ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN CONSERVATION AWARDS

A CBO is a grassroots, non-profit, formal or informal collective formed and led by community members to address local issues collectively — for example Self Help Groups, Village Committees, Biodiversity Management Committees, or Farmer Producer Organisations (illustrative, not exhaustive).

A group of people linked geographically, occupationally, socially, culturally or traditionally, who share an interest in or interact with a common landscape, natural resource base and biodiversity. A community need not be homogeneous — it may be an entire village, a section of people, or an indigenous group — but is not a single individual or family. For the context of the award, communities need to be rooted in the Indian Himalayan Region. Community in the larger context also includes travelers, riders, urban audiences and in some cases non-human communities.

Applications are accepted only from the Indian Himalayan Region: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, and the hill districts of North Bengal, West Bengal. Applicants must be Indian citizens, based in the region with an active, collaborative local team — solo or expatriate/absentee-led proposals are not supported

• Demonstrated impact: Grassroots initiatives with demonstrated impact, ready to strengthen, sustain and scale — with realistic future plans and evidence of past success.
• Pragmatic & scalable: Practical, community-rooted work prioritised over purely academic activity; strong local knowledge and youth involvement valued.
• Community ownership: Genuine collective action toward protecting, restoring or sustainably managing shared natural resources and biodiversity, with tangible long-term ecological benefit to the landscape and the community.
• Measurable, sustainable outcomes: Clear goals, action plans and sound budgeting, with a credible path to outcomes beyond the award cycle.
• Priority areas: Keystone and lesser-known species, critical habitats, under-served ecosystems and species (grasslands, avifauna, pollinators), habitat restoration, community governance (e.g. CCAs), human–wildlife coexistence, climate adaptation, water conservation, disaster risk reduction, and creative conservation solutions.

Passionate, dynamic individuals and CBOs backed by strong teams — able to use the platform and funding to scale impact, deepen local talent and expert collaboration, act as genuine ambassadors for their cause, and ground their work in solid data and relevant expertise.

1. Grounded & impactful: clear alignment with community-based, collective conservation action on key Himalayan ecological challenges.
2. Community ownership & inclusivity: demonstrated local leadership, ownership and benefit, blending traditional and contemporary ecological knowledge.
3. Creativity & originality: fresh interdisciplinary, technological or citizen-science, community-inclusive approaches.
4. Track record & feasibility: verifiable track record, community trust, and operational feasibility in terrain.
5. Fund utilisation: effectiveness of funds in strengthening and scaling ongoing grassroots work.

• Projects outside the IHR, or led by expatriate applicants without an active local team.
• Standalone PhD/MSc dissertations, academic conferences, expeditions etc.
• Captive breeding, animal rescue, or domestic/captive animal welfare (native wild species and habitat focus only).
• Socio-economic development work without clear, direct conservation outcomes.
• Land purchase, construction or other capital-intensive costs (except where integral to an accepted proposal).
• Government staff or institutional overheads.
• For-profit organisations.

• A budget linked to action plans over up to three years.
• Evidence of a long-term sustenance plan or path toward self-support beyond the award period.
• Tangible, value-adding use of funds — high allocations to salaries or international travel are discouraged.

• Referees should have no financial interest in the project's success.
• Must know the applicant and their work directly, and be able to speak to past achievements, future plans, and local/government/NGO support.
• Should be able to assess the applicant's credibility, dedication and financial responsibility.
• Three strong, specific references are required — generic endorsements will not be considered.
• Applications selected for further consideration would need to provide written references at a later stage.

Recognising that impactful grassroots and community-led conservation practitioners may not have formal legal incorporation, formal registration as a non-profit (such as Section 8, Trust, or Society), this is NOT a mandatory prerequisite for Stage 1 application. However, Applicants must have submitted their registration application to the relevant authorities before the declaration of the Awardee. Organiser and its agents or representatives may work with shortlisted or selected unregistered entities to provide institutional capacity building or compliance alignment prior to fund disbursement. Individual awardees in Categories II and III may proceed with required ID documents subject to identity verification and compliance with Indian CSR law and applicable taxes. CBOs collaborating with an NGO may choose to receive funds through that NGO.

No. The Jury's decision is final, and correspondence regarding unsuccessful applications is not undertaken.

Yes, at the next edition, provided you continue to meet the criteria. Re-applications need three new reference statements at Stage 2 (existing referees may be reused).

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