Royal Enfield Himalayan Conservation Awards

Terms & Conditions

1. Eicher Group Foundation ("Organiser", "we", "us" or "our"), being the implementing agency for Eicher Motors Limited, is organising the “Royal Enfield Himalayan Conservation Awards” (the "Awards"). Eligible participants may submit applications for the Awards in accordance with these terms and conditions, and the award recipients will be selected from among the eligible entries received.

2. Entries for Stage 1 (Concept Note) will be accepted from 19 August 2026 ("Opening Date") until 10 September 2026 ("Closing Date"), unless extended by the Organiser at its sole discretion. The Awards are open to individuals, collectives, and organisations that satisfy the eligibility criteria set out below and submit a duly completed application form, together with all information and supporting documents required therein, on or before the Closing Date.

3. All entries received after the Closing Date, as may be extended by the Organiser, will be disqualified.

4. By submitting the application form, you ("Applicant") agree that you have read and understood these terms and conditions ("Terms") that govern the Awards, and agree to be bound by the same. Additionally, where you are representing an organization, you confirm that you are duly authorized to submit the application form and bind the organization as per these Terms.

5. The Awards are open to individual citizens and residents of India who are eighteen (18) years of age or older as on the Opening Date, as well as community-based organisations, NGOs working directly with communities, community linked institutions, youth conservation groups and collectives operating within the Indian Himalayan Region who are either registered or eligible to be registered in India. Employees, directors, officers, agents, consultants, and service providers of the Organiser, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and group companies, as well as their immediate family members and any person directly associated with the administration or operation of the Awards, are not eligible to participate.

6. Each lead Applicant (individual or organisation) may submit only one (1) primary entry. In case of multiple submissions by the same Applicant only the last entry received will be taken into consideration and all previous submissions will be disqualified.

7. Applicants are solely responsible for ensuring that their entry and all required documents are submitted to the Organiser in the prescribed manner and within the stipulated timelines. The Organiser shall not be responsible for any entry that is lost, delayed, misdirected, corrupted, incomplete, illegible, damaged, or not successfully received due to technical failures, network or system errors, equipment malfunction, transmission failures, or any other cause beyond the Organiser's reasonable control.

8. Eligibility Criteria

(i). Applicants are required to submit a valid government-issued identification document to verify identity and age (for lead individual applicants or primary organisational contacts). Acceptable forms of IDs include, but are not limited to, Passport, Voter ID, Driver's License, or PAN card. Incomplete participation forms or failure to provide valid identification will result in disqualification from the Awards. Any information provided by the Applicants may be shared with the Organiser’s affiliates, representatives, service providers and agents for the purposes of the Awards and program outreach.

(ii). Applicants should be available for the following:

(a) To participate in field validation visits conducted by expert Sub-Jury members at their field project sites between 12th October 2026 and 24th November 2026.
(b) To attend the Royal Enfield Himalayan Conservation Awards Night in New Delhi on 7th December 2026 (travel and accommodation for shortlisted finalists will be coordinated as per Organiser’s policy).
(c) To participate in promotional and storytelling activities associated with the Awards, including interviews, media features, documentation, and public engagements as required by the Organiser till the declaration of the Award and during the Award tenure.

(iii). The Awards are strictly geographically restricted to initiatives, action research, and interventions situated within the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), comprising Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, and the hill districts of North Bengal. Submissions outside these regions will not be considered.

(iv). Recognising that impactful grassroots and community-led conservation practitioners may lack formal legal incorporation, formal registration as a non-profit (such as Section 8, Trust, or Society) 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 (defined below). Unregistered community-based organisations, local youth groups, and women groups are eligible to apply. 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.

9. Participation Requirements

Applicants must comply with the following requirements to be eligible to participate in the Awards. Failure to satisfy any of these requirements may result in rejection of the application or disqualification at the Organiser's sole discretion:

(i) Personal & Organisational Information: Applicants must provide complete and accurate details including full name, organizational status, primary contact details, district/state location, and a brief profile. Where an Applicant applies on behalf of an organisation or community collective, the Applicant must represent and warrant that they are duly authorised to act on its behalf.

