IFS Terms & Conditions
IFS TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. Introduction – Purpose of Competition
1.1. Innovation for Society Awards (“IFS”) 2024 is a competition (“Competition”) organized by “One Stop Liaison Office“ of the Region Of Central Macedonia (“O.S.L.O.”) (“Organizers”) and is supported by “Greek Exporter’s Association” (“SEVE”) , “Technology Forum”, “Architectural Aluminium Academy” (“AAA”), «German Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce” (“AHK GREECE”), “Thess-Intec”, “Federation of Industries in Greece” (“SBE”). “Diopas S.A.”, “Akritas S.A.”, “Infoteam HELLAS MIKE”, “K&N Efthymiadis S.A.”, “Bios Agrosystems S.A.”, “ISOMAT”, “Port of Thessaloniki S.A.” (“ThPA S.A.”), “Alumil S.A.”, “Olympia Electronics S.A.” and ‘’Siemens S.A.’’ are the companies of the 2024 Competition, placing the Challenges under solution (“Challenge-Owners”). The 2024 Competition is also supported by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), the Alexander Innovation Zone (AIZ), the Hellenic Centre for Research and Technology “CERTH”, I4G, University of Macedonia (UoM), International Hellenic University (IHU), Kinisis Ventures, and Beyond Expo (“Coaches, Trainers, mentors”).
1.2. IFS is an open innovation Competition bringing together corporations and public entities looking for innovative solutions to challenges with social impact, with entrepreneurs (startups, spinoffs) and researchers working at the forefront of science, innovation, and technology. The Competition is divided into five phases, starting with submission of applications, evaluation of the submitted ones, bootcamp sessions, Validation Program and ending with final review and prizes award.
2. Eligibility
2.1 To join the Competition, you must submit an application addressing one or more of the different challenges as described on the Competition website (ifsawards.eu).
2.2. By submitting the application form, the participants confirm that they are over 18 years old, and are registering as a user on their behalf and in their name as a representative of themselves and/or their entity (startups, spinoff, SME, R&D organization, University, ream of persons etc. In case they are representing a legal entity, they must have full legal authority to perform any obligations on behalf of that entity.
2.3. Approval of participation in any phase of the Competition is at the sole discretion of the Organizers. Consecutively if they recognize that any application has been made in infringement of these terms and conditions, they may refuse evaluation and/or participation.
2.4. Participants are responsible for all uses of the Competition’s website they make, whether they are aware of that use or could reasonably have been aware of that use.
2.5. Organizers, Coaches and Challenge-Owners may communicate with the participants through the username/email that the latter provide in their application. Participants shall notify Organizers soon whether there are any changes to their information. If they fail to do so, they agree not to claim any complaint, they might have had as a result of Organizers’ failing to communicate with them. If participants change their email without notifying Organizers, communication will be considered effective as of the most recently provided email address.
2.6. Participants guarantee that any content they provide:
a) complies with all relevant laws.
b) respects third-party Intellectual Property Rights and any other legal rights.
c) is truthful, accurate, and genuine.
d) is not offensive, defamatory, or harassing in any way will not incur any liability for Organizers, Co-organizers, supporters and challenge owners of any kind.
Applications that are unlawful, infringe upon third-party intellectual property, illegible, indecent, or incomplete will be disqualified at the sole discretion of the Organizers.
2.7 Participation must not violate Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. The Challenge Owners & Organizers may reject applications from persons who violate in any way national, EU or international law applicable in Greece.
2.8 Based on Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/578 of 8 April 2022 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, the participants :
a) shall not represent an entity who is a Russian citizen, neither a natural person nor a legal entity based in Russia.
b) shall not represent a legal entity or organization whose property rights of more than 50% are directly or indirectly held by an entity described in the first (a) point of this paragraph.
c) as the legal representatives, as well as the financial entity they represent are neither a natural person nor a legal entity acting on behalf of an entity as described in aforementioned points (a) and (b).
3. Application process
3.1. The participants shall submit solutions to challenges placed by the Challenge Owners. Challenges will be developed around specific questions or/and themes that concern industrial challenges with societal impact. Purpose of such challenges is to create an open-ended inquiry that should engage participants to propose innovative solutions with a positive impact for the whole society.
3.2. Once applications are submitted, the Challenge Owners shall review them. Following that, they will select the ones that are believed most promising for participation in the Competition and will invite the respective applicants to participate in the next phase of the Competition (article 4).
3.3. The Challenge Owners’ decisions on applications are final and cannot be reviewed. In some instances, the Challenge Owners may, but are not obliged to, provide explanations (feedback) regarding rejected applications.
3.4. For applications that have errors of form and not substance, the Organizers & Challenge Owners may set a reasonable deadline for correcting the deficiencies.
3.5. The Organizers & Challenge Owners reserve the right at any time to request additional information from applicants, both related to the business idea and evidence of identity, place of residence, or other administrative or legal conditions (indicatively and not restrictively).
4. Bootcamp sessions
4.1 Once the participants are selected, they will attend a 2 to 4 – day Bootcamp that includes sessions with Coaches and representatives of Challenge Owners. During the Bootcamp, the participants will work together with Coaches & Challenge Owners to refine their proposed solutions to challenges and improve their pitch decks.
4.2 Upon the final day, Organizers will announce the shortlist of the participants that are selected to participate in the Validation Program.
4.3 Οorganizers reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to scrutinize all entries for these requirements at any time during or after Bootcamp.
5. Validation Program
5.1. The selected participants will be invited to participate in a Validation Program that will be held online, via teleconferencing tools, but will also include on-site visits to the premises of the Challenge Owners, to gain insights and better understand the challenge.
