Pangaea X challenge (the “Program”)

RULES OF THE PROGRAM

(the “Rules”)

This Program is organized by the Pangaea X non-profit Association, whose registered office is located at Chemin du Moulinet 2, Puidoux 1070 Switzerland (“The Organization”).

The purpose of the Rules is to define the conditions and rules of participation in the program.

Participation in the Program implies for all participants the full and unreserved acceptance of these Rules. If you do not agree with the terms of the Rules, you should not register or participate in the Program.

Duration of the Program

Registration for the Program begins on April 21, 2023 at 06:00 UTC+1 and ends on July 9, 2023 at 23:59 UTC+1. Registration for the Challenge is available 24 hours a day on the website dedicated to the Challenge at the URL: www.pangaeax.org (“the Program Website”), subject to possible computer maintenance operations or malfunctions. The above dates and times refer to Coordinated Universal Time UTC+1.

The Pangaea X Program itself begins on July 17, 2023 with the announcement of the 10 selected teams. It ends on December 1, 2023.

Acceptance of the Rules

Any person registered on the Program Site and in the program (“the Participant” or “You”) must expressly read and accept the Rules. By accessing the Rules and accepting them, you :

1. Enter into a legally binding contract with the The Organization. It being specified that in no way does registration and participation in the Program create a relationship of subordination between The Organization and the Participant; and
   Accept fully and unreservedly to abide by these Rules in all their provisions.
2. Acceptance shall be made by checking a box when registering online for the Program.

Failure to comply with these Rules and Regulations will result in immediate cancellation of participation.

Registration and participation in the Challenge

In order to participate in the Program, the complete registration must be received before July 9, 2023 at 23:59 UTC+1.

In order to participate in the Program, the Participant must form a team and notify The Organization, in a fair and complete manner, of the required information, such as the first and last names and e-mail addresses of teammates. The registration form must be fully completed. The deliverables requested in the form must also be returned.

The Organization reserves the right to disqualify any Participant who does not provide or incompletely provides the deliverables or information required to participate in the Program.

The Participant is responsible for the information provided at the time of registration for the Program. Errors, anomalies, and inconsistencies within this information, whether intentional or not, may result in the Participant’s disqualification.

The Organization reserves the right to make all necessary verifications concerning the identity, postal address and/or e-mail address of Participants.

Registration and participation in the Program are entirely free.

Conditions of participation in the Challenge

The Challenge is open only to :

• Teams consisting of at least two individuals between the ages of 16 (sixteen) and 29 (twenty-nine) from 1994 years. In case the person is a minor, the parental authorization duly completed and signed must be provided.
• Fluent English person with a residence in Europe or Switzerland

Principle of the Program and terms of participation

Participation in the Program must be done in teams.

• Teams. Individual participants may choose to form a team (the “Team”) of up to four members. Each member of the Team must accept the Rules, by clicking online via the Pangaea X interface. The Organization reserves the right to disqualify a Team (as well as all its members) in the event that one of the members has not accepted or has not respected the obligations arising from the Rules.

The program consists of the Participants making contributions (or projects) defined by deliverables, meeting the requirements set by the Organization.

The registration form includes information such as the various deadlines and mandatory attendance dates, the deadlines for participation, requirements and, etc. The registration form is accessible on the Program Website.

Deliverables

During the postulation phase, Participants may complete (the “Deliverable(s)”) :

• the registration form
• attach documents or files (such as texts, presentations, videos, etc.) relating to their project as answers and solutions to the problems addressed the by the program.
• upload a 2min video of their teams

To be valid, the Deliverables must:

• address the specific problem posed in the Brief ;
• be in a standard digital format (.doc, .docx, .pdf, .ppt, .pttx, .key, .odt, .mp3, .mpeg, .mov, .mp4);
  be in English, and
  comply with the requirements of the Rules.
• If a Deliverable cannot be downloaded, is not in the correct format, or is incompatible, illegible or unintelligible, the Deliverable will not be considered by The Organization.

