Competition Covers Three Geographical Regions Including Five Governorates, with Three Cash Prizes Allocated for Each Region
As part of efforts to strengthen the media’s role in highlighting environmental and development projects, the Association of Environment and Development Writers has launched the first competition of its kind for local journalists and media professionals in the governorates covered by the seventh operational phase of the Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP). The initiative is part of the Knowledge Management, Communication, and Innovation Promotion Project implemented by the association with funding from the programme.
Dr. Mahmoud Bakr, Chairman of the Association of Environment and Development Writers, stated that the seventh phase of the Small Grants Programme includes four geographical regions: Greater Cairo, North Delta, Upper Egypt, and Fayoum Governorate. He added that the competition covers five governorates — Alexandria, Beheira, Qena, Luxor, and Fayoum — with the aim of encouraging participation from local journalists and media professionals in these target areas.
Dr. Bakr invited all journalists and media practitioners working in print, broadcast, and online platforms across these governorates to seize this valuable opportunity to contribute to raising environmental awareness and supporting sustainable development initiatives.
The competition focuses on promoting environmental awareness by highlighting the role of civil society organizations in implementing environmental projects under the seventh phase of the Small Grants Programme and their impact on preserving ecosystems and improving the quality of life in local communities. It also encourages participants to shed light on global environmental issues, mobilize local decision-makers to contribute to practical solutions, and promote the replication of successful models from the programme’s projects.
Participation Requirements:
All submissions must have been published in recognized media outlets — whether newspapers, online news platforms, or specialized magazines — between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2025. Entries should cover one or more projects implemented by NGOs funded through the Small Grants Programme in its seventh phase.
Submissions may include written reports, investigative stories, or audiovisual pieces. Participants may submit more than one entry, provided each addresses the competition’s theme. All entries must be original and not previously submitted in other competitions.
Evaluation Criteria:
Entries will be assessed based on their effectiveness in:
Raising environmental awareness among various audience groups.
Mobilizing community efforts to address environmental issues within the Small Grants Programme’s focus areas.
Highlighting global environmental challenges within the GEF’s priority themes.
Engaging decision-makers across governorates to adopt or replicate successful solutions from the programme’s projects.
Awards:
A total of nine winners will be selected — three from each geographical region.
First Prize: EGP 8,000
Second Prize: EGP 6,000
Third Prize: EGP 4,000
The submission deadline is July 15, 2025.
Entries should be sent via email to swed.egypt2025@gmail.com, including the applicant’s personal and professional details, along with a copy or publication link of the submitted work.
Winners will be honored at a special ceremony organized later this year by the Association of Environment and Development Writers, in coordination with the Small Grants Programme.