Terms & Conditions

1.Background and introduction

ClimateLaunchpad is the Global Green Business Ideas Competition. Our mission is to unlock the world’s cleantech potential. We support start-ups that address climate change and shape the world’s next economy (the “Competition”).

The Competition is run primarily via climatelaunchpad.org (the “Competition Website”).

The Competition is organised by EIT Climate-KIC Holding B.V., an association duly incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands, with its registered office located at Plantage Middenlaan 45, 1018 DC Amsterdam, The Netherlands, registered in Amsterdam under the number 63299658 (“EIT Climate-KIC Holding B.V.”, also referred to as “we” or “us”). We are running this Competition in collaboration with our National Leads and partner network across the globe (“Partners”).

EIT Climate-KIC Partner: The ‘Delft University of Technology’ (“TU Delft”) pre-finances the majority of the ClimateLaunchpad Programme’s costs and is the formal “Owner” of the project. The TU Delft is located at: Van den Burghweg 1, 2628 CS Delft, The Netherlands and is registered under Dutch Law at the local Chamber of Commerce under registration number: 27364265

The Competition is run and administered by EIT Climate-KIC: Plantage Middenlaan 45, 1018 DC Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

These terms, conditions and any rules for the Competition on the Competition Website (together the “Terms and Conditions”) operate for the benefit of EIT Climate-KIC, and EIT Climate-KIC partners who contribute to or are involved in the administration, operation and maintenance of ClimateLaunchpad.

References to “we” “us” and “our” in these Terms and Conditions shall refer to Climate-KIC and its Partners.

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before you enter the Competition. By submitting an entry, you accept these Terms and Conditions and agree to comply with them.

A copy of these Terms and Conditions can be provided to you if you send us an email.

2. Eligibility

Who can enter the Competition:

1. Anyone with a promising cleantech idea, being a start-up, SME, researcher, student, public organisation, consultant, engineering company, a combination of these or anyone else.
2. You can only enter in your own country (as defined under 3c);
3. You cannot enter ClimateLaunchpad if you’ve already been accepted into EIT Climate-KIC (pre/Clim-)Accelerator or have participated in ClimateLaunchpad (or the former CleanLaunchpad) with the same business idea in a previous year;
4. You can only enter if:

• you have not yet started a business or your company has been incorporated for less than a year (definition: your legal entity does not exist for more than 1 year);
• you have attracted less than € 200.000 in investment (definition: no funding as a venture. Funding as a student is not counted);
• you have not yet sold products, solutions or prototypes on commercial terms.

If you are unsure about your eligibility to enter the Competition, please contact us before submitting an entry.

3. Submitting an entry

a. In order to submit an idea, you must fill in all mandatory fields and answer all questions within the relevant application form on the Competition Website. Entries must comply with guidelines and recommendations set out on the Competition Website.

b. Entries must be submitted in English.

c. You can only submit your application in your country. This is the country where you are either a permanent or a temporary resident. Being a temporary resident means you need to live in the country where you want to participate for the duration of the Competition.

d. Submission for entry starts on March 1. Submission deadlines differ per country. Check the Competition Website for deadlines.

e. We are not liable for possible deficiencies of the platform. Please note that we are not responsible for problems regarding computers, networks or any other reasons that may lead to lost, damaged or late entries.

f. Unless we say otherwise, you are responsible for all costs and expenses related to your entry into and participation in the competition, for example the Boot Camp, coaching sessions, National/Regional/Global Grand Final. Every country will try to support your participation in the Regional Final and/or Global Grand Final. This is something that you have to check with the National Lead in your country once you have been accepted into the programme.

4. What happens next – timeline

The ClimateLaunchpad 2022 edition is run entirely online.

After initial entries have been submitted, the competition will be run in accordance with the following indicative timeline. We reserve the right to change any of the timeframes indicated on our competition website.

Step 1: Boot Camp

The top teams chosen by our National leads* to take part in the ClimateLaunchpad National programme which kicks off with a multi-day digital Boot Camp. Our trainers will teach you all you need to know about jump-starting your business.

 Step 2: Intensive coaching and National Finals

The Boot Camp is followed by a period of intensive coaching. You’ll perfect your pitch, value proposition and business model. After that, you’re ready to rock your National Final where you’ll pitch digitally for a National Jury.

Step 3: Regional Finals

The top teams of each country go to the Regional Finals where they pitch in front of the region’s best and brightest. The crème de la crème are chosen to compete in the digital Global Grand Final.

 Step 4: Global Grand Final

The top teams in the world pitch against each other on the international stage. Here, there is glory to be won.

