Climate Smart Chefs
Award
Are you ready to become the first climate smart award-winning chef in Europe?
LIFE Climate Smart Chefs is the European funded project that aims at empowering chefs as key players to drive the change towards a more sustainable future.
Every day, across Europe, people are developing solutions to solve food sustainability challenges in their communities. We want to celebrate and reward chefs and non-profit organisations aiming to inspire people to change their approach to food, one dish at a time. This is why we have created the Climate Smart Chefs Award.
Who can apply
The Climate Smart Chefs Award is open to two application categories.
watch the video
Chefs
Are you one of the participants to LIFE Climate Smart Chefs High-Level Course (online + in presence) or you have completed the online-only course and would like to take part in the Award? We are searching for the most brilliant sustainability change makers – both senior and junior – in Europe.
- If you are a senior culinary professional (i.e., head chef, restaurant owner, or senior chef) you can enter your restaurant as the most climate-smart and sustainable restaurant.
- If you have a junior profile (i.e., student at a culinary school, or culinary professional not owning or managing a restaurant) you can enter your inspiring ideas for new sustainable recipes.
Requirements
- 18 years old+
- Operator or student in the restaurant or hospitality sector
- Country of residence within the European Union
- Completion of the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs High-Level Course (online + in-presence) or the online-only course – more info on the Course here.
Selection Criteria
- We will evaluate your ambition for sustainability, awarding those culinary professionals and students who are really embracing it in their restaurants and daily activities.
Why apply
Prizes for winners in this category include:
- A free specialized training course at ALMA – The School of Italian Culinary Arts, the most authoritative center for advanced training in Italian cuisine and hospitality with accredited teachers from all over the world
- One-year’s free license for “FoodPrint”, an exclusive software able to calculate the environmental footprint of your menu and recipes developed for this project by Nutritics
- Community-building and promotional and visibility opportunities.
Please carefully read the full regulations and FAQs before applying for the Climate Smart Chefs Award.
Non-profit organisa-tions
Are you part of a non-profit organisation and would like to take part in the Award? Is your project aiming to foster food sustainability at the local level? We are searching for projects and initiatives dealing with these issues: food-climate-water nexus, carbon and water footprints reduction, sustainable nutrition, food waste reduction, in coherence with the mission of the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs project.
Requirements
- Associations, committees, NGOs and non-profit organisations with legal entity
- Operating within a European member state
- The project/initiative presented must be already existing and ongoing
- It must have one or more chefs either in a leadership position or highly involved.
Selection Criteria
- We will evaluate the overall quality, originality and the impact of your project/initiative, with an eye also to the potential for it to be replicated elsewhere.
Why apply
Prizes for winners in this category include:
- A monetary prize amounting to 10,000 € (first place), 5,000 € (second place) or 2,500 € (third place)
- Community-building and visibility opportunities.
Please carefully read the full regulations and FAQs before applying for the Climate Smart Chefs Award.
Carefully read the regulations
Please carefully read the full regulations before applying for the Climate Smart Chefs Award.
The Award phases
1.
From Sep 6th, 2023 to Jun 10th, 2024
Applications open
Your application must be compiled in English and must be submitted exclusively online by filling-in the dedicated form.
2.
By Jul 31st, 2024
Selection of finalists for each category
The applications will be evaluated by a jury composed by international experts and chaired by Michelin-starred Cheffe Chiara Pavan.
3.
Sep 2024
Announcement of winners
The winners will be awarded during the Final Conference of the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs project.
How to apply for the Award
Click on the APPLY NOW button (Chefs or Non-profit organisations) on this page
Fill-in the registration form
You will receive an email with instructions and the link to the online application form
When you are ready, complete the online form and submit your application
IMPORTANT: if you are applying for the category ‘Chefs’, you will need to use the ‘FoodPrint’ software to calculate the impact of your recipes. After the registration to the Award, you will receive all the instructions to activate your free account. Please remember that it will be valid for 3 months from its activation.
apply now
chefs
apply now
NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS
Applications will close in:
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Still have
questions?
Read the FAQs.
1- Cosa è compreso nel corso?
The course includes:
- 24 ore di formazione online
- Un’esperienza in loco di 2 giorni (12 ore di workshop in presenza) nel cuore della Food Valley, a Colorno (Parma), presso il fantastico polo di formazione di ALMA – La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana
- Tutto il materiale didattico, compresa una serie di letture consigliate e gli strumenti utilizzati durante le lezioni
- Abbigliamento e attrezzature con logo Climate Smart Chefs
- Accesso gratuito allo strumento di calcolo online Climate Smart Chefs
- Attestato finale di partecipazione
- Contributo a copertura delle spese di viaggio/alloggio per i partecipanti a Colorno
- L’opportunità di partecipare alla prima edizione del Climate Smart Chefs Award.
1. Is payment required to enter the Climate Smart Chefs Award?
No kind of payment is required. The Climate Smart Chefs Award is free to enter.
2. I'm a chef/ student at a culinary school and I’m from a non-EU country, but currently living and working/ studying in a European country. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Chefs’?
Yes, according to the Regulations you can apply for the Award as we take into consideration as an eligibility criterion your current country of residence within the European Union.
3. I'm a student at a culinary school, but I’m not 18 years old+. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Chefs’?
