Nominations open for EU Organic Awards

This year’s winners will be celebrated at the Awards Ceremony on the EU Organic Day, 23 September in Brussels. The EU Organic Awards are jointly organised by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, COPA-COGECA and IFOAM Organics Europe, with the participation of the European Parliament and the Council in the evaluation.

Categories

• Best organic farmer (female and male):
  • The objective of this award is to reward a farmer (one female and one male).
• Best organic region/bio-district:
  • The objective of this award is to reward a region or bio-district.
• Best organic city:
  • The objective of this award is to reward a city.
• Best organic food processing SME:
  • The objective of this award is to reward a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) processing organic products.
• Best organic food retailer:
  • The objective of this award is to reward an SME food retailer selling organic products.
• Best organic restaurant/food service:
  • The objective of this award is to reward an SM restaurant/food service restaurant (standalone or part of a hotel) and/or food service (caterer or canteen) proposing organic certified references in their menu.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any EU actor or institution with a noteworthy project that contributes to greater affordability and accessibility of organic products in the EU can apply. This includes not only organic farmers, regions or bio-districts, or unique businesses like organic shops or restaurants, but also cities offering for instance, organic meals to local school pupils, or actively promoting organic production.
• The starting point to apply for one of the awards is the EU organic awards webpage, which links to the online application forms for each of the awards during the required period.
• Applications must be in one of the official EU languages.
• Applicants must be legal or natural persons established or resident in one of the 27 Member States of the EU.
• The project submitted must be EU based and refer clearly to one of the 6 award categories/7 awards. The same project cannot be submitted for several award categories/awards. Each applicant can only apply for one single award. The maximum number of applications per award is one.
• The winners of the previous editions cannot re-apply for the 2025 edition. The non-winning finalists of the previous editions can re-apply for the 2025 edition.
• The project should either have been fully implemented already or be in a sufficiently mature state so as to enable the jury to assess it (i.e. physical implementation should be advanced enough to demonstrate the achievement of the objectives).
• Specific eligibility criteria for each award category:
  • Best organic farmer (female) and Best organic farmer (male): Certified accordingly to the Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007;
  • Best organic region/bio-district: A ‘bio-district’ is defined as a geographical area where farmers, the public, tourist operators, associations and public authorities enter into an agreement for the sustainable management of local resources, based on organic principles and practices. Organic region has no specific eligibility criteria;
  • Best organic city: No specific eligibility criteria; in case the city operates one or more organic farms or stores, proof of their organic certification must be provided. This proof must be a valid certificate at the moment of submission;
  • Best organic food processing SME: Enterprise certified according to Regulation (EU) 2018/848, and having 100% organic production and complying with the SME definition (an enterprise that employs fewer than 250 persons and has an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and /or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million). Cooperatives can be understood as enterprises.
  • Best organic food retailers: Enterprise certified according to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and having 100% organic certified references on sale (excluding non-food products or food products for which there is no organic availability) and complying with the SME definition (an enterprise that employs fewer than 250 persons and has an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million). Cooperatives can be understood as enterprises;
  • Best organic restaurant/food service: Enterprise having 100% organic certified references in their menu, where possible and complying with the SME definition (an enterprise that employs fewer than 250 persons and has an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million). Cooperatives can be understood as enterprises.

For more information, visit European Commission.