21st Biophilia Award in Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences

Candidates will be natural or legal persons of any nationality currently working in any facet of environmental thought or culture.

Joint submissions will be accepted from two or more natural and/or legal persons, up to a maximum of 20, that have engaged collaboratively in the above tasks.

No candidature may appear in more than one category of the remaining awards within the BBVA Foundation Biodiversity Program.

Candidatures may be direct, submitted by the interested parties on their own behalf, or indirect, by means of nomination letters submitted by other natural or legal persons.

In the event that various individuals or entities wish to jointly or coordinately present a candidature, they should appoint a nomination coordinator, who will merge all relevant materials into a single entry.

The documentation accompanying entries may be presented in Spanish or in English.

The materials substantiating contributions to environmental thought and culture may be presented in other languages, provided they are accompanied by a summary in Spanish or English.

Candidatures should include only the following documents, in PDF format:

1. A description of the contributions made in environmental thought and culture (5 A4 pages max.).
2. In the case of natural persons, a copy of the candidate(s)’ curriculum vitae.
3. Copy of materials substantiating the candidate(s)’ contributions of greatest impact or link to the same, where pertinent (up to a maximum of 20).
4. In the case of direct candidatures, the candidates may present letters of support (up to a maximum of three) signed by the representatives of the organizations or the individual experts endorsing the candidature, with arguments supporting the merits of the candidate(s) and the significance and impact of the activities carried out.
   These letters should be sent directly by their signatories before the deadline for entries stated in point 4 of these call conditions.
   Letters should offer a short reasoned account of the significance and scope of the contribution(s).
   In the case of joint candidatures, letters should make express reference to all members.
5. In the case of indirect candidatures, at least one and up to a maximum of three signed nomination letters should be submitted, offering a short reasoned account of the significance and scope of the candidate(s)’ contributions, along with the personal data processing form.
   In the case of joint candidatures, letters should make express reference to all members.

The BBVA Foundation guarantees the confidentiality of all documentation, which will be archived following the award decision.

All entries must be submitted using the online form provided on the BBVA Foundation website: www.biophilia-fbbva.es/en and/or www.fbbva.es/en/.

The submission period for these awards will run from January 30 until June 1, 2026 at 13:00 (Spanish standard time), by which point the candidature must have been submitted in its entirety. No entries will be accepted after this date and time.

If the submission contains rectifiable errors, the BBVA Foundation will inform the candidate to this effect, giving a non-extendible period of 10 calendar days as of this notification in which to correct them, so the entry may be accepted for consideration.

A single award comprising 100,000 euros, a diploma and a commemorative artwork.

In the event that the award goes to a joint entry comprising two or more natural and/or legal persons, its monetary amount will be divided equally among them.

If the award goes to a candidature submitted by a legal person (including associations, foundations, NGOs and public administrations or agencies), the winning organization, upon being notified, must furnish the following documentation:

• Copy of the organization or institution’s bylaws or governing regulations.
• Copy of its tax identification number.
• Where appropriate, a certificate from the tax authorities attesting to its charitable or non-profit status.

The BBVA Foundation will deliver the full amount of the award to the winning natural and/or legal person(s) at a public ceremony convened for this purpose. The prize money may be spent at the winners’ discretion.

The award is subject to the withholding and other taxes stipulated in current legislation, which will be deducted from the corresponding monetary amount.

The jury will be chaired by the Director of the BBVA Foundation or his delegatee, and will include a person designated by the BBVA Foundation acting as secretary, with speaking but no voting rights, and between six and a maximum of fourteen members of outstanding merit and acknowledged prestige in the areas of nature protection and conservation, environmental sciences and humanities, and environmental education and communication, appointed by the BBVA Foundation.

The jury may choose to merge two or more candidatures when it considers their actions or contributions to be convergent in nature.

The composition of the jury will be publicly disclosed.

The jury may choose to declare the awards wholly or partially void.

The jury’s decision will not be open to appeal. No itemized or individual information will
be provided on the submissions received or the deliberations of the prize jury.

No laureate may hold the award in more than one category in this edition.

No award may go to winners in previous editions of the BBVA Foundation’s Biophilia Award in Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences.

The jury will evaluate all entries meeting the requirements of these call conditions and select the willing entries in accordance with the evaluation criteria listed below:

• Quality, innovation and originality of the submitted contributions.
• Scientific quality of the contributions.
• Broad social impact, transcendence and public recognition of the contributions or activities, preferably on a global or transnational scale.

The award will be decided in the six months following the closing date of the present call, and will be presented at a ceremony organized by the BBVA Foundation, during which the public will be informed of the activities and achievements of the winning candidates.

