Terms & conditions

1.1 These terms and conditions apply to entrants registering and submitting applications to the Smart Data Challenge Prize and to any partners in relation to your entry to and participation in the Challenge Prize. 

1.2 Entrants must register and submit an entry between 15th January 2025 and 14th March 2025. All information relating to your entry must be in English, must be legible and complete, and must comply with all applicable provisions on the Challenge Prize website and these terms and conditions. Challenge Works and DBT reserve the right to reject any entries that are incomplete, illegible or in the wrong format. 

1.3 Late applications will not be accepted and Challenge Works and/or DBT are not responsible for applications which are lost, damaged or late due to third party failures. Please refer to the detailed timetable included on the Challenge Prize website for further details. 

1.4 Entrants must meet all the eligibility requirements to enter, set out on the prize website and must continue to meet the eligibility requirements at all stages throughout the Prize. DBT’s decision relating to eligibility, shortlisting of finalists and the selection of winners is final and is not subject to appeal. 

1.5 Entrants can submit more than one entry to the Challenge Prize however each entry must relate to a different initiative or innovation. Furthermore, if an entrant has submitted multiple entries, Challenge Works will only select one entry for the Challenge Prize. 

1.6 Both Challenge Works and DBT will use the contact details provided to contact you about the Challenge Prize. All updates and communications to Entrants will be provided in English. Failure to respond to any communication within 14 days, may result in, at our discretion, entries being withdrawn from the Challenge Prize and, where relevant, Challenge Works selecting an alternative entry in your place.

1.7 Employees of Challenge Works (Nesta, or any company within the same group), DBT, ODI, SDF and other individuals working on the project and their immediate families are not eligible to enter. 

1.8 Unless otherwise stated, all entrants’ costs of entering and participating in the Challenge Prize are borne by the entrant. 

1.9 Entrants must identify one individual as team leader from the lead organisation. The team leader is responsible for making sure that all other members are aware of and comply with these terms and conditions and all relevant application information on the Prize website. Entrants must notify Challenge Works and/or DBT in writing if the team leader changes, and provide us with up-to-date contact details via [email protected] 

1.10 Challenge Works and DBT reserve the right to prohibit entry, and to make no award. DBT will receive recommendations from the Challenge Prize assessors, the sector reviewers and the judging panel which it will take into consideration when making its decisions. However, DBT is not bound by the recommendations, and all and any awards are at DBT’s sole discretion. For the avoidance of doubt, DBT may at its sole discretion decide not to award any funding. Correspondence will not be entered into. 

1.11 Challenge Works and DBT reserve the right at our sole discretion to remove entrants from the Challenge Prize if they do not comply with the terms and conditions. This includes but is not limited to behaviour such  as cheating or behaving in a way which is disruptive, inappropriate, or potentially dangerous, or if you fail to participate fully or do anything which may damage the reputation of any of Challenge Works or DBT. Entrants must notify Challenge Works in writing if they decide to withdraw from the Challenge Prize for any reason.

1.12 Challenge Works and DBT reserve the right to vary the form or substance of the Challenge Prize (including, without limitation, the information on the Challenge Prize website, the criteria and requirements for success, these terms and conditions and any deadlines) as we deem appropriate in the circumstances within the boundaries of DBT’s legal authority to award the grant, taking into account the aims of the Challenge Prize. Challenge Works will contact the entrants in the event of any variation. Entrants who are not happy with the changes made, should withdraw from the Challenge Prize; continued participation will indicate your agreement to all and any changes.

1.13 No compensation will be paid to entrants if the Challenge Prize is changed, suspended or terminated by Challenge Works or DBT in accordance with these terms and conditions.

1.14 Finalists and Winners will be invited to sign a grant agreement setting out the terms of the Challenge Prize’s funding. The terms of the grant agreements are final and not subject to negotiation. 

1.15 Neither Challenge Works, DBT, nor any of their respective partners in the Challenge Prize shall have any responsibility or liability to anyone however arising for the non-payment or delay in payment of any funds awarded through the Challenge Prize.

1.16 Funding will be awarded in pounds sterling into a UK business bank account and the recipient is responsible for payment of tax and other charges.

1.17 Challenge Works and DBT reserve the right to impose additional conditions if in their sole opinion the Challenge Prize has not resulted in sufficient public benefit in line with Nesta’s charitable objectives, the objectives of the Challenge Prize and/or if this is required or appropriate to comply with other legal or regulatory requirements.

1.18 Acceptance of the grant agreement and funding is a condition of participation as a finalist in the Challenge Prize, and of being selected as winner of the Challenge Prize.