 *CLP Mini-course

Our National Leads may invite teams first for participation in a CLP Mini-course to help them to make a better selection or to prepare you for the Boot Camp.

Important note: if your application is selected you will be asked to confirm your participation to claim your spot in the competition. Accepting means compulsory attendance of the full National Boot Camp by 2 (minimum) representatives of the start-up, a minimum of 5 of the 6 coaching sessions, as well as the National Final, Regional Final (if eligible) and Global Grand Final (if eligible). For last minute cancellation or no-show, you will be fined € 500 to cover some of the costs we invested.

5. Selecting the Winner

a. The jury will decide which entry best meets the assessment criteria, as set out on the competition website.

b. Decisions, made by the jury, are final. No correspondence will be entered into. The composition of the jury may vary.

c. Whenever we need to contact you in connection with the competition, we will use the contact information provided by you in the application form. We are not responsible for incomplete or incorrect contact information provided.

6. The Prize

a. National Finalists are awarded prizes in-kind to be determined and organized by the National Partner Organisation.

b. The overall Winner of the Global Grand Final receives € 10,000, the runner up gets € 5,000 and the idea that comes in third place wins  € 2,500 (the “prize”).

c. The top 16 teams selected by the jury in the Semi-Finals to perform in the Final Round of the Global Grand Final, will automatically get direct access to the ClimateLaunchpad Accelerator, without having to pitch to a review board. In order to receive the prize, the winners may be required to sign up to such terms or agreements as may be required to participate in ClimateLaunchpad Accelerator. Copies of the applicable terms for the ClimateLaunchpad Accelerator can be provided upon request.

d. The prizes are personal to the winners and not transferable.

e. The winners are responsible for the payment of any taxes and charges on any prizes.

f. Each year we also try to organise an extra pitch opportunity for the Semi-Finalists: the Theme Awards. After a pre-selection round, the participating teams will get the opportunity to pitch for Themes, which vary per year. Per Theme, one winner will be selected and receives a cash or in kind prize.

g. We may alter, withdraw or modify any prizes at our discretion. There is no cash or monetary equivalent to the in-kind prizes.

7. Intellectual property rights, information and publicity

a. You confirm by entering the competition that, to the best of your knowledge, you own all Intellectual Property Rights (“IPRs”) subsisting in your entry to the competition and that your entry does not infringe any third party’s IPRs. You are responsible for obtaining any necessary permission from third parties to use their IPRs in your submission. We reserve the right to disclose your identity to any third party claiming material posted or uploaded by you to the competition website constitutes a violation of their IPRs, or their confidentiality/privacy rights. We reserve the right to ask for additional evidence or documents to validate that all information you supply is true and complete.

b. Subject to the terms of this clause 7, we recognize your ownership of the IPRs subsisting in your entry to the competition.

c. ClimateLaunchpad does not retain any equity or ownership of the idea upon application. You retain full and exclusive ownership of your information and intellectual property rights. Any idea you submit will only be used for the purpose of evaluating your application to ClimateLaunchpad.

8. Changes and competition cancellation

a. We may cancel the competition or vary these terms and conditions at any time at our discretion. We will post any changes to these terms and conditions on the competition website.

b. We reserve the right to suspend the competition at any time and to change the form and substance, dates for deadlines and events, locations or specification of the competition and/or prize.

c. We reserve the right not to award any prize.

9. Personal Data

a. Unless stated otherwise, information (including personal information) submitted in any entry will be used by EIT Climate-KIC and its Partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

b. By submitting your entry to the competition, you give us permission to use the information provided by you in your entry and during your participation in the competition (including your personal details; logos, photos, videos uploaded by you or your pitch and taken during events) for the purposes of administering and judging the competition, for any purpose connected to the competition and for promotional purposes. We may share this information with our jury members, our partners, and anyone who is involved in the competition.

c. Clauses 9.a and 9.b also gives our National Leads the permission to use the information provided by you in your entry and during your participation in the competition (including your personal details, logos, photos, videos uploaded by you or your pitch and taken during events) for the purposes of administering and judging the competition, for any purpose connected to the competition and for promotional purposes. Aside from this, they may still ask you to sign a document for this.

10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms & conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Dutch laws. Any dispute arising under these terms & conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Dutch courts. By entering the competition, you agree to submit to the Dutch laws, regardless of your country of establishment or residence.

11. Questions

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ’s”) is available on the Competition Website. In the event of a conflict between these terms & conditions and our FAQs, these Terms and Conditions will prevail.

If you have any further questions about the operation of the Competition, please contact the ClimateLaunchpad Central Team.

Latest version: February 2022