Applicants should be able to demonstrate how effective they have been in delivering intended objectives and demonstrated performance supported by facts and figures on how it has been successful in achieving the evaluation criteria. For example, for the Technology & Process Design criteria, entries must showcase results associated with increased water production and quality such as decreased salinity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), turbidity and/or other water quality measurement/parameters. 

• a. The application should be sufficiently detailed and clear to enable the Application Team to analyse properly and to form a view on all elements of the application.

• b. Applications shall display environmental impact assessment for implementing a given water production, desalination, filtration, purification and/or management project.

• c.Application must show how money is saved through a life cycle cost analysis that outlines its payback period and internal rate of return (IRR).

• d. Applications shall highlight innovative and creative aspects by demonstrating the applied process, technology and employed methodology.

• e. Applications shall showcase successful examples of efficient water production projects that can be replicated and reproduced elsewhere by outlining market needs and ease of use.

• f. Participants shall highlight over involved stakeholders such as partners, sponsors, customers, audiences or end-users during the development and/or after completion of the technology submitted in their applications. Participants shall also highlight the raised awareness and, where feasible, demonstrate shared knowledge with others.

• g. Applications shall demonstrate plans for continuous improvement in the future.

• h. Projects applied for "Innovative Project Award" and "Innovative Crisis Solutions Award" must be owned by the Organization/Company applying for this category and is existing under a registered trade license.

• i. Projects applied for the "Innovative R&D Award" should be owned by the entity(ies) sponsoring the project (academic/research/corporate institution) and to be submitted by the project lead(s) and endorsed by the sponsor institution(s).
  

1. Applications

• a. Applications must be submitted through the online application portal available on our website.

• b. Suqia Application Team reserves the right to dismiss/reject incomplete applications.

• c. If applicable, each application should be supported by an official letter from the sponsor institution(s)

• d. The deadline for receiving applications will be set and communicated to the public in the media and our website.

• e. Applications must be in English.

• f. The participant shall apply to the appropriate categories to the best of their understanding.

• g. If applying under the "Innovative Individual Award", the participant confirms that the work presented represents the individual work of the participant.

• h. The application must be well-articulated, focused and clearly presented to encompass that evaluation criteria.

• i. All applications must be accompanied by supporting data to demonstrate performance.
  

2. Eligibility

• a. The Award is open to all participants other than:

• Board members and employees of Suqia and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

• Anyone who has been involved in organising, promoting or judging the Award.
  

• b. Suqia reserves the right and have all discretion to reject or not select any submission for any reason that may, in the sole opinion Suqia, damage the reputation of the Award, UAE, Dubai or bring the Award into disrepute. The decision of the Application Team, the Committees and/or Suqia shall be final and no follow up correspondences shall be sent to them.

3. The Award Technical Committee

• a. Selection of the winners from vetted entries received from the first stage review, will be undertaken by the Award's Technical Committee to be put forward for final endorsement by the Award's Executive Committee.

• b. The finalists will be selected based on stringent judging criteria.

4. The Award Executive Committee

• a. Suqia's Board of Trustees functions as the Award's Executive Committee.

• b. All decisions issued by Technical/Executive committee shall be final and non-appealable.

5. Evaluation

• a. The applications are screened and reviewed by the Application Team.

• b. The Application Team may reassign an application to an alternate category if found more relevant. Applicants will be notified that their application is being reallocated to another category.

• c. The Award's Application Team or the Award Technical Committee may request additional supporting documents from the participants and may also conduct visits to their respective sites during the evaluation period. Participants shall fully cooperate with Award's Application Team and the Award Technical Committee and provide all necessary clarification or documentations requested.

• d. The Award's Application Team reserves the right to disqualify incomplete or late applications.

• e. If the Technical Committee considers that the criteria have been met and that one or more of the finalists should win the allocated prize pool, awards will be granted and the winners will be announced by Suqia, in accordance with the guidelines.

• f. The Award Technical Committee has the right to withhold awards in any category where applications do not meet the evaluation criteria.

• g. The Participant shall be the owner of the intellectual property rights relating to the entry or has obtained necessary licenses required to use the intellectual property rights. The participant shall indemnify UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) from and against any third parties' claim for infringement of its intellectual property rights in respect of the submission.

