equivalent)? What regulations have been considered?
Products and materials: what share of the project’s materials and products are eco-
friendly/sustainable? What are their specifications?
Construction: what measures have been implemented during the construction phase
to ensure highest health and environmental standards onsite?
Design: what characteristics of the building’s design make it a good showcase for
green building best practices?
Innovation: were innovative processes, construction systems, materials…
implemented during the construction phase?
Award 2: Green Facility Management organization of the Year
Definition
Award 2 rewards a UAE based Facility Management (FM) organization for its commitments
towards sustainability.
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Description: a FM organization located in the UAE which shows excellence in
delivering key FM services to its building portfolio and gives sustainability and
environmental stewardship a great place in its activities.
Eligibility: FM company based and active in the UAE. Residential, commercial and
industrial properties.
Mandatory submission:
10-page max. synopsis describing the organization, its portfolio, its activities and
its key achievements with regard to sustainability and green standards;
Annex documents: any documentation to illustrate the information provided in the
synopsis.
Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: The following questions should
guide the preparation of your application.
Introduction: Presentation of the FM organization and summary of key facts and data
on properties portfolio.
Eligibility: is the organization located in the UAE? How many offices and staff is it
comprised of?
Environmental policies and processes: Does your company implement an
EMS/HSEQ?
Visibility: is your company active in the country to promote best practices regarding
facility management and sustainability? Do you participate to exhibitions, workshops,
seminars?
Tenants’ education: What do you do to address sustainability with the tenants of the
properties you manage?
Internal strategies: what are your strategies to reduce water and energy consumption
throughout the properties you manage?
Award 3: Green Building Material/Product Award
Definition
Award 3 rewards the successful introduction to the MENA region of a construction material
or product/component which addresses green building principles. This Award takes into
account the products’ function, its form or the location of its production.
Description: A material/product/component introduced to the MENA region or a
specific location in the region, within the last 5 years, and not previously available in
the MENA region, leads to significantly improved sustainability performance over
business as usual.
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Eligibility: the product has been introduced to the MENA region within the last 5
years and was not previously available on the market.
Mandatory submission:
10-page max. synopsis describing the organization, the
product/material/component and its technical specifications;
Annex documents: Verifiable data which supports the claim that the
material/product/component was not available in the region (or in a specific
location in the region) previously, and that it leads to improved sustainability
performance. Verifiable data of significantly improved performance over Business
as Usual.
Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: The following questions should
guide the preparation of your application.
Introduction: Presentation of the organization, of the product/material and its
technical specifications.
Eligibility: Where in the region and when has the product been introduced? Where is
it produced and distributed?
Green standards: what standards and criteria does your product help achieve (LEED,
Estidama or equivalent)?
Testing and Certifications: Enclose information regarding the testing and
certifications related to the production and distribution of the product.
Innovation: What does your product bring onto the market that did not exist before?
How does it solve a problem inherent to the region? How can it help share good
practices?
Award 4: Green Building System Award
Definition
Award 4 rewards a building system that provides a more sustainable solution to green
building construction than traditional construction methods (reinforced concrete frame,
poured on site, with block work infill).
Description: An alternative construction system that demonstrates improved
performance over reinforced concrete frame with block work infill, including for
instance better sound and thermal insulation, better air tightness, fewer wet trades on
site, more prefabrication, etc.
Eligibility: the product has been introduced to the MENA region within the last 5
years and was not previously available on the market.
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Mandatory submission:
10-page max. synopsis describing the organization, the building and its technical
specifications;
Annex documents: Details and verifiable data of alternative construction method
and improved performance
Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: The following questions should
guide the preparation of your application.
Introduction: Presentation of the organization, of the new system and its technical
specifications.
Eligibility: Where in the region and when has the product been introduced? Where is
it implemented?
Green standards: what standards and criteria does the system help achieve (LEED,
Estidama or equivalent)?
Local approach: Does the system help solve a problem inherent to the regional/local
context?
