Keeping Wildlife in the Wild

The U.S. Consulate Challenge

OFFICIAL RULES

KEEPING WILDLIFE IN THE WILD
(the “Challenge”)

 


Challenge Rules


These rules set out the terms and conditions governing your participation in the challenge. By participating in this challenge, you fully and unconditionally agree to comply with these rules. If you do not agree with them, do not register for this challenge and do not submit an entry.
 

1. Sponsors and Organizers


Sponsor (the “Sponsor”): the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau
Organizer (the “Organizer”): Agorize, a French Simplified Joint Stock Company (Société par Actions Simplifiée,or SAS) with a share capital of 71,146 Euros, registered within the Commercial and Companies Register of Paris under number 530 774 439, and has its registered office at 34 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine 75012 Paris.
 

2. Term

 
The Challenge begins on Tuesday, 6 August 2019 and ends 9 November 2019 at 23:59 HKT. The challenge will be accessible 24 hours a day on the dedicated Challenge website operated by Agorize at https://www.agorize.com/en/challenges/wildlife-2019 (“the challenge website), subject to possible IT maintenance operations and malfunctions. Dates and times in these rules refer to HKT (UTC+8).
 

3. Agreeing to the Rules

 
Any eligible person who is registered on the challenge website and enrolls to participate in the challenge (“Participant” or “You”), is required to review and accept these rules. By accessing and accepting these rules, you:
  • Fully and unconditionally agree to comply with these rules. Participants express their agreement by checking an online box while enrolling for the challenge.
In the case of non-respect of these rules, the participant will be immediately disqualified from the challenge and no prizes will be awarded.
 
 

4. Registration and Participation in the Challenge


To take part in the challenge, Agorize must receive a completed registration through https://www.agorize.com/en/challenges/wildlife-2019 (the "challenge website") no later than Friday, 27 September, 11:59 PM HKT.

 

To register, the participant must first have created a user account on the challenge website and must have truthfully and accurately completed required information, such as first and last name, email address and password.

 

You must also have accepted the rules as well as the Terms and Conditions of Use and the Privacy Policy, during the creation of your user account and your registration to the challenge.
For successful registrations, a confirmation email containing an activation link will be sent to the email address listed in the registration forms. Incomplete registration forms cannot be submitted and such applicants will not be registered for the challenge.

 

Any registration based on inaccurate, false or incomplete information or refuse collection, recording, and use of personal data that is strictly necessary to perform the challenge will result in the participant’s disqualification. The participant is solely responsible for the information he/she provides while registering.


Any intentional or non-intentional mistake, anomaly or inconsistency, regarding this information, may result in the participant’s disqualification. Sponsor reserves the right to proceed with all necessary verifications regarding the participant’s identity, postal and/or email address.


Where applicable, participants may use the website to form teams, either by starting a new team or by joining an existing one. Participants will not be allowed to change teams after the submission deadline on 27 September 2019.


Deletion of a participant’s user account on the challenge website will be deemed as a withdrawal from the challenge. In this case, the participant, regardless of whether the deletion results from the participant’s personal act or not, will not participate in the challenge.


Registration for and participation in the Challenge is free, with no purchase or payment obligation.

 

5. Eligibility

 

This challenge is open and offered to individuals under either of the conditions below:

  • Must be over 18 years old
  • Be currently enrolled in higher education in Hong Kong or Macau
  • Be within 3 years of your graduation date from a higher education institution and be currently residing in Hong Kong or Macau

The challenge is not open to employees, representatives of or family members of the sponsor, its affiliates nor Agorize.


Any participant who does not fulfill the conditions of participation as provided above during their registration and/or at any time during the challenge will be disqualified from the challenge without prior notice and will not be entitled to any prize.

  

6. Duration of the Challenge

 

The challenge begins on Tuesday, 6 August 2019 and ends Saturday, 9 November 2019.


Where necessary due to operational requirements, the organizers reserve the right to alter the duration of the challenge by a reasonable amount of time, which will be conveyed to participants.

 

7. Purpose of the Challenge and Participation

 

The goal of the challenge is for students and recent graduates to submit their ideas (or projects) in the form of a deliverable (as defined in section 9) which solves the following problem statements:

  • Awareness Category: applications and solutions for:
    • Illegal Pet Trafficking
    • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
    • Social Media and/or Marketing Campaigns (must be related to wildlife trafficking or preservation issues)
    • Open (must be related to wildlife trafficking or preservation issues)
  • Wildlife Category: applications and solutions for:
    • Trafficking
    • Data Gathering/Online Database
    • Reporting
    • Open (must be related to wildlife trafficking issues)
  • Marine Life Category: applications and solutions for:
    • Preservation
    • SharkFin Consumption
    • Seafood Consumption
    • Plastic Reduction (must be related to marine life preservation issues)
    • Open (must be related to marine life preservation issues)

Participants can be part of multiple teams and submit multiple ideas (or projects) for each problem statement.

