Ministry of Defence Sanctuary Awards

34th Sanctuary Awards 2025

The Sanctuary Awards have been recognising outstanding conservation and sustainability efforts across the MOD estate since 1991.

The awards celebrate and encourage group and individual efforts that benefit sustainable development, environmental and heritage conservation, utilities and resource-saving measures, sustainable construction and procurement or community awareness on land or property that the MOD owns or uses in the UK and overseas.

Sanctuary magazine celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, so delivery of the Sanctuary programme will be paused to develop content for this special edition.

The 34th Sanctuary Awards nominations open on 18 November 2024 at 9am and close on 24 January 2025 at 5pm. If you wish to be added to the calling notice, please email dio-sanctuary@mod.gov.uk.

34th Sanctuary Awards – 2024/25 categories

Entries will be sought for the following categories:

• Climate Change Resilience Award (new) – projects or activities focused on taking action to enhance climate resilience through mitigation or adaption.
• Early Career Award (new) – for individuals in the first 5 years of their sustainability or conservation career who have made a significant personal contribution to MOD sustainability or conservation.
• Environmental Enhancement Award – projects focused on wildlife and biodiversity, environmental research, or tackling pollution and contamination issues.
• Individual Achievement Award – for those who have made a significant personal contribution to MOD sustainability or conservation as a volunteer, MOD employee or contractor.
• Heritage Award – projects focused on archaeology, historic buildings, historic parks and gardens, historic landscape preservation, museum collections, or heritage education and public engagement.
• Net Zero and Resource Efficiency Award – projects that contribute to the MOD’s Net Zero Carbon ambition, reduce energy, water or resource consumption, renewable energy or recycling.
• Sustainable Delivery Award (new) – projects that deliver against a MOD priority area, objective or commitment to improve or innovate the sustainability of equipment or services, management of supply chains or product life cycles, digitalisation, or new-build construction and refurbishment projects.

Winners from the above categories will be further considered for one of the following:

• Silver Otter Trophy – awarded to the best Establishment, Conservation Group or community-led project or individual conservation effort on the MOD estate.

• Sustainable Business Award – awarded to the best large-scale or commercial project which delivers sustainable solutions to enable the Armed Forces to live, work or train.

• Innovation Award – judged by the Ministry of Defence Innovation Directorate to highlight a project which exemplifies innovative behaviours, ensures a clear drive for sustainable innovation, enhances operational efficiency and contributes to environmental resilience within the defence sector.

Sanctuary Award judging

• Nominees are MOD personnel, conservation groups, industry partners or other MOD stakeholders including private companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organisations.
• Entries relate to MOD land, property, activities or equipment, either in the UK or overseas.
• Projects must be completed by 24 January 2025.
• If part of a multi-year project, at least 80% must be complete by 24 January 2025.

The judging panel use an online portal to review the long-listed nominations. Each judge then allocates a maximum of 40 points to each nomination before the panel meet in person to reach a group consensus.

The panel will also decide which of the category winners would be taking home the special Silver Otter Trophy and the coveted Sustainable Business Award.

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