1.19 Subject to the terms within the grant agreement, finalists will be awarded £50,000 each and the winner will be awarded an additional £50,000, with two runners up receiving a further £25,000 each. The purpose of the grant is to develop, or further develop, a Smart Data solution.

1.20 Any funds awarded by the Challenge Prize must be used for purposes related to your entry. You must comply with all reasonable monitoring requirements specified by Challenge Works or DBT to verify the proper use of such funds, and you consent to the sharing of all monitoring information with DBT and any third party DBT may in future appoint in respect of the monitoring of the Challenge Prize. 

1.21 Any funds awarded by the Challenge Prize may be clawed back in circumstances defined within the grant agreement, including if used for improper purposes.

1.22 Entrants will be subject to due diligence checks, you agree to provide reasonable information in response to queries raised as part of our due diligence. 

2.1 To participate in the Challenge Prize, you represent and warrant, and shall ensure that:

2.1.1 each Entrant satisfies the eligibility requirements to enter the Challenge Prize;

2.1.2 all information submitted by you is true, accurate and complete. Challenge Works and DBT reserve the right to ask for additional evidence of claims made by you, to validate claims by any means we see fit, and/or to reject claims at our sole discretion;

2.1.3 each Entrant shall provide any additional information to Challenge Works or DBT reasonably requested within 14 days, and shall participate promptly in the assessment, testing, challenges and presentations required as part of the Challenge Prize. 

2.1.4 each Entrant has all authorisations, consents and permissions necessary to submit your entry, carry out your proposal, and comply with these terms & conditions;

2.1.5 your entry does not and will not infringe or misappropriate any intellectual property or other third-party rights, or breach any contractual obligation (specifically, though without limitation, please see Clause 4 below). Challenge Works or DBT may withdraw your entry if we receive notice that your entry infringes or misappropriates any third-party rights, or breaches any contractual obligations;

2.1.6 each Entrant shall make no attempt to undermine the Challenge Prize, cheat, or behave in any way which is in Challenge Works or DBT’s reasonable opinion unfair, disruptive, inappropriate or potentially dangerous, or which damages or may damage the reputation of the Challenge Prize or of any Partner;

2.1.7 each Entrant shall always act lawfully, ethically, and in good faith and comply with the rules of the Challenge Prize and any relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and codes of practice; and

2.1.8 Each Entrant shall comply with our reasonable instructions while participating in the Challenge Prize, including in relation to health, safety, and security.

2.2 You agree that if Challenge Works or DBT determine that any of the above has been violated, we may, at our sole discretion, withdraw your entry, and/or rescind or recover any Challenge Prizes awarded to you.

3.1 At the time of submitting an entry to the Challenge and at any other point during the Challenge, you must declare and procure that your partners declare any actual or potential conflict of interest with Challenge Works, DBT, ODI, SDF, NayaOne and/or the Challenge Prize judges, and provide Challenge Works and DBT with all information reasonably requested in relation to such conflict.

3.2 You must take reasonable steps, and procure that your partners take reasonable steps, to manage any such conflict including (without limitation) by implementing such measures as Challenge Works or DBT may reasonably require. Where a conflict cannot be avoided and/or where DBT determines (in its sole discretion) that a conflict cannot be appropriately managed you may be disqualified from participating in the Challenge Prize.

3.3 An entity is not eligible to enter or participate in the Challenge Prize if it shares common ownership with Challenge Works, ODI, SDF or NayaOne, except where such a relationship is declared and measures taken to manage any risk of conflict have been approved by DBT

3.4 An entity is not eligible to enter or participate in the Challenge Prize if any individual in the project team or any senior member of its staff is:

3.4.1 an employee of Challenge Works or DBT or an immediate family member of such employee;

3.4.2 an employee of ODI, SDF or NayaOne that is working or has worked on the research, design, administration, delivery and/or evaluation of the Challenge Prize, or any immediate family member of such employee; or

3.4.3 working or has worked on the research, design, administration, delivery and/or evaluation of the Challenge, or any immediate family member of such individual, except where such a relationship is declared, and measures taken to manage any risk of conflict have been approved by DBT.

3.5 You must declare the following in your entry in respect of Challenge Works, the ODI, SDF or NayaOne or any entities within the same group of companies as those entities:

3.5.1 any investment (of any kind) received of a value more than £100,000 in the past three years;

3.5.2 the names of any directors, officers or employees who are also directors, officers or employees of your organisation;

3.5.3 any other situation which would reasonably create a conflict of interest or relationship between the participant and the aforementioned companies.

3.6 You must take reasonable steps to avoid, and procure that your partners take reasonable steps to avoid, any actual or potential conflict of interest with Challenge Works, DBT, our partners or our Challenge Prize expert panel.