Products and materials: where have they been produced and distributed? Have they
properly been certified in the region?
Improvement methods: How does your system contribute to developing new
solutions and demonstrate improvement compared to “business as usual” methods?
Innovation: What does your product bring onto the market that did not exist before?
How does it solve a problem inherent to the region? How can it help share good
practices?
Award 5: Green Building Research Award
Definition
Award 5 rewards research that establishes dependable data, in an area not previously
available, related to green building performance.
Description: Research should deal with the performance of materials, components,
equipment or completed buildings and should be applicable to MENA region. It
should provide replicable verified data which can be used by the industry in the
further development of green buildings.
Eligibility: applicable to the MENA region, verifiable and duplicable data that
validates the research outcomes.
Mandatory submission :
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10-page max. synopsis describing the organization developing the research, the
details of the research (= paper), verifiable data, its aims and outcomes.
Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: The following questions should
guide the preparation of your application.
Introduction: Presentation of the organization and of the research itself.
Eligibility: Is the research topic relevant to the activities of your organization, and can
its outcomes be applied to the MENA region?
Innovation: What does the research bring onto the market that did not exist before?
How does it solve a problem inherent to the region? How can it help share good
practices?
Green standards: what standards and criteria does the research help achieve (LEED,
Estidama or equivalent)?
Documentation: Do the annex documents properly show that the research can be
replicated/duplicated? What tests have been conducted to reach the results?
Award 6: Training Initiative of the Year
Definition
Award 6 rewards the best sustainability training initiative in the MENA region.
Description: The introduction of training to improve the understanding of
sustainability issues in the construction industry, or in the segment of the construction
industry in which the company operates.
Eligibility: an organization (public, private and Academia sectors) which
implemented training initiatives, internally (staff, management) or to the attention of
the public (community development) or other professionals in the MENA region. The
initiative took place in 2013.
Mandatory submission:
10-page max. synopsis describing the organization, the training initiatives
(content, attendance, outcomes)
Annex documents: verifiable data on the course(s), their content, their
implementation and their internal coverage.
Items and questions to be addressed in the synopsis: The following questions should
guide the preparation of your application.
Introduction: Presentation of the organization and of the research itself.
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Eligibility: What topic did the training cover? Who was it delivered by, and addressed
to? Where did the training take place?
Visibility: who and how many attended the training session(s)? Enclose records of
attendance.
Scope: Did the training initiative cover challenges, solutions and tools that are
beneficial to the MENA region and the green building industry?
Impacts: Did the training have any specific impacts on the participants’ habits and the
organization’s internal processes and activities? Have you implemented any follow-
up activities to receive feedback from the participants? If yes what were these
feedback?
Special Award: Dr. Sadek Owainati Award for Students1
Definition
This special Award, sponsored by EGBC co-Founder Dr. Sadek Owainati, specifically
rewards a student from a recognized university in the UAE who has conducted exceptional
research work in a subject related to green buildings in the Middle East.
Eligibility: The Awards is open to an academically accepted thesis submitted for a
post-graduate degree or final year undergraduate university research project report
or dissertation in the MENA region.
Paper topic: The research should be directly applicable to green building design,
technology, construction or operation; with emphasis on its applicability in the MENA
region. It is critical that the topic relates to green buildings as a built structure, and
preferably addresses an already-existing building.
Submission: Entry from university students attending university in the UAE.
Students must be studying engineering, architecture or science. Submission of
research produced within the last 2 years of work on a subject as described above.
Supporting Documents:
1. Copy of academic research document;
2. Supporting data;
3. 600 word essay explaining why the submission is worthy of the accolade;
4. Assessment and recommendations from two (2) faculty staff who are familiar with
the student’s work.
1 Entry fee does not apply to students submitting application for this Award. The general rating criteria on
environmental/CSR standards (5 points) does not apply to this Award and the scale has been adapted accordingly.
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