The individuals and/or entities receiving the award must agree to take part in this presentation ceremony.

The submission of entries under this call signifies the acceptance of its conditions and award decisions, which are not subject to appeal, and renunciation of any claim in their respect.

Exceptionally, the BBVA Foundation reserves the right to make changes in the wording
of these conditions, for duly justified reasons, with the sole purpose of clarifying their
content, without such changes in any case implying a substantial or arbitrary alteration
of the same. The text of the conditions, and the corresponding FAQs, which we advise
you to read, will be available for the duration of this call on the BBVA Foundation website: www.biophilia-fbbva.es/en and/or www.fbbva.es/en/.

What do the BBVA Foundation Biodiversity Awards consist of?

• The BBVA Foundation Biodiversity Award in its Spain, Latin America, Africa and Worldwide categories comes with a cash prize of 250,000 euros, a diploma and a commemorative artwork.
• The Biophilia Award comes with 100,000 euros, a diploma and a commemorative artwork.
• The Biodiversity Award Environmental Education and Communication comes with 80,000 euros, a diploma and a commemorative artwork in both Spain and Worldwide categories.

If an award goes to an organization what documentation does it need to provide?

• Organizations receiving the Biophilia Award for Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences must provide the following documentation on being notified of the award:
  • Copy of the organization or institution’s bylaws or governing regulations.
  • Copy of its tax identification number.
  • Where appropriate, a certificate from the tax authorities attesting to its charitable or non-profit status.
• Organizations receiving awards in the remaining categories must provide the following documentation on being notified of the award:
  • Document attesting to the nature of the organization and its engagement in the activities stated in point 2 of these call conditions. Also, where appropriate, a copy of the organization’s entry in the corresponding registry.
  • Copy of the organization or institution’s bylaws or governing regulations.
  • Copy of its tax identification number.
  • Where appropriate, a certificate from the tax authorities attesting to its charitable or non-profit status.
• Once these conditions have been met, the BBVA Foundation will deliver the full amount of the award to the winning organization at a ceremony convened for this purpose.

Does the winning organization have to disclose how the prize money will be spent?

• Yes. The prize money will be spent to further the organizational purposes of the receiving organization or institution in the manner that it determines, with the decision notified to the BBVA Foundation within the six months following the award presentation ceremony.

And in the case of the Biophilia Award or the Biodiversity Award Environmental Education and Communication in Spain and Worldwide?

• In this case, the award money can be spent at the winners’ discretion.

Who can be a candidate for the Biodiversity Award Spain?

• Public or private non-profit entities headquartered in Spain and established prior to the year 2024.
• They must state activities relating to environmental and biodiversity conservation as part of their organizational purpose.
• The actions submitted for this award must have been carried out in Spain. They will be of an eminently applied nature and may not consist exclusively or principally of scientific research.
• For the award to be formalized, the Foundation will require the winning organization to provide a copy of its entry in the corresponding registry in Spain.

Who can be a candidate for the Biodiversity Award Latin America?

• Public or private non-profit entities headquartered in a Latin American country and established prior to the year 2024.
• They must state activities relating to environmental and biodiversity conservation as part of their organizational purpose.
• The actions submitted for this award must have been carried out in one or more Latin American countries. They will be of an eminently applied nature and may not consist exclusively or principally of scientific research.
• For the award to be formalized, the Foundation will require the winning organization to provide a copy of its entry in the corresponding registry in Latin America.

Who can be a candidate for the Biodiversity Award Africa?

• Public or private non-profit entities headquartered in any country and established prior to the year 2024.
• They must state activities relating to environmental and biodiversity conservation as part of their organizational purpose.
• The actions submitted for this award must have been carried out in one or more African countries. They will be of an eminently applied nature and may not consist exclusively or principally of scientific research.
• For the award to be formalized, the Foundation will require the winning organization to provide a copy of its entry in the corresponding registry.

Who can be a candidate for the Biodiversity Award Worldwide?

• Public or private non-profit entities headquartered in any country and established prior to the year 2024.
• They must state activities relating to environmental and biodiversity conservation as part of their organizational purpose.
• The actions submitted for this award must have been carried out in one or more African countries. They will be of an eminently applied nature and may not consist exclusively or principally of scientific research.
• Actions in this category can have been carried out in any country, but will have a significance and scope that extends beyond its borders.
• For the award to be formalized, the Foundation will require the winning organization to provide a copy of its entry in the corresponding registry.

Can an organization appear in more than one candidature in the same award category?