By submitting a Deliverable, Participants represent and warrant that:

• The Deliverable is composed solely of contributions from Participants. Otherwise, if third party content has been used in the development of the Deliverable, you must have obtained and been granted all necessary rights, permissions and agreements to submit the Deliverable.
• The existence of a third party contribution in violation of its copyrights may result in the disqualification of the Deliverable and the Participants concerned.
  No other person and/or legal entity, regardless of form, may claim any right to the use of the Deliverables; and that
• The content of the Deliverables shall not violate any rights of any third party, including (but not limited to) intellectual property rights, privacy rights, competition rights, confidentiality rights, or any other contractual or non-contractual rights.
• Any Deliverable suspected of violating third party rights and/or law(s) will be ineligible for the Challenge.

All costs and expenses associated with the preparation and submission of Deliverables are the responsibility of the Participants. Participants are solely responsible for damaged, lost, delayed, incomplete, invalid, incorrect or misdirected Deliverables. The Organization reserves the right to claim from the Participants any damages that it may suffer as a result of the breach of guarantees relating to the Deliverables.

Throughout the program, you will need to submit three deliverables at specific times.

• The first during the application stage: Deliverables are accepted from April 21, 2023 06:01 PM to July 9, 2023 11:59 PM. At the end of this stage, a maximum of 10 teams will be selected and will proceed to the second stage.
  
  
• The second for the mid-program evaluation : Deliverables are accepted until September 30, 2023. At the end of this stage, an evaluation will be provided to the team and the Organization reserves the right to eliminate a team if the evaluation is not sufficient.
• The final at the end of the program : Deliverables will be accepted until November 19, 2023.

Failure of a Participant/team to submit the Deliverables by the announced end date will be considered as a withdrawal from the program. The Participant may not, under any circumstances, re-enter the program, or obtain any compensation from The Organization.

Selection criteria.

Deliverables will be judged in particular on the basis of the selection criteria set forth below. The Participant acknowledges that he/she is aware of and accepts that the proposed program calls upon his/her creativity, sagacity, skill and ingenuity to solve complex problems.

During the selection process of the 10 teams, the Jury may evaluate and select the Deliverables based on their content and the following criteria :

1. Problem Statement:
   • Environmental challenge: How well does the project proposal identify and explain the environmental issue that it seeks to address? Are the problem and its underlying causes clearly defined and supported by data?
   • Customer problem: How well does the project proposal show it understands their potential customer’s pain points? Are these pain points and its underlying causes clearly defined and supported by data and evidence?
2. Proposed Solution:
   • Environmental: How well does the project proposal articulate the proposed solution to the environmental issue, including its design, technology, and feasibility? Does the solution align with the themes of the Pangaea X program and contribute to the SDGs?
   • Customer : Does the project proposal show evidence of being in the market validation phase with at least one potential customer feedback collected by the team?
3. Implementation Plan: How well does the project proposal outline a high-level plan for implementing the proposed solution, including the timeline, budget, resources, and key milestones? Is the plan feasible and well thought out, given the scope of the proposed project?
4. Expected Impact: How well does the project proposal explain the potential impact of the proposed project on local communities and the environment? Is the expected impact clearly articulated and supported by data, statistics, and other evidence?
5. Financial Sustainability: How well does the project proposal demonstrate a clear financial sustainability plan, and is it designed to be financially self-sufficient without depending on donations or other philanthropic resources?
6. Team Members: How well does the project proposal describe the background, skills, and experiences of each team member? Does each team member have a clear role and contribution to the success of the proposed project?

Notification to Participants

Once the selection process is complete, Participants will be notified by e-mail, telephone, or any other means, at the sole discretion of  The Organization, of the results of each selection stage. The Organization is free to change the dates on which the results are communicated, in the event that the number of projects to be examined makes such a change necessary. The ranking decided by the jury will be announced on the day of the Final and will designate the finalist Participants.