(ii) Background Information: Applicants must provide accurate details of their track record, past projects, educational background (if applicable), community governance structures, and institutional experience.

(iii) Statement of Purpose: Applicants must submit a concept proposal outlining their project vision, target ecosystem or keystone species, conservation methodologies, and anticipated ecological, social, and climate resilience impact on the selected Himalayan landscape, biodiversity and community as set out in the application form.

(iv) Brief Execution & Financial Plan: Applicants must outline their operational roadmap, including how the requested award grant amount will be deployed across project years to strengthen, sustain, and scale their community conservation or research efforts. This may be briefly addressed in Stage 1 concept notes. Stage 2 selected Applicants will be required to share detailed proposals and budgets.

(v) Track Record Portfolio: Applicants must provide verifiable evidence of past work, which may include field photographs and videos, media reports, research documents, or letters of endorsement from local village councils/Gram Sabhas, local partners or district authorities and departments.

(vi) Community Consent & Inclusivity: Applicants must demonstrate that local community members, indigenous institutions, or village governance bodies have been consulted and have provided consent for the proposed conservation initiative.

10. Submission Format

Applicants must submit their entries in the following manner:

(i) All Stage 1 Applications with Concept Notes must be submitted via the designated online form (Google Form / JotForm).

(ii) Recognising language and literacy diversity across remote Himalayan regions, Stage 1 entries support bilingual submissions in Hindi and English. Applicants may submit their application form, conservation concept and track record through the form in either of the languages.

(iii) Supporting documents, photos, videos, presentations, or track record portfolios must be uploaded via Google Drive links or directly through the form submission interface in JPEG/PDF/MP4/MP3 format within prescribed file size limits.

11. Shortlisting Process

The selection process comprises four sequential stages:

(i) Stage 1 — Concept Note Review: Concept Note Screening (19 Aug – 10 Sep 2026): A panel of external expert Sub-Jury member/s and Royal Enfield Social Mission team members will review all submitted concept entries and select a Longlist of 30 Applicants (10 per award category). This number may vary at the sole discretion of the Organiser. Longlist Applicants will be notified via email and invited to submit a detailed proposal.

(ii) Stage 2 — Detailed Proposals: Detailed Proposal Submission (14 Sep – 5 Oct 2026): Longlisted Applicants submit full written project proposals, 3-year execution plans, budgets, compliance details, and community consent documentation. The Sub-Jury reviews and selects a Shortlist of 9 Applicants (3 per award category). This number may vary at the sole discretion of the Organiser.

(iii) Stage 3 — On-Site Field Visits: Field Validation Visits (12 Oct – 24 Nov 2026): Expert Sub-Jury members accompanied by team representatives will conduct on-site field verification visits to assess project scope, ground operations, community participation, and project feasibility.

(iv) Stage 4 — Final Jury & Announcement: Final Jury (26 Nov – 27 Nov 2026) Awards Night 7 Dec 2026). Final Award recipients (“Awardee”) will be announced at the Royal Enfield Himalayan Conservation Awards Night on 7 December 2026. Travel and accommodation for shortlisted finalists will be coordinated as per Organiser’s applicable policy.

12. Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following primary criteria:

(i) Grounded, Innovative & Impactful Proposal: Clear alignment with community based and collective action addressing key Himalayan ecological challenges, protection of species, biodiversity conservation and linked livelihoods, habitat restoration, climate adaptation, springshed/water management etc. across the Indian Himalayan Region.

(ii) Community Ownership & Inclusivity: Demonstrated active involvement, leadership, ownership, collective action, and socio-economic and ecological benefit for local Himalayan communities, youth, and women's groups, citizen science initiatives and creative conservation solutions incorporating traditional and contemporary ecological knowledge and practices.

(iii) Creativity & Originality: Fresh interdisciplinary perspectives, practical application of technology, creative nature awareness, or citizen science approaches to conservation.

(iv) Track Record & Feasibility: Ground credibility, verifiable past achievements, community trust, and feasibility of executing the proposed operational plan within the terrain.

(v) Fund Utilization: How effectively the award funds will be utilized to strengthen, sustain, and scale ongoing grassroots work and create long-term catalytic impact.