• Yes. An organization can compete with any number of actions in the same award category, as long as they are clearly identified in the project description and letters of support or nomination, as the case may be, refer in each case to a different action.

Can an organization be a candidate in more than one category in the same edition?

• Yes. An organization can be a candidate in several categories of the present call, as long as the actions or contributions submitted are clearly identified in the description, and letters of support or nomination, if any, refer in each case to a different action.

Can an organization headquartered in Spain, a Latin American country or any other country submit an entry for the Biodiversity Award Africa or the Biodiversity Award Worldwide?

• Yes, provided the candidate action was undertaken in one or more African countries, or in any country but with a significance and scope that extends beyond its borders.

Can public administration bodies be candidates in the Biodiversity Awards?

• Yes. The awards are open to any public organization or entity with legal personality, whether operating at national, regional or local level, provided they were established prior to the year 2024.

Can consortia and alliances be candidates in the Biodiversity Awards?

• Consortia and alliances will not be eligible for the awards unless they can provide the documentation specified in point 3 of the call conditions:
  1. Document attesting to the nature of the organization and its engagement in the activities stated in point 2 of these call conditions. Also, where appropriate, a copy of the organization’s entry in the corresponding registry.
  2. Copy of the organization or institution’s bylaws or governing regulations.
  3. Copy of its tax identification number.
  4. Where appropriate, a certificate from the tax authorities attesting to its charitable or non-profit status.

Who can be a candidate for the Biophilia Award in Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences?

• Natural and/or legal persons of any nationality, up to a maximum of 20, working in any facet of environmental thought and culture.

Who can be a candidate for the Biodiversity Award Environmental Education and Communication in Spain?

• Natural persons of Spanish nationality working currently in education, communication, outreach and awareness-raising in regard to biodiversity conservation in Spain.
• Legal persons: associations, foundations, NGOs, and public administrations or agencies that have undertaken particularly significant projects, policies, programs, or actions in the realm of education, communication, outreach and awareness-raising in regard to biodiversity conservation in Spain.
• Joint entries will be accepted from two or more natural and/or legal persons, up to a maximum of 20, that have engaged collaboratively in the aforementioned tasks of education, communication and outreach. In such cases, candidate materials should focus on their shared contributions.
• In the case of joint entries, all materials should be included in a single candidature.

Who can be a candidate for the Biodiversity Award Environmental Education and Communication Worldwide?

• Natural persons of any nationality currently working in education, communication, outreach and awareness-raising in regard to biodiversity conservation.
• Legal persons: associations, foundations, NGOs, and public administrations or agencies that have undertaken particularly significant projects, policies, programs, or actions in the realm of education, communication, outreach and awareness-raising in regard to biodiversity conservation worldwide.
• Joint entries will be accepted from two or more natural and/or legal persons, up to a maximum of 20, that have engaged collaboratively in the aforementioned tasks of education, communication and outreach. In such cases, candidate materials should focus on their shared trajectory.

Can winners in previous editions compete in the awards?

• No awards may go to winners in any of the previous three editions of the BBVA Foundation Awards for Biodiversity Conservation.
• No awards may go to winners in previous editions of either the BBVA Foundation’s Biophilia Award in Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences or the BBVA Foundation Award for Knowledge Dissemination and Communication in Biodiversity Conservation.

What is the difference between letters of support and letters of nomination?

• Letters of support are provided in the case of direct candidatures.
• Nomination letters are provided in the case of indirect candidatures.
• Letters of support or nomination must be presented along with a signed personal data processing form.

How many letters of support can a direct candidature receive?

• Each direct candidature can come with up to three letters of support.
• Note that no impediment exists to submitting direct candidatures without letters of support.

How many nomination letters must an indirect candidature receive?

• Each indirect candidature must come with at least one and up to a maximum of three nomination letters.
• Letters of support are not applicable in the case of indirect candidatures.

In what language can letters of support or nomination be submitted?

• In Spanish or in English.

What format should letters of support or nomination be in?

• PDF format in every case.

What information should letters of support or nomination provide in the Biodiversity Award Spain, Latin America, Africa and Worldwide categories?

• A short reasoned account of the significance of the specific conservation action being submitted for the award, as well as its overall contribution to the conservation of the environment.

What information should letters of support or nomination provide in the Biophilia Award in Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences?

• A short reasoned account of the significance and scope of the candidate(s)’ contribution(s).
• In the case of joint candidatures, letters should make express reference to all members. with a particular focus on their collaborative contributions.

What information should letters of support or nomination provide in the Environmental Education and Communication in Spain and Worldwide categories?

