Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fill the entry form?

Applications can be submitted only through the online application form. Start from Part 1 and fill up each part, following the examples and instructions. Please make sure the questions that require detailed answers are given in bullet form for ease of review by the jury.

It may be advisable to download the Submission document, take a print out, fill it up in consultation with your colleagues and use that to finally make the submission online. This will be especially needed if your Internet connection is unsteady.

Can I send multiple entries?

You can send in multiple entries only if you are applying for an award in multiple categories. For example: if your NGO works in health and education, you can apply for an award in both sectors – but you will have to fill up two separate entry forms.

Who can apply?

Submissions are invited from the NGOs between 2 to 10 years of field experience ONLY with annual budgets of not more than INR 10 crores. The competition is wide open to ALL who are registered as a Section 8 Not for Profit Social Enterprise or a Non-Government Organization under

1. Societies Registration Act or,

2. Trust Act

Please note CSR Foundations are NOT eligible for these awards.

What are the evaluation criteria?

The following are the criteria on which your programme will be judged:

  • Innovation: Original ideas either in the planning, implementation, delivery or outcome of your programmes will be given importance. (For example, a unique irrigation method that uses fewer resources and results in better yield and more profits for the farmer.)
  • Replication: Can your programme model be easily replicated irrespective of where it is implemented? Simplicity and minimal social and practical barriers to adoption are key determining factors. (For example, a successful approach to empowering a community in a region that can be replicated in another region without much change).
  • Scalability: Programmes that can be readily scaled up to help a greater number of people. (For example,scaling a farmer empowerment programme on agriculture best practices from 100 farmers in a cluster of Gram panchayats to 10,000 farmers across the district.)
  • Sustainability: Lesser dependence on grants with a successful strategy of cost recovery and income generation. (For example, after an initial start-up grant, an SHG sustaining itself by the sales of products and services) .
  • Community involvement: To what extent is the programme involving the cross-section of the community without any discrimination? (For example, absorbing school dropouts into a programme and using them productively to prevent them from succumbing to alcohol or drug abuse).
  • Leadership and Governance: Strong leadership in the organization backed by process driven systems (Experienced leaders, staff members performing their work through proper documentation and reporting of activities, results, meetings and complying with all statutory and standard accounting procedures).

If you’ve been able to achieve qualitative benefits through a few or all of the above criteria and are able to provide quantifiable data to support the impact then you stand a good chance of winning the award.

What will the award be?

Winners in each of the four categories of the prestigious PoleStar Social Impact Award will receive a Citation, a Trophy and Rs.1 lakh in prize money.

What categories of work are eligible for awards?

Current ongoing initiatives will be considered for the award. Awards will be given for the 4 categories mentioned below. As examples, some types of activities are listed in each category.

  1. Education: Examples: education of underprivileged, or challenged children; improving access or quality of education; teacher training; development of teaching aides; development and spread of curriculum; vocational or technical education centers; education in special fields like sports or music, etc.
  2. Health: Examples: provision of low cost healthcare; provision or facilitation of basic healthcare to underprivileged sections; encouraging hygiene and other healthy practices; creating infrastructure for these; working for specific causes such as autism, palliative care, terminally ill, cancer treatment etc.
  3. Livelihoods: Examples: any self-sustaining economic activity leading to income augmentation and employment creation, especially for under privileged sections including farmers, women, Dalits, youth, tribals; training in technologies
  4. Empowerment: Examples: creating awareness and empowering communities on the above areas as well as areas such as Gram Panchayat governance and administration, Community Forest Rights entitlement, Government welfare schemes such as MGNREGA, , RTI, legal rights, social evils like dowry; communal harmony , gender, youth , tribal and national integration.

In case your work spans two or more issues, choose the category that represents maximum social impact. Alternatively apply for more than one category, but remember you will have to submit separate application forms for each category.

Who can apply

  • Submissions are invited from the NGOs between 2 to 20 years of field experience ONLY with annual budgets of not more than INR 10 crores.
  • The competition is wide open to ALL who are registered as a Section 8 Not for Profit Social Enterprise or a Non-Government Organization under Societies Registration Act or Trust Act
  • Please note CSR Foundations are NOT eligible for these awards.

Will the selection process be transparent and unbiased?

Yes, the selection process is transparent and unbiased. Names and key details of the winners will be uploaded in the PoleStar Awards website after the awards are declared.

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