Application is open for the World Habitat Awards 2025 for innovative ideas, projects, and programs about housing. Established in 1985,  the World Habitat Awards have identified many excellent habitat projects of different sizes and shapes. The World Habitat Awards recognize groundbreaking housing ideas and initiatives worldwide. Over 360 projects are acknowledged for substantial and enduring improvements in living conditions. Two winners receive £10,000 each and a trophy at a global UN-Habitat event annually.

If you have an innovative, impactful solution to housing, you can apply and win the awards.

Details of the World Habitat Awards 

Application Deadline: 3 March 2024 (23:59 GMT)

 Winners: 2 winning projects

Eligible Countries: All

Focus Area: Housing and Habitat

Benefits and Prizes

The prizes and benefit details are as follows:

Prize and Benefits:

• Winning a World Habitat Award brings international visibility and recognizes innovative, exceptional, and exciting housing solutions.
• Two Gold Award-winning projects receive a prize fund of £10,000 each.
• Trophies are presented at a special Awards Ceremony, with travel and accommodation costs covered for one project representative.

World Habitat Award Network:

• All award winners (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) are invited to join the World Habitat Award Network.
• Established in 1986, the Network facilitates online and in-person meetings for members to share housing practices.
• Members engage through a dedicated LinkedIn group, fostering synergies and collaborations.

Gold Award Support:

• Gold Award winners receive individualized support for a year through the exChange Programme by World Habitat.
• The support aims to develop projects and programs while promoting their impact to wider audiences.

Project Eligibility for the World Habitat Award

The projects should meet the following criteria:

• focus on affordable and adequate housing;
• have taken action to address the climate emergency;
• are in progress or have been completed in the last ten years;
• are taking steps to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion;
• and have been designed or delivered in close collaboration with the residents/ local community

• Projects must be in progress or completed within the last ten years as of the call for entries closing date (3 March 2024)
• Excludes grant applications
• World Habitat Award does not provide grant funding for projects
• Recognizes existing projects with their funding
• World Habitat has a separate granting scheme for Community-Led Housing projects, independent of the World Habitat Awards.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

• Applications are open to any individual, organization, NGO, public institution, private initiative, academia, United Nations program, etc., from any country that has innovated a practical solution to housing needs and issues.
• Applications are welcome from any country.
• Applicants can submit more than one entry or project.
• The project should be related to housing projects and be completed or in the process of completion.
• The project must not be at the design stage only.
• Previous applicants can apply again.

Selection Criteria

World Habitat Award Selection Criteria are as follows:

• Impact:
  • Demonstrated project achievements
  • Improvement in lives and fulfillment of the right to adequate housing
  • Focus on individuals with limited housing choices
• Innovation:
  • Uniqueness of the project
  • Addressing challenges or utilizing unconventional housing approaches
  • Application in challenging contexts
• Environmental Sustainability:
  • Alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 13
  • Positive impact on the environment and society
  • Implementation of measures to reduce carbon footprint
• Viability and Transferability:
  • Long-term sustainability of the project
  • Potential for solving similar challenges elsewhere
  • Inspiration from other projects adaptable to specific situations
• Significance:
  • Tackling current, urgent, or neglected issues

Selection Process

The projects are selected as follows:

• Shortlisting:
  • The initial shortlist of around 40 entries based on criteria
  • Further detailed research and discussion to finalize a maximum of ten projects
  • Compilation of project summaries for expert advisory group review
• Advisory Group:
  • The expert group evaluates projects using their knowledge and expertise
  • Recommendations for Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards
  • A maximum of four projects selected for evaluation visits
• Evaluation Visits:
  • Staff, trustees, or consultants visit four projects for on-site perspectives.
  • Interaction with residents, beneficiaries, partners, and stakeholders
  • Chief Executive discusses visits with evaluation teams
  • Recommendations for Gold and Silver Awards made to external judges
• External Judges:
  • Judges, including Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Ms. Leilani Farha, make the final decisions.
  • Feedback is available to all projects entering, upon request, at any stage.

How to Apply to World Habitat Awards?

All entrant can submit their submissions online through the link below:

Apply Now

For more information, please visit the award’s Official Website. If you have any questions, review the FAQs. 

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