Rules of the Competition

World Challenge 09 is a competition organised by BBC World News Limited (“BBC World News”) aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level (the “Competition”). We want to hear from our viewers and readers about the social entrepreneurs who are making a difference without costing the earth. It could be you or someone you know.

The build up to the Competition will begin on 16th February 2009 with the airing of 12 short form programmes featuring the twelve finalists from 2008, which will be repeated until the 22nd June 2009. The featured case studies will also appear in Newsweek in a special advertising series sponsored by Shell. Viewers/readers will be invited to nominate their favourite project or small business.

All nominations, entries and votes related to the Competition must comply with these terms and conditions (the “World Challenge Competition Rules”); failure to do so may result in disqualification.

Who can you Nominate?

We are looking for your nominations for innovative projects or ideas that demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit working for the benefit of the community whilst adopting a responsible approach.

Projects/Small business that show initiative, the innovative use of technology or an invention.
Projects/Small business that increase investment into the local community.
Projects/Small business that take a responsible approach to the environment in which they are operating.

The following are not eligible for nomination: (i) projects developed by a company with a turnover of more than US $20m per annum; (ii) projects with more than 50% financing from an intergovernmental or bilateral development assistance agency such as the United Nations of European Community (iii) a drawing board idea. We need to see that something is happening; (iv) projects run by employees of BBC World News, the BBC group of companies, Newsweek, Shell or any other companies or agencies associated with the Competition and/or the selection jury and members of their immediate families and households;(v) any of the 12 finalist projects from World Challenge 2005, 2006, 2007 and/or 2008 competitions; (vi) projects/small businesses run by anyone under the age of eighteen (18); (vii) projects or small businesses with involvement in the sectors of alcoholic drinks, weapons or weapon manufacture, tobacco or pornography, political and lobbying organisations and/or religious groups.

Nomination Process

Nominations will only be considered if they are submitted through the official nomination
Each nomination must fall under one of the following categories:

COMMUNITY WELFARE AND ENTERPRISE

This is the broadest category: small and medium-sized businesses that are making profits for the benefit and welfare of communities ranging from neighbourhoods to villages to urban area and can include recycling as a business, manufacture of biodegradable goods, eco-tourism, protection and revival of small scale fisheries, employment of handicapped and other disadvantaged people.

HEALTH & EDUCATION

Preventive health care such as effective sanitation, clean water provision, low cost health care, alternative medicines and health care that are proven effective, new cures and treatment; education with practical applications and education which promotes gender equality and education for the disadvantaged.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

Agricultural businesses and projects that have a prime emphasis on soil health and fertility, lasting returns, wildlife friendliness, good nutrition, crop and domestic animal diversity, water efficiency, agro-forestry, equitable distribution of income, fair and efficient marketing, innovation in lessening dependence on chemical inputs, avoidance of animal cruelty (such as free range).

ENERGY

New and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, wave, hydro, hydrogen and thermal. Applications including energy efficient transport, cooking and domestic and industrial uses. Cost-saving measures inclusive of fuel efficient stoves, insulation, efficient uses of fossil fuels and integrated power systems.

WATER

Sustainable and equitable use of salt as well as freshwater resources such as preventing pollution and microbial contamination from households, farms and factories; treating polluted and ‘grey water’ for re-use; rainwater harvesting and other forms of water conservation and augmentation; conservation of wetlands, marshes and coastal zones as well as protection of local fisheries for the benefit of the disadvantaged.

ENVIRONMENT

Essentially all environmentally-sound businesses and projects not falling into the previous five categories. Primarily, these will consist of those endeavours that have a positive impact on the environment by either creating conditions for this to occur or curtailing past practices that were injurious to the environment.

To nominate a project / small business the nominee must complete all sections of the nomination form in English and submit a description of no more than 250 words describing why the project / small business deserves to win the Competition. Contact details of a person who can be contacted as a representative of the nominated project / small business must be included as part of the nomination.

Only one entry may be submitted on a nomination form and each entry can only be entered for a single category. BBC World News reserves the right to change the category in the event that an entry has been placed in a category which is considered by BBC World News to be unsuitable.

Nominations must be received no later than midnight (GMT) 22nd May 2009. All nominations received thereafter will be invalid.

No supplementary information will be considered after receipt of the nomination.

Grants are awarded to winning projects/small businesses for their own use and furtherance of their enterprise only. Nominators of a winning project will not, by virtue of their having submitted a nomination, be entitled to a share of prize money or to any other payment, publicity or other entitlement.

On clicking the “Confirm All Details” button, nominators: (i) authorise BBC World News and Newsweek Inc (“Newsweek”) to reproduce and publish their nominations in all forms of media; (ii) warrant to BBC World News that all the information supplied as part of the nomination is true and complete; and (iii) acknowledge that if the project / small business they are nominating reaches the final stages of the Competition the contact person detailed in the nomination form for that project / small business will be contacted by BBC World News and will have the choice whether or not to proceed in the Competition.

BBC World News and Newsweek will not be liable for any inaccuracy, error or omission contained in any such reproduction or publication. As such by nominating a project / small business you agree to protect BBC World News and Newsweek from any claims that your nomination infringes another person’s rights.