13. Award

(i) The Royal Enfield Himalayan Conservation Awards commit an aggregate annual grant fund of INR 1,00,00,000/- (INR One Crore only) structured across three distinct categories:

(a) Category I — Community Conservation Initiatives: Multi year grant of up to INR 60,00,000/- (INR Sixty Lakhs only), to be disbursed over 2 to 3 years. This will be awarded to grassroot and community based conservationist groups, community based organizations and NGOs working on conservation issues, local youth conservation groups (18 years and above) and women's groups, emerging conservationists. Conservation of species, habitats and under-served ecosystems (e.g grasslands, avifauna, pollinators); ecological & habitat restoration; community governance (e.g. CCAs), human wildlife co-existence, and community disaster preparedness (local resilience) The final awarded grant amount will be at the sole discretion of the Organiser with due jury consultation.

(b) Category II — Creative Conservation Solutions: Multi-year grant of up to INR 25,00,000/- (INR Twenty-Five Lakhs only), to be disbursed over 2 to 3 years. This will be awarded to Individuals/organisations working on nature conservation, and innovative, creative nature conservation solutions addressing efforts including climate adaptation practices; restoration, water and springshed water management; natural history awareness; species conservation, human-animal co-existence, technology solutions etc. Interdisciplinary approaches with community inclusion will be encouraged. The final awarded grant amount will be at the sole discretion of the Organiser with due jury consultation.

(c) Category III — Action Research: Grant of up to INR 15,00,000/- (Rupees Fifteen Lakhs only), to be disbursed over 1 to 2 years. Individuals, organisations or researchers or citizen science practitioners with an idea for action research working on nature conservation. The final awarded grant amount will be at the sole discretion of the Organiser with due jury consultation.

(ii) Disbursement of Award grant funds will formally commence in the next Financial Year — starting April 2027 as Year 1 — to align with operational and financial cycles.

(iii) Beyond financial funding, Awardees will receive mentorship from domain experts and Royal Enfield Social Mission teams, network building opportunities, exposure, and platform support across the Indian Himalayan Region.

14. Reporting Requirements

(i) Award grant recipients will be required to submit semi-annual and annual progress reports documenting field achievements, fund utilization, and qualitative/quantitative ecological and social outcomes. These reports must include photo/video documentation, financial and narrative summaries of community impact in line with CSR law compliance.

(ii) A final comprehensive report must be submitted at the end of the Award grant tenure detailing overall social and ecological impact achieved, knowledge products developed, and future sustainability plans for the initiative.

15. Undertaking

You unconditionally, irrevocably, and unequivocally represent, warrant, acknowledge, agree, and undertake that:

(i) By participating in the Award grant, you confirm that you satisfy the eligibility criteria set out in these Terms and are eligible to claim the Award grant. The Organiser may require you to provide documentary proof of your eligibility at any time.

(ii) The Organiser shall, in its sole discretion and in consultation with the panel of jury, evaluate all eligible entries in accordance with these Terms and select one (1) or more Awardees under each Award category. The Organiser's decision regarding the selection or non-selection of any Applicant or Awardee at any stage shall be final, binding, and not subject to challenge. The Organiser shall not be required to provide any reasons or justification for its decision.

(iii) Submission of an entry or participation in the Award grant does not guarantee selection as an Awardee or entitlement to receive the Award grant.

(iv) The Award is non-transferable, non-refundable, non-exchangeable, and cannot be redeemed for cash, credit, or any other consideration, whether in whole or in part. The Organiser reserves the right to substitute the Award, or any part thereof, with an award of equivalent or greater value at its sole discretion.

(v) The Awardee shall provide all information and documents required by the Organiser within the timelines communicated by the Organiser for claiming the Award. Failure to comply with such requirements, inability to contact the Awardee using the details provided, failure to claim the Award within ten (10) days of notification, or failure to satisfy any additional conditions imposed by the Organiser may result in forfeiture of the Award, and the Organiser may, at its sole discretion, select an alternate Awardee.

