Terms of participation in the program
1.1. Confluence Challenge is a program (“Program") organized by “BUILDING SYSTEMS INNOVATION CENTRE PC” and “I4byDesign” (“Organizers”), in collaboration with “Alumil SA”, “ISOMAT SA” and “KLEEMANN SA” (“Industry Partners”). Special awards are sponsored by the One Stop Liaison Office of the Region of Central Macedonia, and “Thess INTEC” - Thessaloniki Innovation & Technology Center and Alexander Innovation Zone. The program is supported by the Hellenic Federation of Industries, the Hellenic Centre for Research and Technology “CERTH”, Aristotle University, the University of Macedonia and Elevate Greece. The program is designed and implemented by the companies “Atlantis Consulting”, “Anthology Ventures” and “Ideas Forward” (“Coaches”). SPIRA Technology Transfer Office is contributing with IPR training.
1.2. Confluence Challenge is an open innovation program bringing together corporations looking for innovative solutions to industry challenges, with entrepreneurs and researchers working at the forefront of technology. The Program is divided into five phases, starting with submission of applications, evaluation of the submitted ones, bootcamp sessions, acceleration Program and ending with final review and prizes award.
2.1 In order to join the Program, you must submit an application addressing one or more of the different industry challenges as described on the Program website (confluence-challenge.net).
2.2. By submitting the application form, the participants represent 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; If they are representing an entity, they have full legal capacity and power to enter into and perform their obligations on behalf of the entity;
2.3. Acceptance of participation in any phase of the Program is at the sole discretion of the Organizers. If Organizers understand that any application has been made in contravention of these terms and conditions they may refuse evaluation and/or participation.
2.4. Participants are responsible for all use of the Program’s website they make, whether or not they are aware of that use or could reasonably have been aware of that use.
2.5. Organizers and Coaches may communicate with the participants through the username/email that the latter provides in their application. Participants shall notify Organizers within a reasonable time if there are any changes to their details. If they fail to notify Organizers of any changes to their details, they agree to waive any objection, claim, defense, or recourse they might have had as a consequence of Organizers failing to communicate with them. If they change their email address and fail to notify Organizers of the change, Organizers will be deemed to have communicated with the participants on the date on which they communicated with the email address most recently provided by them.
2.7. Participants warrant that any content provided by them:
3.1. The participants shall submit solutions to challenges placed by the Industry Partners. Challenges will be developed around specific questions or/and themes that concern industrial production processes and business operations resulting in improvements with economic, environmental and societal impact. Purpose of such challenges is to create an open-ended inquiry that should engage participants to propose innovative solutions with a potentially positive impact for the whole society.
3.2. Once applications are submitted, the Organizers shall review them. Following that, they will select the ones that are deemed most promising for participation in the Program and will invite the respective applicants to participate in the next phase of the program (article 4).
3.3. The Organizers’ decisions on applications are final and cannot be reviewed. In some instances, the Organizers 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 Organisers may set a reasonable deadline for correcting the deficiencies.
3.5. The Organizers 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).
3.6. The Organizers may reject applications from persons who violate in any way national, EU or international law applicable in Greece.
4.1 Once the participants are selected, they will attend a 4-day Bootcamp that includes sessions with Coaches and representatives of industry partners. During the Bootcamp, the participants will work together with Coaches in order to refine their proposed solutions to challenges and improve their pitch decks.
4.2 Upon the fourth day, Organisers will announce a total of maximum 15 finalists that are selected to participate in the acceleration Program.
4.3 Οrganizers reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to scrutinize all entries for these requirements at any time during or after Bootcamp.
5.1. The selected participants will be invited to participate in a 2-month acceleration Program that will be held online, via teleconferencing tools, but will also include on-site visits to the premises of the Industry Partners.
5.2. During the acceleration Program, the selected participants will indicatively:
5.3. The updated schedule and overview of topics to be addressed during the acceleration Program will be available on the website of the Program.
5.4. During the sessions, Coaches will provide advising based upon accepted practice in startup acceleration, tailored according to the level of the participants. Such advising can include aspects related to business modeling, commercialization, financial forecasting, and investment. 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 or Organizers may result in disqualification from the Program.
6.1. Upon completion of the acceleration Program, participants will present their solutions for evaluation by a jury consisting of representatives of industry partners and invited experts.
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.
7.1. The Organisers will award prizes to those teams that have developed the most promising and impactful solutions addressing the Program’s challenges.
7.2. Prizes are awarded in the form of cash prizes or/and in kind. Indicatively:
7.3. The payment will be made in the denomination of Euros (€) to an exclusive account of the distinguished beneficiaries, held either with a banking institution or an electronic payment institution.
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 Organisers, 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 Organisers 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.
8.1. 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 Program.
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.
Each applicant undertakes the obligation, not only during the Program 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 Organizer or its partners, as far as Confidential Information is concerned. Separate Non Disclosure Agreements will be signed between the Participants in the Acceleration Program and the Organizers.
10.1. The applicants warrant that they created Program entries, that they own all of the copyright in those entries, and that the Organizers’ 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 participants will remain in their property after the end of the Program. Acceptance of these terms does not constitute a transfer to the Organisers or to other participants. The Organisers assume no responsibility for the allocation of intellectual property between the members of a team.
10.3. Upon acceptance of these terms, a license for the legal use of a distinctive title, distinctive feature and/or trademark used by the applicant for the exercise of his/her solution towards the Organisers, in the context of promotional activities for the Program, is granted free of charge for the duration of the Program as well as for one (1) year after its end.
11.1. The Organizers and Coaches may use depictions of the participants, as well as the latter’ company/project names or logos to promote the Program in the media and social media.
11.2. The Organizers and Coaches 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 Program and for a period of 24 months following its ending date.
Acts of unfair competition as defined in Greek law will entitle the Organizers to exclude applicants or participants from the Program.
These terms may be unilaterally amended by the Organizers with prior notice and at any time.
14.1 Participants are aware and acknowledge that their personal data will be processed only with a view to fulfill the purposes of the Program.
14.2 Ideas Forward will process data via “Typeform” and shall comply with all relevant obligations of the Personal Data Protection Legislation, in accordance with the detailed provisions of its Privacy Policy posted on its website.
The present terms are governed by Greek law. Any dispute that may arise in relation to the Program shall be resolved by the exclusively competent courts of Thessaloniki.