 

If a participant is part of more than one team selected to progress to the final round, this participant can present for all the selected teams. However, if the participant is a member of more than one winning team, the participant is only eligible for one prize.  

 

8. Challenge Process

 

The Challenge consists of three rounds:

 

Application Phase: deliverables will be accepted from 6 August 2019 to 27 September 2019 at 23:59 HKT. The deliverables consist of a 10-slide pitch deck addressing the following items:

  • Problem Statement & Value Proposition
  • Differentiation
  • Feasibility
  • Core Technology/Architecture (if applicable)
  • Team Profile
  • Optional: Video demo

At the end of the Application phase, up to 10 winning teams will proceed to the Mentoring Workshop phase.

Mentoring Workshop Phase: the Mentoring Workshop phase will commence on Monday, 14 October 2019 and ends Friday, 8 November 2019.

 

During this phase, the 8-10 selected teams will be given the opportunity to interact with field experts who will provide input and insights on the deliverables from the sponsor’s perspective.

 

The purpose of this mentorship is to assist teams in refining their deliverable. At the end of the Mentoring Workshop Phase, all teams will be required to submit a pitch deck presentation of no more than 20 slides with a more comprehensive proposal of their idea (or project) by Thursday, 7 November 2019 at 11:59 pm HKT.

 

Participants are required to upload the deliverable on the challenge website, which will be used as a presentation document during the final pitch.

 

Final Round: the 8-10 teams will be invited to The Hub in Wan Chai to pitch their final deliverable in-person to a judging panel comprised of representatives from the U.S. Consulate and its partners.

At the end of the Final Round and based on the selection criteria, section 10, the jury members will choose and announce the top three winning deliverables.

 

Notification to Participants: Once each phase has been completed, participants will be notified of the results via the platform, by the email entered at the time of account creation on Agorize.com and via a notification on their Agorize.com account, by phone, or by other means, at the sponsor's discretion. The sponsor will be free to alter the dates on which results are released should this become necessary due to the number of deliverables to be assessed.


Each pre-selected or selected participant must respond to the email sent by the organizer announcing the selection of the team before the deadline specified in the message. Otherwise, the organizers reserve the right to disqualify the defaulting participant’s idea (or project).

 

9. Deliverables

 

Participants must respond to the challenge’s problem statements (the “Deliverable”) described in “The Challenge” and “Mission Details” tabs with their original solutions, and upload on the challenge website: https://www.agorize.com/en/challenges/wildlife-2019.

 

The deliverables must:

  • Address the specific problem statements set out in section 7 above
  • Be in PDF, PPT or PPTX digital format
  • Be in English
  • Comply with these rules:
    • Each participant grants that the content of the deliverable is only his/her contribution to their team. If it appeared that contribution is from a third party, all participants from the concerned team may be disqualified
    • The use of images, music, videos, etc. must be free copyright. In any case, the organizers will not be held responsible for the use of work on which third parties have rights
    • In case of difficulties or failure to read the deliverable, participants will be notified and have the responsibility to resubmit it before the phase’s deadline. If the participant is unable to resubmit the application, the idea (or project) in question will be disqualified from the challenge
    • If a Participant does not upload a deliverable on the challenge website before the deadline, this will be considered as a withdrawal from the challenge. The participant may not join the challenge, and may not obtain any compensation from the sponsor
    • If a deliverable cannot be downloaded, is not in the correct format or is incompatible, illegible, or unintelligible, the deliverable will be disqualified
 

10. Selection Criteria

 

Participant must agree and acknowledge that the challenge relies on creativity, capacity, and ability to solve difficult problems. 

 

The challenge does not depend, even partially, on chance or luck, and therefore should not be considered as a lottery. Under no circumstances are factors such as appearance, religion, membership in a trade union, political opinions or sexual orientation will be considered.

 

The jury members (the “Voters”) will evaluate and select the deliverables based on their content and the following selection criteria:

  • Sustainable Impact/Relevance: 40%
    • How well the deliverables respond to the specific needs set out in the problem statements
  • Originality: 25%
    • How creative/innovative is the idea (or project) for solving the problem statements
  • Feasibility: 25%
    • How financially practicable is the proposed idea (or project)
  • Clarity: 10 %
    • How well you articulate your idea (or project) in your application pitch and during the Final Round pitch 

 

11. Prizes

 

The prizes are awarded to the winners of the challenge, who are subject to compliance with the following cumulative conditions:

  • The deliverables comply with section 9 (“Deliverables”)

  • Each participant of the winning idea (or project), complies with sections 12 and 13

  • It can be proven that the winning participants fulfill the conditions of eligibility of section 5 

No assignment or transfer of prizes is allowed by a winner. If a potential winner is not contactable, is unable to accept the prize or any portion of the prize for any reason, the sponsor has no further obligation to such winner.

