1. Purpose and Scope
The BeSustain Sustainability Awards aim to encourage organisations to take responsibility for their environmental, social and governance impacts, consider stakeholders in decision-making, and embed sustainability in their business models and organisational practices.
The programme recognises initiatives that have been implemented, monitored and supported by evidence. Assessment considers how commitments have been translated into practice, what results have been achieved and how progress is measured.
This framework sets out the general principles governing participation, application requirements, supporting evidence, evaluation, jury conduct and communication of results. It should be read alongside the programme timeline, category criteria and application conditions for the relevant awards cycle.
2. Programme Approach
The programme is grounded in evidence, measurable progress, impact and transparency.
Applications are expected to explain the work undertaken, the results achieved and the evidence supporting those results. The initiative’s scope, measurement period, methodologies and limitations affecting the results are relevant to the assessment.
The category structure addresses organisations’ environmental, social and governance impacts in an integrated way and takes into account the global priorities reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
3. Applicant Eligibility
The programme is open to private-sector organisations, public institutions, local authorities, publicly owned entities and universities, regardless of their headquarters or geographic area of operation.
The applicant must be the owner and implementer of the submitted project, practice, product, service or organisational approach and must be accountable for its outcomes. Where more than one organisation has contributed to an initiative, the project partners and their respective roles must be clearly identified.
The submitted initiative is expected to:
- Be in implementation at the time of application.
- Demonstrate tangible outputs, outcomes or progress indicators.
- Be verifiable through the application form and accompanying evidence.
Applications from organisations engaged in gambling or betting activities will not be accepted. BeSustain may exclude applications associated with activities that are clearly inconsistent with the purpose, integrity or evaluation principles of the programme.
4. Applicant Tracks
Each category is assessed through three applicant tracks, based on the type of organisation.
SME Track
Private-sector organisations with fewer than 250 employees that are not controlled by a larger corporate group.
Enterprise Track
Private-sector organisations with 250 or more employees, as well as subsidiaries that form part of a larger corporate group.
Public & Academic Track
Public institutions, local authorities, publicly owned entities and universities.
Public and academic applications are assessed separately from private-sector applications. Depending on the number and quality of applications, the jury may decide to grant a category award or a Special Recognition in this track.
5. Award Categories
The programme comprises eight categories:
- Climate Action, Transition and Resilience
- Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency
- Nature, Biodiversity and Water Stewardship
- Responsible Supply Chain and Procurement
- People, Inclusion and Responsible Workplace
- Sustainable Products, Services and Innovation
- Governance, Ethics and Accountability
- Sustainability Reporting, Responsible Communication and Design
The scope and assessment criteria for each category are published on the programme website. Each application must clearly demonstrate its relevance to the selected category and explain the related implementation and results.
6. Application Content and Evidence Requirements
Applications are submitted through a structured form on the application portal. Each application includes:
- The selected category and an initiative title.
- A concise summary of the initiative, its relevance to the category and its measurable impact.
- The primary scope of the initiative.
- Up to three key results or progress indicators, including the indicator, result and measurement period.
- One core sustainability report, annual report, impact report or equivalent evidence document.
- References to the relevant page numbers, sections or links within the core document.
Additional supporting files or public links may be provided where relevant. A standalone sustainability report is not mandatory; an equivalent document substantiating the initiative and its results may be submitted.
Claims and indicators in the application form must be supported by the submitted evidence. Jury members assess the application form together with the reports and supporting documents.
The application form and core evidence document must be prepared in English. External advisory support is not required: organisations with the necessary information and evidence may prepare their applications through their own teams.
7. Multiple Applications, Fees and Application Tracking
An organisation may apply to one or more relevant categories. Each category submission is assessed separately and is subject to the relevant application fee.
The same initiative may be submitted to more than one category, provided that each application clearly distinguishes its category-specific impact, implementation and evidence.
Once payment is completed, an application number is assigned and the application is registered for evaluation. Applicants may follow the current status of their application through the application dashboard.
Cancellation, refund and other payment conditions will be addressed separately in the final Programme Terms.
8. Common Evaluation Principles
Applications are assessed against category-specific criteria and the following common principles.
Relevance
The relationship between the initiative, the selected category and the organisation’s material impacts.
Strategic Integration
The connection between the initiative and the organisation’s business model, governance and decision-making processes.
Practical Implementation
Evidence of an implemented policy, system, product, service or process beyond a stated commitment.
Measurable Impact
The monitoring of results through meaningful indicators, presented quantitatively where possible.
Evidence and Verifiability
The reliability of data, methodologies and supporting documentation.
Stakeholder Impact
Consideration of impacts on employees, customers, suppliers, communities, the environment and other stakeholders.
Governance and Accountability
The clarity of responsibilities, decision-making mechanisms, risks and assurance approach.
Innovation and Learning
The initiative’s capacity to create new value, generate learning and support improvement.
Scalability and Longevity
The continuity, potential for wider adoption and long-term impact of the initiative.
9. Jury Evaluation and Conflicts of Interest
BeSustain establishes an evaluation structure composed of independent jury members with relevant expertise.
Jury members assess and score their assigned applications independently. Before completing and locking their own assessment, a jury member cannot view the scores, comments or assessment results of other jury members.
Jury members may not participate in the evaluation of an application where they have a conflict of interest with the organisation concerned. They agree to maintain the confidentiality of application information and conduct their assessments in accordance with the programme principles.
The digital jury panel is configured to maintain an auditable record of assignments, conflict-of-interest declarations, scores, comments, timestamps and changes to assessments.
10. Information Security and Confidentiality
Appropriate technical and organisational measures are to be implemented to protect application documents, jury information, scores and assessment comments.
The digital jury panel is designed to incorporate secure user authentication, role-based access control, encryption of data in transit, protection against unauthorised access attempts, secure backups, audit logging and regular security updates.
The purposes for which application information is used, access permissions, retention periods and disclosure conditions will be set out in the final confidentiality and privacy documentation.
11. Results and Programme Communications
Current information on application dates, the programme timeline, category details and results is published on besustain.nl. BeSustain may also communicate announcements through its official social-media accounts and other communication channels.
Results are announced publicly by BeSustain. Summaries of awarded applications may be used in programme communications, subject to the applicant’s approval and applicable confidentiality obligations.
Awarded organisations may use communication materials provided by BeSustain only in accordance with the applicable terms of use.
12. Programme Documentation and Updates
This framework sets out the programme’s common principles. Category criteria, application guidance, Programme Terms, confidentiality provisions and rules for the use of award communication materials provide further detail on their respective subjects.
The final document will include a version number, approval date and effective date. Changes affecting the operation of the programme are to be communicated consistently across the relevant website pages and application documents.