• A short reasoned account of the significance of the candidate(s)’ single most outstanding contribution in communication, education and awareness creation in the realm of biodiversity and environmental conservation, along with their general contribution to disseminating knowledge and raising public awareness on the conservation of the environment.
• In the case of joint candidatures, letters should make express reference to all members. with a particular focus on their shared contributions.

What is the procedure for providing letters of support?

• Letter of support signatories should be identified on the form using the “Add endorser” button, before going on to issue a letter request.
• The signatories of letters of support will receive an email directing them to access the form by entering their email address and a password generated automatically by the system and included in the message they will be sent. Once they have entered these data through the corresponding link, they will be sent a second activation password (OTP) that they will be asked to verify. This second password will be valid for 10 minutes. This will take signatories to the digital environment where they can upload their letters, which is configured in English by default. They can switch to Spanish by selecting “Esp” in the top right-hand corner.
• At this point, they can also edit their personal details, except for the email address.
• Once the letter has been uploaded the system will send a confirmation email to both the person completing the form and the endorsing party.
• Signatories of letters of support can upload their letters through the link provided up to the closing date for submissions.
• If the email address of a signatory is changed after a letter has been requested, the link provided will cease to be valid. The signatory will be sent an email stating that their letter is no longer needed. In the event that they have already uploaded it, the letter will be deleted. Only the last person whose name appears in the online form will be able to access the virtual environment.
• The system allows a reminder to be sent to endorsers who have not attached a letter by clicking on the envelope icon next to their name.
• The content of letters of support is confidential, and candidates will have no access to them.

What is the procedure for providing nomination letters?

• The signatories of nomination letters will have been identified on the online form.
• Letters are attached via the form itself, accompanied by the corresponding personal data processing form.
• In the event that various individuals or entities wish to jointly or coordinately present a candidature, they should appoint a nomination coordinator, who will merge all relevant materials into a single entry.

Will candidates have access to letters of support once the awards have been decided?

• No. To ensure the independence and rigor of the award call, comply with current legislation on the protection of personal data and preserve the confidentiality of the letters provided, candidates will in no event be given access to their content.

IMPORTANT: We recommend that you read carefully through the instructions, information and documentation document before filling in the form.

The submission process in this call is via an electronic form comprising various steps that require you to provide numerous details and to attach a number of different documents. We accordingly encourage participants to plan the time needed to complete their submission within the deadline stated in the award call. The process concludes in the “Summary” step with the sending of the form and subsequent receipt of an email setting out the key details of the candidature.

What technical aspects should I bear in mind when completing a submission?

• The system is compatible with versions of Chrome above 40, Firefox above 35, Safari above 8 and Internet Explorer above 11.
• At each step, the online form will specify a series of fields for you to complete. Check that you have correctly filled in all the required fields before going on to the next page.
• Entries may be completed over various sessions, with users saving and retrieving the partially completed form until the process has reached an end.
• The form will be saved automatically as you advance through the steps, but you can also save it manually using the “Save and Exit” button at the top right of the screen. Each time you save a partially completed form, the system will email you a link and a password that you can use until the submission is complete. Also, each time you return to the form, you will be sent an email with a reactivation password (OTP).
• On accessing the saved form, it will open at the last page completed.
• Once the submission is complete, you will not be able to access it or make changes.
• In general, you are advised not to copy and paste text into the form. It is better to type in the content using the Latin alphabet, without an elaborate format, or to convert it first to a text file (.txt).
• Once the submission is complete, the person completing the form and the candidate(s) will receive a submission summary and a reference number which they should quote in all subsequent correspondence with the BBVA Foundation.
• The material for candidatures in the Biodiversity Award Africa, Worldwide, Biophilia, and Environmental Education and Communication Worldwide categories can be presented in Spanish or in English.
• The material for candidatures in the two categories focused on Spain and Latin America must be presented in Spanish, with the exception of letters of support and CVs, which may also be in English.
• We recommend that only one person complete the form, and that they do not keep it open in multiple sessions simultaneously.
• To avoid incidents when uploading, the links provided and the file names of attached documents should not be excessively long or contain accents, commas or other symbols. We suggest you keep them short.
• The system performs an automatic security scan of all attached documents, which may take some time depending on the size of the files.
• You are asked not to fill in the form using capital letters, unless their use is required by the rules of grammar or spelling.
• If you do not receive an email confirming a partially saved form, check that it has not gone to your spam tray or that you are not using some filter that could block emails from the accounts biodiversidad@fbbva.es or otp-manager@bbva.com.

If we have not answered your questions here, please contact the BBVA Foundation directly at biodiversidad@fbbva.es. We will be happy to assist you.