 

In the event of any participant (the “Winner”) cannot be reached, by email or by phone, for more than three (3) months after the first attempt to reach s/he was made, he/she will be deemed as having waived their right to claim the prize and will not be entitled to any prize or any kind of compensation.

 

In the event that a prize is awarded to a participant who does not meet the conditions of participation when registering or throughout the duration of the challenge, the sponsor reserves the right to require the participant to return the awarded prize. 

 

Every participant recognizes and accepts that the sponsor

  • Will not be held responsible, in any case, for the malfunction of the prize or for any harmful consequence undergone by the winner or any third party due to the prize
  • Will not provide any prize warranty or assistance
  • Is only committed to the delivery of the prize awarded to the winners. As a consequence, all the extra costs relative to the prize(s) or any overhead linked to the accession to ownership of the prize will stay, unless otherwise stipulated on the rules, chargeable to the winners. Neither coverage nor refund will be owed as such

 

No prize will be awarded to winners who do not fulfill the above conditions.


If the prize as initially planned is unavailable, the sponsor will be at liberty to substitute the prize for another of similar value. Any such decision is at sponsor’s sole discretion.

 

Overseas exchange or training program are not cash prizes, if the monetary value is less, there will be NO cash prize to make up the difference in monetary value. Details including topic, theme, country, date, duration, and additional arrangements will be at WWF-HK's discretion. In case winners refuse the overseas exchange or training program being offered by WWF-HK, WWF-HK is not obliged to offer alternative programs or make other arrangements. Round trip air ticket is from and to Hong Kong only. 

 

Winners are responsible for visa/passport/immigration documents needed for the overseas exchange or training program as well as internship and One Planet Youth Leadership. 

 

12. Communication

 

The participant acknowledges and consents that the sponsor may for the duration of the challenge and for a period of three (3) years following the Final Round, use your name and surname, your city and region of residence, the name of the institution in which you studied or in which you obtained your diplomas and other biographical information such as your image, the information regarding the prize (if you are a winner), and any other personal data that you submit with your deliverables as well as the content of your deliverables relating to the challenge for sponsor’s advertising or other marketing purposes.


Such publicity may be in any format including website, advertising banners, social networks, newsletter, and a press release is now known or unknown to date, free of charge or for a consideration. Such use by the sponsor does not entitle the participants to any additional payment.


As an example, each participant authorizes the sponsor to use the photographs taken during the Final Round to disseminate them via any communication medium.


Such use does not entitle the winner to any other payment other than the prize s/he receives. The sponsor agrees to cease use of the aforementioned elements in connection with the participant at the end of the aforementioned period unless the participant expressly agreed otherwise in writing in advance.


The permission comes into force commencing on the challenge start date for the duration required stipulated above.

 

13. Intellectual Property

 

Definitions: For the purposes of this section,

  • "Intellectual Property Rights" refers to any copyright or other rights over a brand, a design or a model, a patent and, more generally, any element, (including trade secrets and know-how), that may be protected by national and/or international laws or conventions on intellectual property (“Intellectual Property Rights”)
  • “Previous Rights” refer to any Intellectual Property Rights and/or any associated know-how held by the participants before the start date of the challenge (“Previous Rights”)
  • “Creations” refer to any software (including source and object code software), database, technical specifications, text, design, model, information, knowledge, method, process or product, as well as any resulting elements and/or processes likely or otherwise to be protected according to national and/or international laws or conventions on intellectual property developed by any participant as a part of any submitted deliverable throughout the challenge (“Creations”).

Warranty of non-infringement: When submitting any deliverable, at any stage of the challenge, each participant guarantees to sponsor that s/he is the co/owner and/or co/holder of the Intellectual Property Rights regarding all or part of the creations contained in the deliverables submitted at any stage of the challenge, and that s/he has obtained all rights and permissions regarding all pre-existing creations and any elements of the deliverables for which s/he does not hold the relevant rights.


Each participant guarantees that:

  • His/her contribution is original and unprecedented
  • It does not infringe upon the copyright or any Intellectual Property Rights of any third party
  • All the elements of which his/her submissions are formed, as well as all pieces of contributions and information communicated in the submission presentation documents,  are accurate, reliable and complete
  • The submission of the relevant deliverables does not constitute an act of unfair competition of any kind

The sponsor cannot be held liable for any infringement of the above provisions by participants. Each participant shall indemnify sponsor against any disturbance, action, claim, opposition and demand or eviction attempt from any third party in connection with any creation in the deliverables (Intellectual Property Rights included).

