The Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership (CEIL) is proud to present the second annual CEIL Awards to recognize military, federal, state and local government officials, teams, projects and programs that have demonstrated exemplary performance in integrating environmental stewardship into day-to-day activities. Awards highlight excellence in developing and implementing innovative environmental programs to improve environmental quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or increase use of renewable energy and bio-preferred products.  Awards are based on the categories of energy, facilities, transportation and conservation, and will be presented at CEIL’s GOVgreen Conference and Exposition (November 30 - December 1, 2011, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center).

Click here for the 2011 CEIL Awards nomination form.

Eligibility: Agencies, bureaus, services and operating divisions, and independent agencies are eligible to enter.  Contractors and consultants may enter providing the project and nominees are from the federal government or military.  The award categories are:

• Excellence in Education and Outreach:  This award will recognize a program with demonstrated success in communicating about its environmental and energy activities and achievements and by engaging internal and external stakeholders through outreach and education;
  
  
• NEW Workforce Development through Training: Creating green jobs and supporting workers to engage in green careers is critical to the success of any sustainability initiative. This award recognizes training programs that enable employees and volunteers to support environmental missions and programs and to enhance their future career prospects.

• Leadership in Innovation:  Granted to a program employing a novel approach to achieve one or more environmental objectives using technology, management, financing, public-private partnerships, or others.
  
  
• Achievement in Inauguration: Designated for the best new program or initiative to launch in fiscal year 2011, this award showcases the great ideas and recent successes of public sector innovators;
  
  
• Success through Collaboration:  This team award is given to a group that has turned sustainability ideas into reality. The team--cross-disciplinary, cross-functional or inter-agency—must have achieved measurable and replicable outcomes, in part as a result of strong collaboration among team members.

Nominations must be submitted by a federal agency or federal contractor by October 30, 2011.  There is no limit to the number of nominations a single agency or single individual can submit.  At the close of the nomination period, nominations will be reviewed by CEIL Advisory Council members who will serve as Awards judges.

Winning projects will be recognized at an awards ceremony at CEIL's GOVgreen Conference and Exposition to be held November 30 - December 1, 2011, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.  Winning projects will also be featured on the website of The Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership. Team leaders or designated agency representatives will also be interviewed for podcast on CEILeadership.org.

Nomination forms must include the following information as well as photographs or illustrations and links to relevant websites:

1. Project Description.  Provide background about how the project was initially developed and implemented, the goals and objectives, the strategies, technologies and policies that were employed, the parties involved and any obstacles that were overcome. Please identify which of the GOVgreen educational tracks is most relevant to the project - energy, facilities, transportation or conservation (please limit response to 1,000 words).
   
   
2. Measurable Outputs and Outcomes.  Describe the project outputs and outcomes to date as well as the anticipated future results based on project progress to date. (please limit response to 750 words).
   
   
3. Innovative Nature of Project.  Explain what makes the project unique in terms of problems it addresses, technologies employed, policies created, and results achieved.  Describe how the project has been or will be replicated. (Please limit response to 500 words)
   
   
4. Point of contact.  Provide complete contact information (name, title, organization, address, e-mail address, telephone number) for the person submitting the nomination as well as the name and complete contact information for all of the project team members

Please submit your CEIL Awards nomination form no later than October 30, 2011. 
Questions?  Contact Danielle Wagner at dwagner@ntpshow.com.

Click here to view the 2010 CEIL Award Winners.