Manufacturers that are interested to nominate products should do so using the form provided at the link below.  Nominations should be submitted no later than December 20, 2011.  Early submissions are encouraged.

ENTRY FORM

Deadlines
The deadline for nomination entry forms is December 20, 2011.  In addition to the entry form, manufacturers should send three product samples for initial screening that must be received no later than January 6, 2012.  

Award entry fee
An entry fee of US$1,000 is required for each product that is nominated (manufacturers may submit up to two products for
$1,000 each), plus an additional $500 per product that requires LA-ISM testing.   An invoice of total fees due will be emailed upon receipt of your nomination application.  All payments are due by 27 January 2012.

Product eligibility requirements
Nominated products are subject to the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be stand-alone modern off-grid lighting products available for warehouse sampling as of 01 March 2012.
• Nominated products will be classified into one of the following retail price-based categories, shown below with the expected price range boundaries:
  ○    i) Budget: under $25
  ○    ii) Mid-range: between $25 - $60
  ○    iii) Premium: between $60  - $120
  Retail price will be calculated from the f.o.b. price provided on the entry form using a formula that considers typical price buildup in Kenya, Senegal and India.  Once the entry period is closed the price range for each category may be adjusted to ensure price clustering within the categories; the boundaries are subject to change by up to 20%.
• Each manufacturer can nominate a total of two products at $1,000 each.
• Eligible products should not have a free on board (FOB) wholesale price that exceeds $70.

Evaluation criteria
Throughout the process, products will be evaluated on:

• Overall design
• Quality, including durability and workmanship
• Performance, including light output & quality, lighting duration, performance of charging and energy storage sub-systems
• Environmental impacts
• Truth in advertising (i.e., performance that matches advertised specifications)
• Ease of use (including the quality of instructions and related information for end-users)
• Special features (e.g. mobile phone charging)
• Affordability (including initial and operating costs)

Selection process
Nominated products will be evaluated in two rounds of judging:  

1. Initial Round:  Nominated products will be evaluated to select approximately five finalists in each category.  The screening will be based on information provided on the application form, Lighting Africa Initial Screening Method (LA-ISM) test results (NOTE: Lighting Africa Quality Test Method results, LA-QTM, can be used as a substitute for LA-ISM results if the former are available for the product according to the guidelines given below), overall design, and an analysis of end-user affordability.  If the nominated product has recently completed either the LA-ISM (within the past year) or Lighting Africa Quality Test Method (LA-QTM) within the past two years those results may be used in this round and repeat testing is not necessary.  If LA-ISM or LA-QTM results are not available, you will be responsible for paying for testing (currently $500 for LA-ISM).  An expert panel of judges will choose the finalists.
2. Final Round: The final round will include two parallel assessments:
   
   1. Laboratory testing: Testing according to the Lighting Africa Quality Test Method (LA-QTM), which is a full set of performance and durability tests in a laboratory setting.  If currently valid LA-QTM test results (from after October 2010) are available no further testing is needed.  If not, Lighting Africa will guide manufacturers through the testing process. Manufacturers will be responsible for the costs of testing; products that are selected to be finalists for the Outstanding Product Awards competition will be eligible for LA-QTM testing at the subsidized rate of $3,000 per test.
   2. Field Assessment: Products will be tested at home and evaluated in focus groups by representative off-grid lighting product end users who live in Kenya, Senegal and India.  The field participants will consider product performance, ease of use, convenience, affordability, and other criteria in the evaluation process.

   A selection committee that consists of off-grid lighting experts appointed by Lighting Africa will use the results from the laboratory testing and field judging activities to grant awards in each category.

Feedback to Manufacturers
The results of Lighting Africa sponsored end-user field judging associated with the process will be made available to manufacturers on a confidential basis. As is always the case, specific test results that are paid for by manufacturers will be delivered on a confidential basis as well.  The field assessments and laboratory test results may be used in aggregate by Lighting Africa for market intelligence reporting.  

Prizes to winners
Winners in each product category will receive a plaque and all winning products will be granted the rights to display the mention“Lighting Global Outstanding Product Award 2012”on packaging and marketing materials. Additionally, a Lighting Global sponsored advertising campaign will be rolled out in conjunction with the awards to publicize the winners and raise consumer awareness about off-grid lighting.

How to nominate a product for an award
Entries can be submitted by product manufacturers or associated distributors.  In the case of nominations from distributors, a supporting letter from the manufacturer that confirms that they are interested to have their products considered should be included with the submitted materials.

Applicants should submit the following materials by 20 December, 2011 (early applications are encouraged).

• ENTRY FORM submit this form electronically by emailing to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• Previous ISM and/or QTM test results if not already on file with Lighting Africa.
• Three product samples for each off-grid lighting product that is nominated; details about where to ship the samples will be posted here soon. They must arrive no later than January 6, 2012.  Late arrivals will be disqualified from the contest.

For general enquiries contact Lighting Africa: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Conditions of Entry

• Materials and samples submitted for the awards will not be returned.
• Participants in the Lighting Global Outstanding Products Awards may be included in Lighting Africa’s databases and may receive information on Lighting Africa’s activities.
• Lighting Africa and Lighting Global may use the winning products for public information purposes and to promote the Awards on their respective web sites, brochures and in events.
• The Lighting Global selection committee’s decisions regarding award recipients are final.