Final evaluation

During the final evaluation to select the winning team, the Jury may evaluate and select the Deliverables based on their content and the following criteria

1. Alignment with the SDGs: How well does the project align with the themes of the SDGs 7, 12, 14, and 15, and how do they address the key environmental challenges outlined by these goals?
2. Creativity and Innovation: How creative and innovative is the proposed solution, and does it demonstrate a unique approach to solving environmental challenges?
3. Financial Sustainability: To what extent does the proposed project have a clear and feasible plan for financial sustainability, and is it designed to be self-sufficient without relying on external donations or philanthropic resources?
4. Impact and Scalability: What is the potential impact of the proposed project, and how scalable is the solution? Is there a clear plan for expanding the project to reach a wider audience or to achieve greater impact in the long-term?
5. Community Engagement: To what extent does the project involve and engage local communities, and how does it address the needs and concerns of these communities?
6. Feasibility: How feasible is the proposed project, and does it have a clear and realistic plan for implementation and monitoring?
7. Environmental Benefit: What is the environmental benefit of the proposed project, and how does it contribute to the conservation, restoration, or protection of natural ecosystems?
8. Act local, think global : How well does the proposed project embody the theme of Act local, think global, and how does it demonstrate an understanding of the interconnectedness of local and global environmental challenges?
9. Progress Criteria: What progress has been made by the project team from the beginning of the program to the final event, including factors such as project development, team collaboration, community engagement, and outreach efforts?
10. Motivation and Personal Implication: To what extent has the project team shown motivation, dedication, and personal implication throughout the program, and how does it demonstrate their commitment to creating a positive environmental impact?

Prizes

The winning team of the Challenge will get:

• The winning team will receive up to 20’000€ to develop their project. The budget will be allocated as a reimbursement for project-related expenses and approved in advance by the organization.
• The winning team will have the opportunity to go on a 4 days expedition with Mike Horn. Exact time and location will be communicate during the year. 

No assignment or transfer of the prize by a winning team is allowed between the different winning teams. If a winner cannot be contacted, cannot accept the prize or any part of it, for whatever reason, The Organization will have no obligation to that winner. Any winner will accept the prize “as is”. The Organization does not provide any guarantee whatsoever on the prizes.

A Participant who fails to comply with the conditions of participation set forth in the Rules, at the time of registration and/or at any stage of the selection process will be disqualified, with immediate effect and without notice, from the Program.

Communication

The Participant acknowledges and accepts that The Organization may use the Program for advertising, communication and marketing purposes for The Organization, regardless of the format, means and media (website, advertising banners, social networks, newsletter, press release, etc.), known or unknown to date, free of charge or for a fee.

To this end, you consent to the use byThe Organization  of your first and last name, your city and region of residence, your image, and any other personal data that you submit with your Deliverables as well as the content of your Deliverables relating to the Program. As an example, each Participant authorizes The Organization to use the photographs and videos taken during the program in order to disseminate them on all communication media.

This use does not entitle you tò any remuneration, and does not require any additional consent from you.

Confidentiality

The Organization is under no obligation to keep confidential the information contained in the Deliverables submitted by the Participants. In general, by submitting a Deliverable, Participants acknowledge and agree that the information contained therein may be disclosed to the public by The Organization.

If you are among the winners, The Organization or its partners may ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement for the purpose of entering into negotiations regarding the development of your project as described in your Deliverable. This confidentiality agreement will cover your Deliverable and the intellectual property rights associated with it.

In addition, Participants acknowledge that The Organization may develop on its behalf, or receive from third parties, information similar to that contained in any of the Deliverables. Accordingly, nothing in these Rules prohibits The Organization from independently acquiring, independently developing, or independently developing products, concepts, systems, services, or techniques that are similar to or that may compete with the products, concepts, systems, services, or techniques that a Deliverable presents or provides.

Participants acknowledge that other Participants, whether individuals or companies, may have provided or may provide in the future to The Organization or to third parties, or may have disclosed to the public or will disclose, content that is similar or identical to any information contained in a Deliverable. Accordingly, Participants acknowledge and agree that The Organization has the right to use such similar or identical content, and that Participants shall not be entitled to any compensation for the use of such content by The Organization.

Intellectual Property

Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

“Intellectual Property Rights”: any copyright or other rights relating to a trademark, design, patent and, more generally, any item (including trade secrets and know-how) that may be protected by national and/or international laws, or by conventions relating to intellectual property (“Intellectual Property Rights”) ;

Prior Rights” means any intellectual property rights and/or related know-how owned by Participants prior to the start date of the Program (“Prior Rights”);

Creations”: any software (including source code and object code), database, technical specification, text, design, model, information, knowledge, method, process or product, as well as any element and/or process resulting therefrom, developed by a Participant as part of a Deliverable submitted in the course of the Program and which may be protected or may be susceptible to protection under applicable national and/or international laws and conventions relating to intellectual property (“Creations”).

