Sustainability

#prixalpiq

For the fourth year running, the #prixalpiq has recognised two projects that promote sustainable water management with the support of municipalities in the Swiss canton of Valais. The municipality of Grimisuat has been chosen as the 2024 winner, with its project entitled “Grimisuat irrigation network – sustainable water storage and management”. The jury gave its “Coup de Cœur” to the association for water management and development planning in the Aletsch region, for its project entitled “Sustainable water supply planning in the Aletsch region”.

#prixalpiq roundtable “The circular economy: utopia or reality?” From left to right: Gaëtan Cherix (Director of the School of Engineering HES-SO Valais-Wallis), Antje Kanngiesser (CEO Alpiq), Laurent Horvath (Water Delegate for the Canton of Valais), Emilie Neveu (Head of the STREAM Laboratory HES-SO Valais-Wallis), Evann Buchwalder (Member of the student collective HES-Eco), Adèle Thorens Goumaz (Associate Professor of Public Policy and Ethics at HEIG VD) (Photo @gianlucacolla)

Winner 2024

Project initiators: Municipality of Grimisuat

Project name: “Grimisuat irrigation network – sustainable water storage and management”

Aim: To meet its water supply challenges, the municipality has decided to approach the issue in an integrated way, seeking to anticipate water requirements and availability of the resource, and taking measures ranging from infrastructure repair to consumption optimisation

Reward: CHF 40,000

E-mail address

Winner of hearts 2024

Project initiators: Association for water management and development planning in the Aletsch region

Project name: “Sustainable water supply planning in the Aletsch region”

Aim: To identify challenges in relation to drinking water, irrigation and tourism, and then to develop a comprehensive supply concept

Reward: CHF 10 000

E-mail address

#prixalpiq

For whom is it for?
Municipalities, companies, start-ups, research centres, students and freelancers with a sustainable water management project. The project must be sponsored by one or more Valais municipalities.

When is it open?
The winning projects will be announced on 29 October 2024.

How much is it?
Prizes worth a total of CHF 50,000 will be awarded for the implementation of concrete solutions in Valais municipalities.

Who is behind it?
The #prixalpiq is organised by Alpiq in partnership with the Association of Concession-Granting Municipalities of Valais.

Submit a project

Who can take part?

#prixalpiq is open to all municipalities in the canton of Valais. They can:

  • Submit a project themselves
  • Sponsor and submit a project put forward by students or researchers from universities of applied studies, engineering consultancy firms, companies, or individuals 

Universities of applied studies and engineering consultancy firms with projects related to water and its sustainable use are invited to contact Valais municipalities to ask for sponsorship.

What are the prizes?

The winner of #prixalpiq will be awarded a prize worth CHF 40,000. The judging panel will decide on the nature of the prize depending on the selected project.  The winner will receive a minimum of CHF 20,000 in cash, with the remainder of the prize potentially being awarded in the form of coaching.

The ‘winner of hearts’, the Judge’s choice award, will receive a prize of CHF 10,000 in cash.

How can I take part?

All applications must be electronic and sent via email to: prixalpiqmail@alpiqweb.com or via application form by 31 May 2024.

Applications must include the following documents:

  • The application form duly completed, signed and dated (available either in online format or downloadable in Word format (in the "Useful documents" section)
  • Extract from the commercial register if the project leader is a company
  • Business plan in French or German (maximum length: 10 A4 pages), describing the project and including all information required to complete it. The business plan must include:
    • how water will be managed sustainably
    • project opportunities and risks
    • overall project cost
    • project implementation schedule
    • expected benefits for the sponsoring municipality

What are the selection and assessment criteria?

The selection criteria are:

  • The project is related to water, a resource for various sectors: energy, agriculture, tourism, environment, drinking water, and so on.
  • The project recycles, conserves, and improves the use of water resources in a sustainable way.
  • The project is submitted by one or multiple Valais municipalities and will take place in this municipality/these municipalities.

Only projects which meet these selection criteria will be submitted to the judging panel for consideration. They will be assessed by the panel according to following criteria:

  • Level of sustainability
  • Soundness of the business plan
  • Feasibility
  • Competency of the project leader or leaders
  • Economic and social benefits for the municipality where the project will be implemented
  • Level of innovation

What are the deadlines?

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2024.

The #prixalpiq 2024 will be awarded during an official ceremony in September 2024.

Useful documents

Jury

Samantha Anderson

CEO and Co-Founder of DePoly SA, winner of the 2019 Venture award

Christoph Bürgin

Chair of the Association des communes concédantes du Valais (ACC)

Laurent Horvath

Delegate for water affairs in the canton of Valais

David Melly

Deputy Chair of the Association des communes concédantes du Valais (ACC)

Amédée Murisier

Head of Switzerland, Alpiq

Cécile Münch-Alligné

Head of the Hydro Alps Lab and the Renewable Energy Department, HES-SO Valais-Wallis

Eric Nanchen

Director of the Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (FDDM)

Line Pillet

Head of Institute of Entrepreneurship & Management HES-SO Valais-Wallis

Yann Rodriguez

Deputy Director of BlueArk SA

Mauro Salvadori

Head of Public Affairs, Alpiq

Urs Zenhäusern

Tourism expert

Past editions

2023

Winner 2023

Project initiators: Municipality of Martigny / Sinergy and Centre de Recherche sur l'Environnement Alpin (CREALP)

Project name: "Sources and climate change"

Aim: With climate change in mind, to improve the knowledge of groundwater and how it is likely to develop in future in order to optimise the way the municipality's drinking water resources are managed (by the company Sinergy).

Reward: CHF 40,000

E-mail adress

Winner of hearts 2023

Project initiators: Municipalities of Finhaut and Trient)

Project name:"Save water, it's easy!"li>

Aim: Aim: to massively reduce the water consumption per capita by changing the relationship with this water resource in a sustainable way.

Reward: CHF 10 000

E-mail adress

2022

Winner 2022

Project initiators: Municipalities of Visp, Naters, Brig-Glis and Lalden

Project name: "Regionale Wasserversorgung Südrampe" (Regional Water Supply of the Südrampe)

Aim: To secure regional drinking water supply for the municipalities of Visp, Naters, Brig-Glis and Lalden through the implementation of an innovative inter-municipal governance system

Reward: CHF 40,000

E-mail address

Winner of hearts 2022

Project initiators: Commune of Ayent and Artémis Films Production S.A.

Project name: Film « La Conquête de l’Eau » (The Conquest of Water)

Aim: To transmit the value of water resources and the importance of preserving them to the younger generations

Reward: CHF 10 000

E-mail address

2021

Winner 2021

Project initiators: Commune of Salgesch, Cordonier & Rey SA 

Project name: “Erneuerung Gesamt-Bewässerung Salgesch” 

Aim: To optimise the irrigation networks in the Salgesch commune and reduce the water requirements of local agriculture by up to 40%

Reward: CHF 40,000

y.reymail@cordonier-reyweb.ch

gilles.florey@salgesch.ch

Winner of hearts” 2021

Project initiators: Commune of Val de Bagnes, Droople SA, in partnership with EPFL and ALTIS Groupe SA

Project name: WaSTeLeSS (Water savings and termination of Leakage through Smart Sensors network)

Aim: To raise awareness of water use in Val de Bagnes and reduce drinking water consumption by up to 20%

Reward: CHF 10,000 

E-mail address