• h. Suqia shall retain all applications and may use such applications at its direction to analyse the success and future of the Award.
  

6. The Award

• a. The cash awards will be awarded at the sole discretion of Suqia, based on the decision of the Technical Committee and the endorsement by the Executive Committee. The decision of the committees shall be final and binding and no appeal or correspondence shall be entertained. The Committees will be under no obligation to provide any reasons for its decision.
  

• b. There is no alternative to the cash Award.

• c. An Award may be subject to withholding tax (if applicable) and/or income tax or other applicable taxes, which shall be payable by the winner, as applicable. Suqia bears no responsibilities for payment of any taxes which become payable on the Award.

• d. UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) may in its sole discretion disqualify the participant from the Award at any stage, and reserves the right to revoke the award and require its refund if:

• The participant has provided any fraudulent, untruthful, inaccurate or misleading details or information in the submission.

• It is subsequently discovered that the submission infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party.

• Has failed to abide by the terms and conditions of participation.

• e. The decisions of the Technical Committee and the Executive Committee are final and binding and will not be subject to any further appeal or correspondence. The Committees will be under no obligation to provide any reasons in connection with their decisions.

• f. The cash awards will be awarded in one lump sum after the Award ceremony.
  

7. Lost Entry

• a. Suqia accepts no liability for entries lost, corrupted or delayed in submission. Proof of submitting an application is not proof of receipt.
  

8. Important Information

• a. Suqia reserves the right to modify the Guidelines and these Terms and Conditions of Participation as necessary, during the term of the award cycle. Suqia will update registered participants or related parties of any such modifications as appropriate.

• b. In registering to enter the Award, each Participant does not rely on, has not relied on, and shall have no remedy in respect of any statement, representation, warranty or other provision (In any case, whether oral or written, express or implied and whether negligently or innocently made)of any person which is not expressly set out in the Guidelines and/or these Terms and Conditions of Participation.

• c. Suqia shall be free to assign, transfer, sub-license or otherwise dispose of or deal with its rights under the Guidelines and/or these Terms and Conditions of Participation.

• d. The Award shall be governed by the Guidelines of these Terms and Conditions of Participation.
  

9. Governing Law

• a. The terms of conditions contained herein shall be subject to the applicable laws of Dubai and UAE. Any dispute that may arise shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in Dubai.

10. Publicity

• a. Suqia reserves the right to publish details of the participants, shortlisted candidates, finalists and/or winners of the Award on Suqia's website and in other promotional and publicity material as it considers appropriate. This includes (without limitation) for the purpose of promoting Suqia and/or the Award. By entering, participants agree that they will be willing and available to participate in publicity and promotional activities and events and/or press conferences and that Suqia shall be entitled to use participants' names, photographs, country of residence (but not full address) and other relevant information in publicity throughout all media, free of charge.

• b. Participants shall not take part (or agree to take part) n any media coverage, or make any press releases or other announcements regarding participation in the Award without the prior agreement of Suqia. No participant shall refer to the Suqia or permit it to be referred to by any third party for the purpose of promoting or publicising any company or business other than Suqia.

• c. Notwithstanding the paragraph above, following the announcement of the winners, they may refer to the Award and that they have been given the Award. If referring to the Award for the purpose of promoting or publicising any company or business other than Suqia, the winner must get the consent of Suqia.

• d. For the purposes of shortlisting, selection, announcement and publicity of finalists and winners before, during or after the Award cycle, Suqia may assign a third party media/production crew for the purpose of interviewing, filming and capturing footage of participants, locations, and/or the technologies presented in their applications. Participants shall fully cooperate with the third party media/production and provide all necessary contact details, physical location  addresses, necessary security clearances, and any other details as required.

• e. Suqia may enter into discussions with the participants regarding the potential publication of the submissions.

11. Confidentiality

• a. The Participant shall not disclose or divulge any information pertaining to the Award that has been designated as confidential to any third parties.

• b. Suqia acknowledges that as part of the application process, entrants may be requested to disclose confidential or sensitive information in their submissions. Without prejudice to clause 10 hereof, Suqia undertakes to handle any such information submitted pertaining to the applicants with the strictest of confidence and will only ever disclose such information to it relevant Teams/Committees

* Note: The participants are encouraged to read the Categories and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Evaluation Criteria and the above General Application Guidelines prior to submitting their application.