NEW 2023 Certification Application Cycle

Sustainable Jersey operates on an annual certification application cycle with three submission dates. See the chart below for details on the structure and timing of the application cycle. To maximize the potential for feedback and ultimately achieve certification, it is highly recommended to submit an application with documentation for at least two rounds of review. Applicants who wait until the final deadline to submit an initial application and do not meet the certification requirements will have to wait until the next year's certification cycle to resubmit their applications.

Important Note about the New Annual Certification Cycle

Based on feedback from participants and the desire to recognize all certified municipalities at the Sustainable Jersey Annual Luncheon in November, a new annual certification cycle will be implemented in 2023. See below for the timeline details. The first application submission deadline is Sunday, February 26.

Expiring Municipalities: Municipalities certified as part of the 2020 certification cycle (expiring for the first time in 2023), that feel this change would impact their 2023 recertification efforts, can request a one-year extension on their certification. To submit an extension request a municipal official or the green team leader can complete the extension request form here. If a municipality certified as part of the 2020 certification cycle submits for certification in 2023 but is unsuccessful in its recertification efforts, it will have its certification automatically extended one year.

Timeline

	First Round	Second Round	Third Round
Submission Deadline	Feb. 26	May 12	July 27
Return Date	Early-April	Mid-June	Mid-Sep.

Sustainable Jersey Annual Awards including the Sustainability Champions will be based on the point totals achieved following the third and final round of review.

Timeline Details

Timeline & Submission/Resubmission Requirements
Feb. 26	First Submission Deadline The application must have actions totaling a minimum of 150 points marked “Completed” to be submitted. Only actions marked "Completed" will be reviewed. Documentation for additional actions can be uploaded during the second and final review periods. *Tip: Submit initial applications in February and May and use reviewers' feedback to help achieve certification*
Early-April	First Round Review Comments Provided Each action will be marked as “Approved” or “Must Revise” with comments provided. Applicants have the opportunity to complete required activities and/or documentation to receive credit for actions marked as “Must Revise” and submit for additional actions.
May 12	Second Submission Deadline Municipalities that submitted applications in February have a second opportunity to provide documentation and update actions that were marked "Must Revise" and add new actions to the application. Revised actions should be marked as "Completed" then submitted for review. Municipalities that did not submit in February may enter the cycle for the first time.
Mid-June	Second Round Review Comments Provided Each reviewed action will be marked "Approved" or "Must Revise" with comments provided. For applications containing actions marked as "Must Revise," there is one final opportunity to complete required activities and/or documentation to receive credit for these actions and submit for additional actions.
July 27	Final Application Submission Deadline This is the final opportunity to submit documentation for "Must Revise" actions and add new actions to the application. All actions submitted should contain documentation to address the reviewer comments. Actions with no documentation will not be approved. Municipalities that did not submit in February or May can enter the cycle for the first time. *Note: For applications submitted for the first time in July, the next opportunity to update the application based on reviewer feedback would be February 2024 for 2024 certification.*
Mid-September	Final Decision on Pending Applications All municipalities that have met the certification requirements will be certified at the bronze or silver level based on the accumulated points total and considered for the Sustainable Jersey Annual Awards including the Sustainability Champions. Certified municipalities and annual award winners will be recognized at the Sustainable Jersey Annual Luncheon held during the New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference in November.