Future Innovators Program

Framework

The Future Innovators program is an initiative promoted by Unicorn Factory Lisboa in partnership with José de Mello, SONAE, Claranet, and Associação .PT. Its goal is to bring innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to university students in Portugal.

Structured into 3 practical phases, the program provides the necessary tools for university students to develop their ideas, enhancing their skills in these areas and boosting their future professional careers, thus becoming the leaders of tomorrow!

This document aims to present the regulations for the implementation of the 2nd phase of the program – Hackathons, which consists of a “marathon” during which participants will seek to develop a technological solution to address the partners' challenges. It will take place in Porto on May 18 and 19.

Article 1 - Objectives

1. The main objective of this initiative is to seek innovative and digital solutions for the challenges presented by the initiative's partners in the fields of education, retail, and senior care.

2. Another objective of this initiative is to contribute to the development of the university entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Article 2 – Challenges

For the organization of this initiative, each partner has identified challenges for which they are seeking solutions. For more information about these challenges, please consult the challenges.

Article 3 - Participants

a) This hackathon is intended for all students aged 18 and over who, organized in teams or individually (teams with a maximum of 5 members), consider that they can propose a solution to the identified challenges;

b) Candidate teams must have at least one person with some technological knowledge, such as programming, no-code, engineering, or a similar field;

c) For team selection, it is also valued that, in addition to the criteria in the previous point, the teams have a member from another field of knowledge;

d) The maximum number of participants is 20 teams;

e) Applications and participation in this initiative are free of charge;

f) Participation in the initiative implies acceptance and adherence to the conditions set out in this document;

g) Applications and participation imply acceptance of the confidentiality and personal data processing clauses provided for in the General Data Protection Regulation and related legislation.

Article 5 – Application Process

a) Applications to participate in the Initiative are made by filling out and submitting the application form available on the website https://www.futureinnovators.pt/;

b) The application period runs from April 23 to May 12, 2024 (inclusive until 23:59);

c) The Organization may, unilaterally and with prior notice published on the Website, extend the application deadline or make other changes to the Initiative;

d) The organization is not responsible for any loss or non-receipt of applications, even if such results from interruptions or network failures of the website created for submitting applications;

e) Only applications that correctly and fully indicate all the elements requested in the application form available on the website indicated in point a) will be accepted;

f) The contact details in the application form must be active and updated throughout the entire Initiative period.

Article 6 – Selection of Applications

a) Applications will be subject to a preliminary analysis to verify the formal eligibility conditions of the promoters and the presented idea;

b) Applications will undergo a preliminary evaluation based on the initiative's objectives for pre-selection purposes;

c) If the organization finds that there are applications that do not comply with the provisions of this regulation, it may, at its sole discretion, choose to summarily reject the application or request the candidates to correct the discrepancies within the deadline and conditions set for this purpose;

d) The selection decision is not subject to appeal, and non-selected applications will be automatically rejected.

Article 7 – General Conditions of Participation in the Initiative

a) Participants must always act cordially and respectfully during the Initiative, particularly following the rules and procedures for operation, programming, and security.

b) Inappropriate or abusive behavior, including the use of obscene language, will not be tolerated;

c) The Organization reserves the right to exclude any Participant who does not comply with the rules set out in this Regulation during the Initiative.

d) During the Initiative, the following will be provided to Participants:

   i. Workspace and rest area;

   ii. Wi-Fi network;

   iii. Audiovisual equipment for the final presentation; and

   iv. Meals;

e) Participants should bring computers and other equipment they deem relevant for developing their idea/solution.

Article 8 – Requirements

a) During the Initiative period, Teams will develop a solution that addresses the challenge posed by the Organization, which will be presented in its final format as the last stage of the Initiative;

b) Participants are responsible for all information and content of the solution they present, ensuring it is their own, original, and unpublished, and does not infringe on third-party rights, including intellectual property rights. Participants are solely responsible for obtaining any necessary authorizations and for any violations they may commit. This responsibility is joint and several if the candidates are a group of individuals.

Article 9 – Selection of Winning Teams

a) The submitted Projects will be analyzed and evaluated by the Jury according to the following criteria:

   i. Adequacy of the solution to the chosen challenge;

   ii. Degree of innovation of the solution;

   iii. Feasibility;

   iv. Team performance during the Initiative.

b) The Jury will consist of representatives from the initiative's partner entities and individuals with recognized experience and merit in their respective fields.

c) The Jury may request information and/or clarifications from Participants about the content of their Projects if it deems it necessary for a proper evaluation;

d) The Jury may choose not to select any Project if none meet the requirements listed in the points of this regulation;

e) The winning team(s) will be announced at the closing session of the initiative.

Article 10 – Prizes

a) The Winning Teams will be awarded the following prizes:

   i. 1st prize: €3,000.00 (three thousand euros);

   ii. 2nd prize: €2,000.00 (two thousand euros);

   iii. 3rd prize: €1,000.00 (one thousand euros).

b) The monetary prizes to be paid to the winners must be supported by a fiscal document, in accordance with Portuguese legislation;

c) To receive the indicated prizes, the IBAN for the bank transfer must be provided.

Article 11 – Intellectual Property

a) The industrial property and intellectual rights of the solutions presented belong to the promoter(s);

b) The promoters grant the organization permission to use non-confidential information in its promotion and marketing activities;

c) The organization of this initiative cannot be held responsible for any intellectual property violation, misuse, or plagiarism by another candidate promoter or an external member.

Article 12 – Confidentiality

Candidates, Participants, and other Parties undertake to keep confidential all information accessed under this Initiative, including industrial property or copyright or related rights, even after its completion, except as strictly necessary for the execution of the Initiative and its dissemination and promotion.

Article 13 - Clarifications and Final Provisions

a) For any clarifications, candidates should send an email to [email protected].

b) The Organization reserves the right to amend this Regulation at any time;

c) Omitted cases will be resolved by the Organization at its discretion;

d) Participation in the Initiative implies the express acceptance by the Participants of the terms and conditions of this Regulation.