Tunisia launches Grand Prix for Energy Performance to benchmark and reward corporate efficiency

Tunisia launched its first national award for corporate energy performance on Monday 29 June, with applications for the inaugural edition now open across seven sectors of the economy.

The Grand Prix de la Performance Énergétique (GPPE) was presented at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) in Tunis, in the presence of public bodies, business representatives and energy-sector experts, La Presse de Tunisie reported.

The prize was founded by Nebil Jridet, a senior communications and events specialist in the energy sector, and Skander Haddar, chief executive of TPM Event. It is the first independent national framework Tunisia has created to identify, measure and formally recognise organisations that place energy efficiency at the centre of their business strategy, according to organisers.

How it works

Applications are scored on a 100-point grid built around technical, organisational, economic and environmental criteria. Only organisations reaching a minimum score of 70 points qualify for a distinction.

The first edition covers seven strategic sectors: solar energy, electric mobility, high-performance household appliances, industry, construction and buildings, banks and microfinance institutions, and tourism.

A national awards ceremony is planned for December 2026, the organisers said.

Backers and partners

Agil Energy — the Société nationale de distribution des pétroles — is the exclusive official sponsor of the first edition. UTICA is providing strategic support.

Five specialist public bodies have joined the consortium: the National Agency for Energy Management (ANME), the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation (APII), the Technical Centre for Packaging (Packtec), the Technical Centre for Mechanical and Electrical Industries (Cetime) and the National Centre for Research in Materials Sciences (CNRSM).

Khaled Triki, a member of UTICA's executive bureau, said the employers' federation was "fully mobilised to support national decarbonisation efforts and encourage initiatives that promote more sustainable and resilient growth."

The chief executive of Agil Energy described the prize as "a powerful driver of emulation" that would push companies to do more to reach durable energy performance.

The competitive pressure behind the timing

The launch comes as rising energy costs, persistent import dependency and tightening international environmental requirements are reshaping the competitive position of Tunisian businesses. Organisers pointed in particular to the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which entered a transitional phase in October 2023 and is moving towards full operation, covering imports of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen into the EU market.

For Tunisian exporters to Europe, meeting measurable energy performance standards is becoming a condition of market access rather than a voluntary commitment, according to the GPPE's founding documentation.

Jridet said energy performance had moved beyond an environmental concern to become "a decisive factor of competitiveness, resilience and value creation."

Companies, institutions and organisations wishing to enter the first edition can now submit a candidacy through the GPPE.