1. Description
Planned for young people aged 16 to 25, the “PITCH YOUR PROJECT” competition takes place from May 9th to September 10th 2023. It consists of two phases: young people wishing to participate will first propose their initiatives via an online form. The 5 best projects, selected by an international jury, will be invited to be presented in pitch form at the finale that will take place during the last semester of 2023 in Strasbourg of Brussels (the exact date and location will be communicated to the finalists by mail and on the website www.eusalp-youth.eu). The public will then select the three winning projects, which will be rewarded by EUR 5,000, EUR 3.000 and EUR 2.000 respectively.
2. Eligible candidates
Eligible applicants are young people who:
— are between 16 and 25 years old on 31st August 2023
— are citizens of one of the seven Alpine countries (Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Liechtenstein) or permanent residents of one of these countries.
— apply as an individual or as a group with a project idea. As a group, they must nominate a maximum of three group leaders to present the project.
Any candidate who does not meet the eligibility criteria will not be able to participate in the application process and will not be taken into account in the award decision.
3. Application procedure
Applications for the competition are open from May 9th to September 10th. Any application received after the deadline will not be considered.
Project presentations of eligible applicants must meet the following application criteria:
— The project concerns one of the themes selected for the 2023 edition:
§ Climate change and water management
How to address the challenges of climate change and natural hazards?
How to promote sustainable management of biodiversity and natural resources, including water?
§ Mobility and energy
How can we strengthen sustainable, carbon-neutral and emission-free mobility?
How can we support the local energy transition and the deployment of renewable green energy?
§ Circular economy and Alpine craftsmanship
How can we expand and strengthen the circular economy in short supply chains?
How to promote Alpine craftsmanship and the know-how of our local businesses?
§ Social innovation and intergenerational synergies
What services, infrastructure and tools are needed to improve social inclusion in the Alpine area?
How can older people use the digital skills of the younger generation and how can they create new and fruitful connections?
— The project is ready for implementation.
— Candidates apply as an individual or as a group with a maximum of three group leaders.
— The application is submitted in writing and in English before 10th September 2023 by filling out the application form available on the website www.eusalp-youth.eu (https://eusalp-youth.eu/home-pitch-your-project/)
— The application consists of the following elements:
- A) the completed online application form
- B) the project proposal comprising
O a summary
O motivation
O objective(s)
O relevance
O challenges and opportunities
- C) the work plan, schedule, equipment, financial and human resources — the curriculum vitae of the participant or group leader(s)
- D) the opinion of an expert who supports the project (teacher, teacher, youth group leader, institution, etc.)
The following projects cannot be accepted:
— projects submitted by persons working for the European institutions or within the framework of EUSALP
— scientific theses and publications
— projects already financed by European funds
— projects that have already received an award from an European institution
— projects submitted manually or by mail, incompletely or in several parts
— projects not submitted in English.
A group application will be evaluated as a single application. Groups may be composed of people of different nationalities/residences (from the 7 Alpine countries). Multiple registrations in terms of groups will be prohibited, the first application as a group will be considered. In addition, people who join groups composed differently will also be excluded. No one is allowed to apply more than once. The data will be checked by the project coordinator. Applicants will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours via contact@eusalp-youth.eu after submitting their application. This confirmation email will inform them of the registration of their application and of the communication schedule of the selection board’s decision. In addition, they receive their project code, which must be mentioned in any correspondence between the project coordinator and the applicants. This code will also be used for the publication of the list of selection board decisions on the website www.alpine-region.eu.
4. Selection process
Candidates will first have to pass the eligibility criteria check as mentioned in point 2. This verification will be carried out by the project coordinator.
If all the eligibility criteria are met, candidates will then have to fulfil the award criteria referred to in point 3.
In order to create a fair competition, project applications will be classified into two categories: applicants between the ages of 16 and 19 and candidates between the ages of 20 and 25. For the classification of collective applications, the average age of group leaders at 31/08/2023 is decisive. The top five projects will then be selected by an international jury in both categories. The highest rated candidates from each of the two age categories will have the opportunity to present their project at a pitch during the finale.
The selection board’s decision is based on the following criteria: relevance, feasibility and innovation potential of the project. Projects in each category will be classified according to the number of points received. In both categories, the two highest ranked candidates will have the chance to present their project at the final of the competition. The number of points in third place in the rankings in both categories determines the category in which the fifth candidate will be selected to present his project.
The evaluation phase begins on 11th September. The five projects with the highest number of points are invited to present their project to the public at a five-minute pitch. The Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region covers the costs of accommodation and travel. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The pitch session will take place during the last semester of 2023 and will be held in English. Immediately after the presentation session, the public will vote for the projects. The three winners of the vote will each receive a prize for the implementation or continuation of their project.
The prize is financed by the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region.
Winners receive the following payments :
1st Price: EUR 5 000
2nd Prize: EUR 3 000
3 rd prize: EUR 2 000
5. Notification of results
The final decision concerning the 5 finalists will be published on 18th September 2023 on www.eusalp-youth.eu. All candidates will be informed by e-mail of the selection results of the jury.
6. Evaluation Committee/Composition of the jury
The jury is composed of five members who perform their duties in their personal capacity and on the basis of their knowledge as representatives of their institutions. The members of the jury are selected on the basis of criteria such as their expertise in the Alpine region and their membership in institutions working on EUSALP. Geographical balance must be ensured.
They will be put in contact with the members of the EUSALP Action Groups for requests necessary for the decision-making process.
The project coordinator is responsible for organising the selection process and makes the necessary arrangements for the official announcement, the presentation session and the award ceremony.
The project coordinator is authorised at any time to inform the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region when, in the opinion of the jury, any of the following is apparent: (I) it is considered that the candidates received undue assistance from experts; (II) the candidates had undue privileged access to certain resources; or (iii) the candidates clearly plagiarised other people’s ideas. In such a case, the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region will withdraw the project from the competition and retain, even after the event, the right to demand, if necessary, the return of any prize.
The decision of the jury is final.
7. Reserve list
All non-selected candidates will be placed on a reserve list in descending order of their ranking.
8. Withdrawal and cancellation of participation in the final by the selected participant
Each confirmation of accommodation will be nominative and cannot be transferred to another person. The name on the confirmation cannot be changed. If a selected participant withdraws for any reason before the project coordinator designated by the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region has reserved the accommodation, his place will be assigned to another person on the reserve list in descending order of the selection. If a group leader refuses to travel before the project coordinator has booked the accommodation, this decision does not jeopardise the entire group. Other members of the group (only designated group leaders) can always travel as planned. However, the person who has withdrawn cannot be replaced.
Once bookings have been made, any cancellation or modification fees will have to be charged from the participant’s fees.
9. Disclaimer
The Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region only covers the costs of accommodation and travel as explained above. Therefore, living, insurance, travel supplements or any other travel-related expenses must be covered by the participants. Insurance coverage is not provided by the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region and is the sole responsibility of the selected participant. The Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region and the project coordinator shall not be held liable for any damage caused or sustained by any of the contest participants, including any damage caused to third parties as a result of or in connection with the implementation of the activities related to this contest. The Burgundy-Franche-Comté Region and its project coordinator cannot be held responsible for any material, immaterial or physical damage.
10. Applicable law
This contest is governed by applicable French law. The competition rules are registered with Lexlegati.