3.7 You must immediately inform Challenge Works if you become aware of any potential or actual conflict of interest and provide Challenge Works and DBT with all information reasonably requested in respect of such conflict. If Challenge Works or DBT determines in its sole discretion that a potential or actual conflict has not been reasonably avoided or cannot be appropriately managed then you may be disqualified from the Challenge Prize.

3.8 In addition, you must, at the time of submitting an entry to the Challenge and at any other point during the Challenge, declare and procure that your partners and participants declare any actual or potential conflict of interest with Nesta, DBT, ODI, SDF, NayaOne and/or the Challenge judges, and provide Nesta and DBT with all information reasonably requested in relation to such conflict.

3.9 You must take reasonable steps, and procure that your partners and participants take reasonable steps, to manage any such conflict including (without limitation) by implementing such measures as Nesta or DBT may reasonably require. Where a conflict cannot be avoided and/or where DBT determines (in its sole discretion) that a conflict cannot be appropriately managed you may be disqualified from participating in the Challenge.

4.1 You will retain your intellectual property rights in your entry to the Challenge Prize.

5.1 Challenge Works will use the information which you provide, including personal details of you and your team members, to process your entry to the Challenge Prize, to administer the Challenge Prize, to let you know about other Challenge Works and/or DBT events and activities or to evaluate the Challenge Prize. We may share the information with our partners and anyone helping us to run the Challenge Prize, subject to appropriate obligations of confidentiality and data protection. Challenge Works will only share personal details of individuals under the age of 18 with partners and contractors, as necessary, for administration of the Challenge Prize subject to appropriate obligations of confidentiality and any relevant data protection regime. Some of these organisations may process your information outside of the UK. For more information on how we use your personal data please see our Privacy Policy.

5.2 Challenge Works and DBT may carry out publicity and promotion for the Challenge Prize and publish our research and evaluation in relation to the Challenge Prize. You agree that the entity you represent will participate in publicity for the Challenge Prize and you consent to the use of your entity’s name, logo, a summary of your proposal, and photographs/recordings of your entity’s participation in the Challenge Prize in promotion and publications in any media and online. Any public statements made by a finalist or winner in relation to the Challenge Prize during the Challenge Prize and for the following calendar year must acknowledge the support of Challenge Works and DBT partners and must be approved by both parties in advance.

5.3 In this clause “FOIA” means the Freedom of Information Act 2000 together with any guidance and/or codes of practice issued by the Information Commissioner or relevant Crown body in relation to such legislation; and “EIR” means the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. You and your partners acknowledge that DBT is subject to the requirements of the FOIA and the EIR and may be required under the FOIA and the EIR to disclose information concerning you, your partners, your project and participation in the Challenge Prize (including commercially sensitive information) without consulting or obtaining your (and/or your partners) prior consent. In these circumstances DBT shall, in accordance with any relevant guidance issued under the FOIA, take reasonable steps, where appropriate, to give you and/ or your partners’ advance notice, or failing that, to draw the disclosure to you and/or your partners’ attention after any such disclosure. DBT shall be responsible for determining in its absolute discretion whether any information is exempt from disclosure in accordance with the FOIA and/or the EIR.

6.1 To the extent permitted by applicable law, Challenge Works and DBT exclude all liability for any direct or indirect loss or liability, costs, claims, taxes, charges or expenses arising from your participation in the Challenge Prize or your reliance on statements made or advice given by us, our partners or contractors. If you submit any materials or items as part of your entry to the Challenge Prize, this is at your own risk. Challenge Works gives no undertakings to keep safely, maintain or return any materials or items.

6.2 Without prejudice to Clause 4.1, our maximum liability to you in connection with the Challenge Prize (if any) is limited to £500. Nothing in these terms and conditions excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or fraudulent misrepresentation made by us or our partners.

7.1 You must let us know as soon as possible if you expect to have received more than £315,000 (the Minimal Financial Assistance threshold) in subsidies since 1 April 2022, including any financial awards made to you through the Challenge Prize. Please note that this limit applies at the company group level and that you should count MFA (or EU de minimis aid) received from any public authority during this period, not just the Department for Business and Trade. A public authority giving you MFA will have notified you in writing that you were receiving Minimal Financial Assistance subsidy under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Please note, there is no restriction on entering the Challenge Prize if you are over the MFA limit, but it is important that this is declared to us.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-subsidy-control-statutory-guidance)

8.1 Neither Challenge Works, DBT nor their partners shall be in breach of these terms and conditions, nor liable for any delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations pursuant to these terms and conditions if such delay or failure results from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control.

9.1 These terms and conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and you hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.