These terms and conditions apply to the Graphene Hackathon 2023 (“Event”) hosted by and on behalf of Graphene Hackathon Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 12049581) and with its registered office at International House, 61 Mosley Street, Manchester, England, M2 3HZ. The purpose of the Event is to encourage and reward participating individuals (“Participant”) to create innovative and original uses of graphene inks with potential to develop new startup businesses.

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It is a condition of participation that these terms and conditions are accepted by the Participant prior to the Event. Upon acceptance these terms and conditions form a binding legal agreement between Graphene Hackathon Ltd. and the Participant. Please read them carefully.

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Your attention is drawn in particular to the rights and responsibilities in respect of Entries set out in clause 2 and clause 5.

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1. Eligibility

   1. Participation in the Event is by invitation only.

   2. Participants must be at least 18 years old.

   3. Participants must provide information in advance of the Event as reasonably requested by the organisers, including but not limited to a declaration of any medical/accessibility/dietary circumstances which may require additional or specific provision during the event.

      1. Any and all personal information obtained by Graphene Hackathon will be treated in accordance with University of Manchester’s privacy policy. Participants will be contacted in connection with the Event, and unless otherwise indicated may also be contacted by Graphene Hackathon about other relevant activities and opportunities.​

   4. Individuals are not eligible to participate in the Event if they:

      • a) are related to any of the Event judges;

      • b) employ any of the Event judges or they are employed by any of the Event judges;

      • c) do not have the right to work in the UK.

   5. The Participant confirms that he/she does not have a conflict of interest in taking part in the Event.

2. Rules for Entries and Graphene Hackathon’s right to use Entries

   1. The Participant will develop a proof of concept during the Event to be presented and submitted for judging at the Event (“Entry”). There are no restrictions on what form the proof of concept can take

   2. Entries must be presented and submitted in English language.

   3. The Entry must be the Participant’s original work and must not be funded or compensated, in whole or in part, by any third party. However, the Entry may use publicly available APIs and data.

   4. The Entry presented and submitted for judging, alongside any subsequent ideas discussed at the Event will be immediately made publicly available and accessible in the public domain. 

3. Judging and awards

   1. The panel of judges is selected by Graphene Hackathon and may change in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

   2. The following criteria will be used to judge Entries: (a) value creation, (b) innovation, (c) market potential and (d) pitch quality. However, all decisions related to judging of Entries are at the sole discretion of Graphene Hackathon and are final and binding.

   3. Payment of any prize money awarded will be made to the Participants by arrangement following completion of the Event to the bank details as advised by the Participants. Graphene Hackathon has no responsibility for how that prize money is subsequently used by the Participant. If the winning Entry is submitted by a group of Participants, Graphene Hackathon will distribute the prize money equally between them.

4. Use of information and publicity

   1. In this clause “Confidential Information” means secret or confidential commercial, financial, marketing, technical or other information, know-how, trade secrets and other information in any form or medium whether disclosed orally or in writing, together with any reproductions of such information in any form or medium or any part(s) of this information.

   2. Event organisers and invited speakers are aware the event will be attended by those external to the University of Manchester, and content should not include any aspect which is not in the public domain.

   3. The Participant acknowledges that it may receive or have access to Confidential Information of Graphene Hackathon, its affiliates, agents and/or suppliers in connection with the Event. All Confidential Information shall be kept strictly confidential by the Participant, regardless of whether such information is marked as “confidential”. The Participant agrees that it shall use at least the same degree of diligence to protect the Confidential Information as it uses to protect his/her own confidential and sensitive information (being no less than a reasonable level of diligence). The Participant will not disclose any Confidential Information to anyone. The Participant agrees that it will not use the Confidential Information for any purpose other than participating in the Event.

   4. The above obligations of confidentiality shall not apply to Confidential Information to the extent that: (i) the Confidential Information is, or becomes (other than through a breach of these terms and conditions or other confidentiality obligations in place) generally known to the public; or (ii) the Confidential Information is proven by documentary evidence to have been developed independently by the Participant without reference to Graphene Hackathon’s or its affiliates’ Confidential Information; or (iii) the Confidential Information was rightfully received in good faith by the Participant without obligation of confidentiality from a third party; or (iv) disclosure is required by law, provided that (where reasonably practicable to do so) the disclosing party gives the non-disclosing party prompt written notice of the request for disclosure, cooperates with the non-disclosing party in obtaining protective order or other remedy, and discloses only that portion of the Confidential Information which it is legally compelled to disclose.

   5. The Participant hereby grants to Graphene Hackathon, its affiliates and agents acting on behalf of Graphene Hackathon a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide right to refer to the Participant and/or the Entry and to use images and/or video/audio footage taken at the Event and/or showing the Entry in any publicity materials and for promotional purposes at any time (including but not limited to Graphene Hackathon websites or other media).

   6. Any and all personal information obtained by Graphene Hackathon will be treated in accordance with University of Manchester’s privacy policy. Participants will be contacted in connection with the Event, and unless otherwise indicated may also be contacted by Graphene Hackathon about other relevant activities and opportunities.

5. General

   1. The Participant is solely responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by him/her in relation to the Event, including but not limited to travel and accommodation costs.

   2. Participants must make suitable arrangements for accommodation if necessary, The GEIC will be open for the duration of the event, but is not a suitable place to sleep and must not in any circumstance be used to sleep.

   3. Participants must follow any and all guidance given by event organisers, in advance of and during the event.

   4. Alcohol must not be brought to the GEIC, and the consumption of alcohol is forbidden for the duration of the Event.

   5. Participants may leave the event at any time, provided they use the QR code provided, to sign in and out of the premises accordingly.

   6. In the unlikely event of a building evacuation, all participants present must report to the muster point at the rear of the building.

   7. Participants are advised not to travel around Manchester alone, remaining in groups of two or more when outside the GEIC premises.

   8. Whilst in the building all members of the university and all visitors are required to follow the health and safety procedures of the GEIC, failure to do so may result in access being denied

   9. Graphene Hackathon reserves the right to cancel or postpone the Event for any reason without liability, for example due to circumstances outside Graphene Hackathon’s control.

   10. The Participant is solely responsible for any damage to his/her own property.

   11. Without prejudice to any other right or remedy of Graphene Hackathon, the Participant may be excluded from the Event or from receiving any prizes or have an awarded prize cancelled if the Participant fails to comply with these terms and conditions.

   12. Nothing in these terms and conditions nor the award of any prize shall constitute any obligation on the part of Graphene Hackathon or the Participant to enter into any future agreement or relationship.

   13. These terms and conditions constitute the whole agreement and understanding between Graphene Hackathon and the Participant relating to the Event.

   14. The Participant may not assign, sub-contract or otherwise transfer his/her rights or obligations under these terms and conditions.

   15. These terms and conditions will not be enforceable by virtue of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 by any person except Graphene Hackathon and the Participant.

   16. The formation, existence, construction, performance, validity and all aspects of these terms and conditions and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them and/or the Event shall be governed by English law and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.