5.2. During the Validation Program, the selected participants will indicatively:
a) Participate in high-value training workshops.
b) Receive mentoring & coaching from the Program’s experts and challenge owners.
c) Could work towards a PoC/pilot particular to the challenge they are addressing.
5.3. The updated schedule and overview of topics to be addressed during the Validation Program will be available on the website of the Competition.
5.4. During the sessions, Coaches and challenge owners will provide advising based upon accepted practice in startup acceleration and product market-fit, tailored according to the level of the participants. Such advising can include aspects related to business modeling, commercialization, product development, budgeting, , marketing, competition, and sales. This advising is neither offered nor intended to take the place of specialty counsel from legal, accounting, or other professionals. Organizers do not endorse the views expressed by the Coaches nor legally represent them. Therefore, they will not be liable for any consequential or positive damage to the participants from the advice of Coaches.
5.5. Participants are not allowed to record the presentations nor share the materials with third parties without the prior permission of the Coaches.
5.6. Participants are expected to be present during the Program sessions and meetings. Repeated absence against the advice of Coaches, Challenge owners or Organizers may result in disqualification from the Competition.
6. Final stage
6.1. Upon completion of the Validation Program, participants will present their solutions for evaluation by a jury consisting of representatives of Challenge Owners, Coaches and the Organizers.
6.2. The decisions for the final ranking of the participants are final and cannot be reviewed.
6.3. Furthermore, the jury is not obliged to provide explanations (feedback) for the final ranking.
7. Prizes
7.1. The Organizers will award prizes to those teams that have developed the most promising and impactful solutions addressing the Competition’s challenges.
7.2. Prizes are awarded in the form of cash to the first three solutions (the ones with the highest ranking-based on the jury’s evaluation) respectively. The following cash-prizes are co-funded by European Union through the Central Macedonia’s Regional Operation Program 2021-2027. Indicatively:
The first prize is corresponding to the amount of €20.000.
The second prize is corresponding to the amount of €10.000.
The third prize is corresponding to the amount of €5.000.
Also, another prize sponsored by Alumil S.A. corresponding to €5.000 named «Keep Going Award. »
7.3. The payment will be made in the denomination of Euros (€) to an exclusive account of the distinguished beneficiaries, following the usual banking procedures.
7.4. The payment will be made to a bank account belonging to the original applicant and will be declared with a solemn declaration addressed to the Organizers, duly certified by a public authority for the authenticity of the signature.
7.4.1. In the case of a group application, participants must have submitted to the Organizers, legally certified by a public authority for the authenticity of the signature, solemn declarations stating the only bank account to which they wish to pay the prize. In the case of legal persons, the legal representative signs on their behalf, under a valid certificate of legal representation.
7.4.2. In case of lack of agreement between the team, the Organizers may not pay the prize.
7.5 In any case, the Organizers are not obliged to divide the prize proportionally according to the number of persons making up a participating team.
7.6 The recipients of the prize undertake to cooperate with the Organizers to comply with its tax obligations, providing any information requested by it.
7.7 If participants breach any obligation arising from these terms, the Organizers may recover the prize or be released from the obligation to pay it.
8. Duty of Truth
8.1. Participants have a duty of truth for any information they submit, either for their personal details or for their business proposal. Breach of the duty of truth, either at the application stage or at the participation stage, will automatically entitle the Organizers to disqualify an applicant or participant in the Competition.
8.2. The Organizers may request any information they deem necessary to confirm the submissions of the applicants.
8.3. Additional compensation for non-pecuniary damage or compensation, if the Organizers suffer damage as a result of breach of the duty of truth, is not excluded.
9. Confidentiality
Each applicant undertakes the obligation, not only during the Competition but also following its termination or dissolution in any way, not to disclose to any third party, any term hereof and in general any Confidential Information, without the prior, written consent of the Organizers or their partners (Challenge Owners, Coaches) as far as Confidential Information is concerned. Separate Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) may be signed between the Participants in the Validation Program and the Challenge Owners.
10. Intellectual Property
10.1. The applicants warrant that they created Competition entries, that they own all of the copyright in those entries, and that the Organizers’ and Challenge Owners’ use of the entries in accordance with these rules will not infringe any person’s intellectual property rights or other legal rights.
10.2. Existing or new intellectual property of applicants will remain in their property after the end of the Competition. Acceptance of these terms does not constitute a transfer to the Organizers, Challenge Owners or to other participants. The Organizers & Challenge Owners assume no responsibility for the allocation of intellectual property between the members of a team.
11. Communication & Dissemination
11.1. The Organizers may use depictions of the participants, as well as the latter’s company/project names or logos to promote the Competition in the media and social media.
11.2. The Organizers may use descriptions of the Participants’ solutions, subject to approval by the Participants, in dissemination and communication materials and actions in the media and social media.
11.3. By accepting these terms, applicants grant free of charge a license to use their depiction, logo, and/or description to the Organizers for the duration of the Competition and for a period of 60 months following its ending date.
12. Unfair Competition
Acts of unfair competition as defined in Greek law will entitle the Organizers to exclude applicants or participants from the Competition.
13. Modification of Terms
These terms may be unilaterally amended by the Organizers with prior notice and at any time.
14. Personal data
14.1 Participants are aware and acknowledge that their personal data will be processed only with a view to fulfill the purposes of the Competition.
14.2 O.S.L.O. will process data via “Typeform” or “Survey Monkey” or any other survey tools and shall comply with all relevant obligations of the Personal Data Protection Legislation, in accordance with the detailed provisions of its Terms and Privacy Policy posted on Competition’s website.
15. Jurisdiction – Applicable law
The present terms are governed by Greek law. Any dispute that may arise in relation to the Competition shall be resolved by the exclusively competent courts of Thessaloniki.