(vi) Entries must comply with these Terms and all eligibility, quality, and submission requirements prescribed by the Organiser. The Organiser reserves the right to reject or disqualify any Applicant or entry at any stage for non-compliance, submission of inaccurate or misleading information, fraud, misconduct, breach of these Terms, or any other reason deemed appropriate by the Organiser.

(vii) The Organiser reserves the right to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against any Applicant who engages in fraud, manipulation of the Contest process, or any unlawful or improper conduct affecting the Award.

(viii) Applicants acknowledge and agree that the Organiser may modify, postpone, reschedule, suspend, or cancel any Award related activity or the Award itself at their sole discretion, without incurring any liability.

(ix) By participating in the Award grant, Applicants consent to the Organiser using their name, likeness, photographs, videos, voice recordings, stories, and other materials created in connection with the Award for advertising, publicity, promotional, archival, editorial, and other commercial or non-commercial purposes across any media or platform worldwide, without further notice, approval, or compensation, subject to applicable law.

(x) The Organiser shall exclusively own all rights, title, and interest, including copyright and all other intellectual property rights, in all photographs, audio-visual recordings, interviews, promotional materials, and other content created or recorded in connection with the Award (including content featuring Applicants). The Organiser shall have the unrestricted, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, publish, communicate, edit, adapt, modify, translate, dub, synchronise, combine with other material, distribute, exploit, and otherwise use such content in any manner and through any media now known or hereafter devised, without any further consent or payment to the Applicants.

(xi) To the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, the Organiser, and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss, damage, cost, expense, injury, or claim arising out of or in connection with the Award, participation therein, or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any Award grant, except to the extent resulting from their gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law. Nothing in these Terms shall affect any statutory rights that cannot be lawfully excluded.

(xii) Participation in the Award is entirely voluntary and at the Applicant's own risk. The Organiser shall not be liable for any personal injury, death, loss, damage, or expense suffered by any Applicant or their family members arising from participation in the Award, except where such liability cannot be excluded under applicable law.

(xiii) Any failure by the Applicant or Awardee to comply with these Terms or with any instructions or conditions communicated by the Organiser may result in disqualification, forfeiture of the Award, recovery of any costs or losses incurred by the Organiser, and such other remedies as may be available under applicable law.

(xiv) These Terms shall be binding on all Applicants and Awardee. In the event of any dispute relating to the Award or the interpretation of these Terms, the decision of the Organiser shall be final and binding.

(xv) You consent to the Organiser processing your personal data in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable law. You further consent to the collection, use, storage, transfer, and disclosure of your personal data, including to Royal Enfield's service providers, for the administration of the Award, publicity, media amplification, marketing, research, and related purposes, subject to applicable law.

(xvi) You shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Organiser, its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives from and against any claims, actions, proceedings, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to: (i) any actual or alleged infringement of third-party rights, including intellectual property rights, in connection with your submitted designs or their use by the Organiser; or (ii) any breach of these Terms or of your representations, warranties, or obligations hereunder.

(xvii) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Organiser shall not be responsible for any tax liability arising from the receipt or use of any Award grant. Awardees are solely responsible for complying with their applicable tax obligations and are advised to obtain independent tax advice.

(xviii) All decisions of the Organiser relating to the Award shall be final and binding. No correspondence or challenge regarding such decisions shall be entertained. Any failure or delay by the Organiser in exercising any right under these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right.

(xix) By participating in the Award, you consent to receive communications relating to the Award. You also consent to receiving marketing and promotional communications from the Organiser unless you subsequently opt out in accordance with applicable law.

(xx) If, for any reason, the Award or any part thereof cannot be conducted as planned, or if the Organiser considers it necessary, the Organiser reserves the right, at its sole discretion and subject to applicable law, to amend these Terms or suspend, postpone, modify, or cancel the Award or any Award grant without prior notice. In such an event, the Organiser may elect not to award any grant and shall not be liable for any loss, compensation, or damages arising from such amendment, suspension, postponement, modification, or cancellation.

(xxi) These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Further, the courts at New Delhi shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with the Award or these Terms.

(xxii) In the event of any inconsistency, conflict, or discrepancy between the English version and any vernacular version of these Terms, the English version shall prevail to the extent of such inconsistency, conflict, or discrepancy.