According to the Regulations, applicants must be 18 years old+. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
4. I'm a chef/ student at a culinary school but I did not participate to the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs High-Level Course (online + in-presence) nor to the online-only course. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Chefs’?
According to the Regulations, applicants in the category ‘Chefs’ are required to have attended the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs training course (online + in-presence or online-only) before sending their application for the Award. As soon as you have completed either of these courses you can register straight away. You can find more info on the course and register here.
5. I have completed the online-only course but I am not a chef/culinary professional nor a student at a culinary school. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Chefs’?
According to the Regulations, applicants must be operators or students in the restaurant or hospitality sector. Food bloggers are not included under operators. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
6. I’m a chef but I am not employed in a restaurant in this moment/ I am a private chef. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Chefs’?
Yes, you are allowed to participate in the category ‘Chefs’ after completing the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs training course (online + in-presence or online-only) by presenting your ideas for new sustainable recipes.
7. Is the Award also available for chefs in the pastry sector?
Yes, if you are a pastry chef you are allowed to participate in the category ‘Chefs’, but you must be aware that only dishes that are first or main courses can be entered into the Award (not pastry or desserts).
8. I'm a chef/ student at a culinary school and I participated to the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs High-Level Course (online + in-presence)/ I completed the online-only course. I also run a project/initiative aiming to foster food sustainability with a local no-profit organisation. Can I send two applications for the Award, one in the category ‘Chefs’ and the other in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’?
Wow, that’s great! However, according to the Regulations, you can submit only one application for the Climate Smart Chefs Award, so you have to choose in which of the two categories you prefer to participate and compete. In case we receive two applications from the same person, we take into consideration the order of submission and accept only the first one received.
9. I am part of an informal organisation without legal entity, that runs a project/initiative aiming to foster food sustainability. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’?
According to the Regulations, non-profit organisations that want to participate to the Award must have legal entity. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
10. I am part of a non-EU non-profit organisation that runs a project aiming to foster food sustainability. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’?
According to the Regulations, applicants must operate within a European member state. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
11. I am part of a European non-profit organisation that runs a project aiming to foster food sustainability outside EU. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’?
According to the Regulations, applicants must operate within a European member state. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
12. I would like to present a project/initiative aiming to foster food sustainability run by my school/ university. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’?
According to the Regulations, the Award for ‘Non-profit organisations’ is aimed at Associations, committees, NGOs and non-profit organisations with legal entity. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
13. I want to participate to the Award in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’. Do I have to prepare and submit a new project?
No, you don’t have to prepare a new project for the Award. According to the Regulations, we take into consideration only already existing and ongoing projects/initiatives. We do not accept applications describing new projects (i.e., not yet started) or past (i.e., concluded) projects.
14. I am part of a non-profit organisation that runs a project/ initiative aiming to foster food sustainability, but we don’t have chefs in our team. Can I apply for the Award in the category ‘Non-profit organisations’?
According to the Regulations, the project/initiative presented must have one or more chefs either in a leadership position or highly involved. Therefore, we are sorry but we cannot accept your application.
15. English is not my mother tongue. Can I apply for the Award in a different language?
According to the Regulations, the official language of the Award is English, so candidates must be able to express themselves and fill-in the application form using this language. Applications presented in a language other than English are not considered valid.
16. Can I apply for the Award using other means/channels (e.g., email, etc.) instead of filling-in the dedicated application form online?
According to the Regulations, applications must exclusively be sent electronically via the dedicated application form. Any application/material sent with other means are not considered valid.
17. Do I have to use the ‘FoodPrint’ software by Nutritics to complete my application in the category ‘Chefs’?
Yes, in order to submit your recipes for the carbon and water footprint requirements, you will need to enter them into Nutritics software ‘FoodPrint’, so make sure you watch the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs training videos on that again if you are unsure on how to use it. You will receive a 3-month access code to use the software for free when registering to the Award. If you have problems, you can contact Nutritics here: support@nutritics.com Remember to put in the email subject “Climate Smart Chef Award – Nutritics question”.
18. I have already sent my application for the Award but I would like to make some changes. Is it possible?
Once you have filled-in the full application form and submitted it, you can’t go back to change the data you have already sent. Take all the time you need to answer the questions clearly and in detail, so your application can be evaluated in the best possible way. If you find it useful, you can prepare your answers in a separate, offline document and compile the online form with them when you’re done.
19. Does the order of submission of applications have an influence on their acceptance?
No. The order of submission of applications does not have any influence on their acceptance and does not represent any priority. According to the Regulations, applications will be open from 00:01 a.m. (GMT+1) on 6 September 2023 to 11:59 p.m. (GMT+1) on June 10, 2024.
20. When and where the LIFE Climate Smart Chefs Final Conference will be held? Are travel and accommodation costs covered for winners? If I’m selected among the winners, I need to organize my work and myself.
The LIFE Climate Smart Chefs Final Conference will be held in September 2024: the exact date and venue will be communicated later on. The winners will be contacted by email in advance to discuss participation details. LIFE Climate Smart Chefs, as organizer of the Award, will cover travel and accommodation costs to the Final Conference for winners.
21. Didn’t find the answer you are looking for? Contact us.
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The LIFE CLIMATE SMART CHEFS project has received funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Union under grant agreement n. LIFE20 GIC/IT/001708.
The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.