Norwich and Norfolk Eco Awards

It has never been more important to put the environment at the heart of what you do.

Norwich and Norfolk Eco Awards recognises unsung environmental individuals, projects and schemes with a strong ecological or environmentally-friendly ethos, and groups and organisations which can show they adopt a sound eco approach to their business.

By shining a spotlight on local positive environmental action we hope we can inspire others to act too.

The awards

The awards are hosted jointly by Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council. We work hard to ensure the awards give local environmental initiatives the recognition they deserve.

This year the awards ceremony will be held on 5 March at The Halls in Norwich.

There are six categories:

Eco hero - The People’s Vote
Eco food producer
Eco primary school
Eco secondary school
Eco community group
Eco small/medium business

Two entrants are shortlisted for each category, except for the Eco Hero category where shortlisted entrants will face a public vote. Each shortlisted entrant will receive two tickets for the awards ceremony. For each of the schools categories the entrants will also receive tickets for five children to attend.

The prizes

Winners receive a Norwich and Norfolk Eco Awards trophy and certificate and are invited to use our logo. This shows they have been recognised as an eco-friendly company, group or individual.

The winner of the eco primary school category will receive three brand new tablet devices for their school and the highly commended entrant will receive two. Both will also get a trophy, certificate, and are invited to use the Eco Awards logo to show their eco credentials.

The winners of the eco community group and eco secondary school categories will each receive £500 prizes.

More about the award categories

Eco hero - People's Vote

Anyone can apply or nominate someone else for this category.

An eco hero is someone who:

Values the environment so much that they go the extra mile in everything they do to reduce their negative environmental impact and/or create positive solutions
Is passionate, enthusiastic and committed to reducing their own, and/or wider society's negative environmental impact
Tries to be, or already is, a source of inspiration to others to choose sustainable lifestyle choices and more pro-environmental behaviours

Judges shortlist the potential eco heroes and the public can then vote for their winner.

Eco food producer

Food products entered into this category should be:

A food product (ie not a cafe/restaurant meal)
Produced using sustainable practices (eg limited water use, use local/seasonal ingredients)
Produced in Norfolk
A celebration of Norfolk-grown or made produce

Eco primary school

Schools should have undertaken eco projects over the past five years and should be able to demonstrate their eco-credentials. Projects could include, but are not limited to:

Energy efficiency awareness and measures
Sustainable use of school grounds for wildlife/food production
A school eco-council, forest school programme, eco school accreditation
Any other innovative projects that they feel are appropriate

Successful schools will be to demonstrate that concern for the environment and sustainable living is at the heart of all they do.

Eco secondary school

Schools should have undertaken eco projects over the past five years and should be able to demonstrate their eco-credentials. Projects could include, but are not limited to:

Energy efficiency awareness and measures
Sustainable use of school grounds for wildlife/food production
A school eco-council, forest school programme, eco school accreditation
Any other innovative projects that they feel are appropriate

Successful schools will be to demonstrate that concern for the environment and sustainable living is at the heart of all they do.

Eco community group

Community groups should be able to demonstrate their involvement in a project, or projects, which aim to:

Improve Norfolk’s natural environment by making it a more species-rich place to live, work and play
Sensitively improve access to a range of Norfolk habitats and raise awareness of their value to a range of species
Raise awareness of sustainable living, for example by reducing the amount of resources we use to live day-to-day by reducing, reusing or recycling

Groups could include any other innovative projects that they feel are appropriate.

Eco small/medium business

A small/medium Norfolk-based business (max 50 employees) which:

Reduces the use of the earth’s resources by the nature of its business
Has eco-values and sustainability principles at the core of its business model and ethos eg through energy reduction, ethical banking, sustainable transport methods, reducing packaging etc.