Selection Process

In the first instance a representative of BBC World News and the producer of World Challenge (the “Judges”) will screen all entries to ensure that they have complied with the World Challenge Competition Rules (the “Qualifying Entries”).
The Judges will use the following guidelines as criteria to select a shortlist of 60 Qualifying Entries (the “Shortlist”). The Judges decision on its selection is final. The criteria used to select the Shortlist, based on the information provided in the nomination, are as encapsulated here:
Innovative projects or ideas that demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit working for the benefit of the community whilst adopting a responsible approach.
A project that shows initiative, the innovative use of technology or an invention
Small business projects that increase investment into the local community.
Projects that take a responsible approach to the environment in which they are operating.
There is no fixed weighting given to these criteria and not all projects / small businesses have to meet each of these criterions to be selected.
The Shortlist will be submitted to a jury, details of which are available at (the Jury). From the sixty shortlisted entries the Jury will aim to select twelve finalists (the “Finalists”) plus six reserve entries in order of merit. The Jury will select the Finalists and reserve entries using the same criteria set out above, with jurors reviewing the proposals and meeting to discuss the Shortlist.
In the event of a tie, the chairperson of the Jury will have a casting vote. The Jury’s decision on its selection is final. Although the Jury will aim to select 12 projects/small businesses from the Shortlist it shall be under no obligation to make any selections at all if it so chooses
There will be a reserve BBC World News representative and one reserve juror in the event that either the BBC World News representative or one of the jurors is indisposed at the time the Jury convenes to select the finalists.
For each of the Finalists and the six reserve entries, the project contact person detailed in the nomination form will be contacted by a representative of BBC World News to ensure that: (i) they are aware that the project / small business has been nominated; and (ii) they agree to take part in the Competition and to comply with the World Challenge Competition Rules; and (iii) that the project / small business complies with the Competition criteria and the information provided in the nomination is correct. If any of these conditions is not satisfied, the Finalist in question will lose its place as a Finalist and the Jury will endeavour to replace it with the next reserve entry in order of merit.
In addition, a representative duly authorised to act on behalf of each Finalist will be required to enter into clearance agreements with BBC World News and Newsweek which will grant to the BBC group and Newsweek respectively, without limitation, the rights to:
- film and use footage of the Finalists; and
- use the Finalist’s names, likeness and photographs, either still or moving
- in all existing and future media and languages worldwide, in perpetuity, for all commercial and non-commercial purposes (the “Clearance Agreements”).
If a Finalist is unwilling to enter into the Clearance Agreements it will lose its place as a Finalist and the Jury will endeavour to replace it with the next reserve entry in order of merit.
Finalists will be deemed to have given their permission to the BBC, Shell or Newsweek to contact them to offer further services or partnerships relevant to The World Challenge.
Finalists must adhere to the World Challenge Competition Rules; failure to do so may result in disqualification.

Voting Process

The Finalists will be broadcast within the World Challenge 09 series and viewers/readers can vote for their favourite. Viewers/readers can vote online at www.theworldchallenge.co.uk only. The winner shall be the project that gains the most votes. The two runners up will be the two projects who win the second and third largest number of votes.

Voting is limited to one vote per person

If any vote manipulation is suspected (for example, any Internet spamming or unsolicited emails, or any other conduct which BBC World News believes is unfair or contrary to the spirit of the competition), BBC World News may request that the Jury disqualify from the competition the project/small business responsible for such actions. The judgment of the Jury in this respect will be considered final and the next entry with the most votes will be declared winner or runner up.

The following are ineligible to vote for this competition: employees of the BBC group of companies, Newsweek, Shell and their immediate families, or anyone else involved in the creation and administration of the Competition.

Awards

Each grant will be awarded to one person nominated by the relevant project/small business to represent the project/small business and accept the grant on its behalf (the ‘Representatives’?), and BBC World News, Newsweek and the Jury accept no obligation to any other people linked to the project/small business.

In the event of a tie for first place, the top two Finalists will receive a grant of $15,000 each and the third Finalist will receive a grant of $10,000.

The Representatives will be brought to The Hague, The Netherlands to receive the grants. The grants will be awarded by BBC World News in an awards ceremony which will be filmed and shown as the last programme in the World Challenge series on the BBC World channel (the “Ceremony”).

Each Representative will receive one fully paid economy class return flight to The Hague, accommodation for the duration of the Ceremony, and transfers to and from the Ceremony. The Representatives will be responsible for ensuring that they fulfil Dutch entry requirements, including without limitation, being in possession of a valid passport and obtaining any visa that they may require. In addition the Representatives will bear all other expenses incurred on the trip, including without limitation: any necessary vaccinations, insurance and unlisted transfers, phone calls and other services within the accommodation and any shopping and meal expenses.

BBC World News reserves the right to cancel or change the details of the Ceremony without prior notice.

Publication and Intellectual Property Rights

BBC World News, Newsweek and Shell reserve the right to use the award winners’ names, addresses, and photographs together with photographs and details of the winning projects / small businesses in any broadcast material, published material and advertising connected with the Competition without restriction. The films featuring any of the 12 finalists, and all and any footage of, or related to, the Competition will remain the property of BBC World News and all footage can be used in future by BBC World News in other formats.

General

BBC World News reserves the right to cancel or vary the Competition, and/or withdraw any of the awards at any stage for editorial reasons, or if circumstances arise out of its control.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Competition and the World Challenge Competition Rules shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of England and Wales.

A global competition aimed at projects showing enterprise and innovation at grassroots level