Non-Infringement Warranty. By submitting a Deliverable at any stage of the Challenge, each Participant warrants to the Organizing Body that he/she is the co-owner and/or co-titleholder of the Intellectual Property Rights relating to all or part of the Creations contained in the Deliverables, and that he/she has obtained all necessary rights and authorizations relating to such pre-existing or third-party Creations.

Each Participant guarantees that :

• his/her contributions are original and unpublished ;
  his or her contributions do not infringe the rights of any third party
• all elements of his or her Contributions and all information provided in the Deliverables are accurate, reliable and complete; and
• submission of the Deliverables does not constitute an act of unfair competition.

Participants must include the source of all pre-existing Creations included in the submitted Deliverables. Any Deliverable that has been developed by multiple Participants constitutes a collaborative work and should be treated as such under applicable law.

Liability. The Organization shall not be liable in any way for any violation by Participants of the above provisions.

Each Participant shall indemnify The Organization in the event of claims, oppositions, actions, or attempted eviction by a third party, relating to any of the Creations contained in the Deliverables (including the associated intellectual property rights).

Modification of the Rules, Suspension and Cancellation of the Challenge

In order to adapt to changes in the course of the Program, The Organization reserves the right to unilaterally and without prior notice modify the rules of the Program subject to informing all candidates in advance by e-mail. The Participant expressly waives any claim or challenge relating to any modification made to the Rules by The Organization

Suspension or cancellation of the Challenge.

The Organization reserves the right, at its discretion:

• to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Program and the Rules, for any reason, at any time and without liability; and
• to limit or restrict participation in the Program.

The Organization shall not be held liable for the modification, cancellation or suspension of the Program and no compensation or remuneration shall be due to Participants.

Limitation of liability

The Organizing Body shall not be held liable for any disruption to the Internet network or for access difficulties related to a large number of connected persons or Participants. It may not, in any way, be held responsible for communication or access interruptions, data loss, computer viruses or any direct or indirect prejudice whatsoever that may be suffered by a Participant before, during or after his/her participation in the Challenge.

The Organizing Body shall not be held liable for any facts or damages that are not directly or indirectly attributable to it, in particular those resulting from errors or delays in the submission of the Deliverables by the Participants, including the refusal to accept these Deliverables due to their submission outside the scheduled dates, damage resulting from errors or delays in sending e-mails by the Participant in the context of the Challenge, as well as damage resulting from any alteration made to the Deliverables beyond the control of the Organizing Body, or from an event of force majeure likely to disrupt, modify or cancel the Challenge.

Consequently, the Participants waive any recourse against the organizing Company and its employees for damages and/or prejudice that they may suffer in connection with the Challenge.

The organizing Company shall not, under any circumstances, be held liable for the consequences of the disqualification of a Participant due to the latter’s violation of the Rules.

Protection of personal data

Participation in the Program requires the communication of the Participant’s personal data (“the Personal Data”).

The Participant’s Personal Data is processed within the meaning of the regulations on the protection of personal data for which The Organization defines the purposes and means and is, as such, responsible for such processing within the meaning of the RGPD.

The purposes of this processing are :

• to meet the needs of the organization of the Competition;
• to organize the intermediation between the Participant and the Partner Organization, to ensure the identification, communication and conservation of exchanges with the Participant;

In accordance with the provisions of the RGPD, The Organization undertakes to implement organizational and technical security measures aimed at protecting all of the Participants’ Personal Data. Similarly, The Organization undertakes to allow Participants to exercise their rights under the RGPD.

The purposes of this processing are:

• to meet the needs of organizing the Program;
• to organize the intermediation between the Participant and The Organization, to ensure the identification, communication and conservation of exchanges with the Participant;

In accordance with the provisions of the RGPD, The Organization undertakes to implement organizational and technical security measures aimed at protecting all of the Participants’ Personal Data. Similarly,The Organization undertakes to allow Participants to exercise their rights under the RGPD.

Applicable law and jurisdiction

The Program is subject to Swiss law.

In the event of a dispute relating to the Program, the Participants undertake to do their utmost to settle the dispute amicably.

Any dispute arising from or relating to the Program shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Lausanne.