 

It is compulsory for participants to indicate the source of any pre-existing creations of whichever nature and on whichever support that is included in any submitted deliverable. Any deliverable involving several participants constitutes a collaborative work and it should be treated as such in accordance with the applicable regulations in force.

 

If any idea (or project), consisting of an application or program, is selected for Mentoring Workshop phase and receives assistance from the sponsor to create a consumer-ready product, will be made publicly available free-of-charge.

 

14. Modification of Rules, Suspension, and Cancellation of the Challenge

  

Update of the Rules: the sponsor reserves the right to amend these rules or challenge timelines at any time, including the challenge duration in case of operational imperatives, which will be conveyed to participants.

 

Participants are encouraged to consult these rules regularly. Participants expressly waive all claims or disputes related to any amendments to these rules by the sponsor.

 

Should any paragraph of these rules be declared or judged illegal, unenforceable or void by a court decision, the paragraph in question will be considered null and void, but all other unaffected paragraphs will be enforced within the limits of the law.

 

15. Limitation of Liability

 

The sponsor will in no way be held liable in the event of breakdown or failure, regardless of the cause, of any telecommunications network used that causes participants difficulty in or prevents participants from identifying themselves on or gaining access to the challenge website.


Participants agree that the sponsor, its affiliates and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, representatives and agents (“released parties”) will have no liability whatsoever for, and will be released and held harmless by participants for any claims, liabilities, or causes of action of any kind or nature for any injury, loss or damages of any kind, including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages to persons, including without limitation disability or death. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the challenge website and in connection with the challenge is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Some jurisdictions may not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages or exclusion of implied warranties, in which case such limitation or exclusion shall apply only to the extent permitted by the law in the relevant jurisdiction.


Participation in the challenge implies acknowledgment and acceptance of the characteristics, limits, and risks of the internet and related technologies, particularly with regards to performance, response time, the security of software and computer equipment against various potential attacks, such as viruses, logic bombs or Trojans, and loss or misuse of data. As a result, the sponsor will not be held liable in any way for any damage incurred by participants arising from these characteristics, limits, and risks, which participants accept by registering and taking part in the challenge.


The sponsor will not in any case be held liable for damages resulting from faults with or delays in the submission of deliverables by participants, including refusal to accept these deliverables as a consequence of their submission outside the deadlines set out in the rules, from faults with or delays to the sending of any emails by the participant sent as part of the challenge, or from any alterations made to the deliverables independently of the sponsor.


The sponsor will not, in any case, be held liable for damages resulting from the services provided by a third-party relating to the prizes.


The sponsor will not be held liable for the consequences of a participant’s disqualification from the challenge as a result of their violation of these rules.

 

16. Personal Data Protection

 

Purpose: The participant agrees that the Sponsor and Agorize may collect personal information or personal data from the participant for the purpose of administering and hosting the challenge in accordance with these rules.

 

Personal Data: Personal data collected and used by the sponsor or Agorize may include the participant’s name, age, nationality, contact details (address, email, address, phone numbers), photographs, images and other personal data reasonably necessary for administering or hosting the challenge.

 

Personal Data collected by the sponsor or Agorize shall not be used for any purpose except those reasonably related to the challenge as set out in these rules.

 

Participant’s personal data is subject to processing within the meaning of the regulations on the protection of personal data (The EU 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation and the

Council of 27 April 2016, known as GDPR) for which the sponsor defines the purposes and means and is, as such, “Data controller” within the meaning of the GDPR.

 

In accordance with the provisions of the GDPR, the organizer undertakes to implement organizational and technical security measures in order to protect all participant’s Personal Data. The organizer undertakes to allow the exercise of their rights from GDPR.

 

17. Claims

 

Any participant’s claims arising from the challenge should be addressed no later than thirty (30) days following the challenge end date to renata@agorize.com.

 

All claims must include:

  • The participant’s complete contact details (name, address, email address and phone number)
  • The name of the challenge
  • A clear and detailed explanation for the claim

18. Applicable Law and Disputes Resolution

 

The challenge and any action related thereto shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong.


In case of persistent litigation beyond a period of fifteen (15) days after the participant has filed a claim, the sponsor and the participant undertake to submit their dispute to an amicable conciliation prior to any legal proceedings.

 

The party wishing to initiate conciliation shall inform the other party by means of a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in which it will inform of its intentions and will explain the cause. If no agreement is reached between the parties within thirty (30) days after receipt of the registered letter, the parties regain their freedom of action.