The Ockenden International Prize.

The 2012 Prize was awarded to India’s Centre for Development (CfD) partnering with UK charity Childreach International. We will be inviting applications for the 2013 Prize in May. Read more

2012 is the inaugural year of the prize which is open to applications from organisations with projects, programmes or activities [projects] that help refugees and displaced people in Africa, the Middle East or Asia. We are looking for pioneering approaches that have proved to be highly effective in promoting self-reliance for displaced communities.
The prize’s prime objectives are to:

• raise awareness of the scale and range of challenges faced by refugees and displaced people.
• recognise and reward organisations giving inspirational and highly effective support, and enabling self-reliance
• share experience and learning about what works and leads to real change in the lives of refugees and displaced people.

At a ceremony in the UK in February 2013 the winner will receive publicity and a cash prize of £50,000.

Online applications for the prize are invited from 3rd May 2012 to the deadline of  31st July 2012.

Applicants may submit one entry only in each prize year.

Guidelines and eligibility criteria

Applicants

• Applicants must be organisations (not individuals) and registered as a charity in the UK.
• Applicants can apply on their own behalf or nominate a non-UK-based, non-profit partner or affiliated organisation and submit details of their project.
• Applicants must be financially sound with high standards of governance.
• Applicants must have no formal religious or political affiliation.
• Applicants must include a copy of their organisation’s most recent accounts with their application and also, if nominating a partner or affiliate, a copy of that organisation’s most recent accounts.
• In section 1 about the applicant and section 2 about any nominee when we ask for the organisation's legal and operational status your answer is likely to include: -
  Legal - type of legal entity e.g. trust, charitable company etc and whether the organisation is a branch (or member) of a UK or overseas organisation (INGO, corporate entity, etc) and other affiliations (churches, trade unions etc).
  Operational - whether grant making in the UK or to partners overseas or directly operational overseas (and whether there is a restricted way of operating e.g. only through an affiliated church, only where affiliated corporate has commercial interests, etc).
  

The project, programme or activity (referred to as the ‘project’)

• The project submitted must benefit refugees and displaced people in Africa, the Middle East or Asia.
• Projects that support refugees and displaced people in the UK are not eligible.
• The project submitted must have been initiated no earlier than 1 May 2009 (i.e. no more than 36 months before the opening date for the current  year’s applications).
• Helping refugees and displaced people must be the prime focus of the project rather than an ancillary benefit and there must be a strong emphasis on promoting self-reliance.
• The applicant must be able to show that there have been measurable achievements and outcomes leading to real change in the lives of those helped.
• Where possible evidence of independent external evaluation should be provided.

Shortlisted applicants

Shortlisted applicants will be required to provide further evidence of their, and any nominee’s, financial and governance status to advance to the final round of judging, during which there will be an examination of both, as well as the project outcomes.

Judging criteria

The judges will, in particular, look for:

• initiatives that promote self-reliance among refugees and displaced people
• approaches that have proved to be highly effective in improving the lives of refugees and displaced people
• work which has been carried out in especially difficult circumstances
• organisations with strong governance and financial management.

Payment of the prize

The prize monies will be paid to the applicant to use directly or to transfer to their partner or affiliate if they nominated one.

Application form

Here is the on line Application form

Applications must be submitted online using the link above.

However, to help you prepare your application, a PDF of the form is available here.

Questions

If you have any questions, please email ockenden@writestrategy.co.uk

Please be aware that we can answer questions about eligibility and the application process but we cannot give advice as to the suitability of particular projects.

About Ockenden International

Established by three pioneering British schoolteachers in the 1950s to support refugee communities, Ockenden International has a fascinating history and impressive track record. Read  more about our history

In 2007 Ockenden International began the transformation from an operational charity to a grant maker and the prestigious Ockenden International Prize of £50,000 is one of a number of new activities to promote innovative support for displaced communities.