Bezos Earth Fund $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize

Terms and Conditions

Entrants in the Bezos Earth Fund $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal (GHGR) Ideation Prize (“Prize”) agree to abide by the following rules and guidelines of the Prize (collectively, The “Official Rules”).

1. Eligibility

This Prize is open to individuals and entities, as follows:

• Individual entrants must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or older as of January 8, 2024.
• Nonprofit and for-profit entities, each of which must designate a Project Lead to serve as the designated representative for the entrant. By submitting an entry, the Project Lead confirms they are authorized to act on behalf of the for-profit or nonprofit in submitting the application, and making all applicable representations in these terms and conditions.

Please be aware that some country restrictions may apply due to regulatory and legal constraints. Entrants are advised to check if their country of residence or operation is eligible for participation in the GHG removal Ideation Prize. These restrictions are subject to change, as such, please consult the latest information available on our website or contact us directly for clarification. Country eligibility is listed here.

Entries may not be submitted by employees, officers, directors, agents and representatives of Experiment Foundation and its fiscal sponsor, Social Good Labs (collectively, the “Administrator”), the Bezos Earth Fund (“Prize Sponsor”), and their respective affiliates (including without limitation any parent, sister, and subsidiary companies and employees, officers, or directors of Prize Sponsor or its affiliates), and any other person directly connected with this Prize (collectively, with the Administrator and Prize Sponsor, hereinafter referred to as the “Released Parties”) and their respective immediate family members (mother, father, sister, brother, child, husband or wife, and their respective spouses). This Prize may only be entered from and in eligible jurisdictions. Void where prohibited by law.

2. Promotion Period

This Prize runs between January 8, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. PT through March 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. PT (“Promotion Period”). The early submission deadline (“Early Submission Deadline”) for purposes of determining a winner’s potential prize amount is February 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m PT.

3. How to Enter

Individuals or entities may enter the prize competition by visiting and completing the free online entry form in accordance with the instructions provided.

By entering, entrants represent and warrant that the Submission that they submit does not infringe any other person’s or entity’s rights.

Entries must be submitted by the one person who shall constitute the “Project Lead,” however, entrants are encouraged to discuss, share, and collaborate on their submissions with others. Collaborative efforts are welcome and may enhance the quality and impact of submissions. However, the official entrant must be one individual or one entity, and a single individual Project Lead must be named in the Submission. For submissions by an individual that are selected as winners who have collaborated with others, the designated Project Lead will be the sole winner of any applicable prize, although collaborators may be publicly acknowledged. For Submissions by entities, the winner shall be the legal entity that entered, and the Project Lead shall serve as its designated representative for Prize communications.

Each individual, nonprofit or for-profit may submit up to five (5) separate idea entries.

No purchase necessary to enter.

4. Submission and Evaluation

Submissions will be reviewed by a judging panel selected by the Administrator, who will review the submissions based on the following evaluation criteria.

Submission Compliance & Release: Entrants agree that their Submissions will comply with all of the Prize's guidelines. Failure to comply with the Official Rules or any applicable laws or regulations may result in disqualification. The submission or attempted submission of an entry for this Prize constitutes the entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and to any decisions made by the Administrator or the judging panel, all decisions of which pertaining to this Prize shall be final and binding without any right of appeal.

Winners of the Prize will be announced on or after April 1, 2024.

5. Public Disclosure

The contents of the winning Submissions or a synopsis thereof may be made public, as such, entrants should not include any information in the Submission that they would deem to be confidential information or trade secrets.

6. Monetary Prize and Tax Compliance

Up to $4,000 will be awarded to each of the eligible winning Submissions for Phase I. The breakdown is as follows:

• $2,000 to each of the eligible winning Submissions selected by the judges
• For winning submissions,
• An additional $1,000 that were submitted before the Early Submission Deadline (as set forth in section 2 of the Official Rules).
• An additional $1,000 for filling out the survey linked in the primary submission form.

While we welcome ideas and solutions from for-profit companies, it is important to note that although these solutions may be selected and promoted as winners, these entities are ineligible to receive grant awards.

Prize Disbursement: Winning Entrants must provide all necessary taxpayer identification for the disbursement of monetary prizes.

Taxes: Entrants are solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to the receipt or use of any prize.

7. Publicity and Use of Marks

Publicity Consent: By entering, entrants grant a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to the Administrator and Prize Sponsor and their authorized representatives and agents, to broadcast, publish and otherwise use all or any portion of the Submission or a synopsis thereof, as well as the entrant’s name, affiliation, state/country of residence, statements regarding this Prize, image, photograph, video, voice and/or likeness, including for advertising, promotional and/or any other purpose relating to the purposes of this Prize, in any and all media now or hereafter devised worldwide in perpetuity without additional compensation, notification, or permission, unless prohibited by law. Winning entrants agree to conduct any and all media interviews related to the promotion if requested and not to criticize or disparage any of the Released Parties during interviews.

Trademark Usage: Use of the Administrator’s or Prize Sponsor’s name, logo, or other trademarks requires prior written permission, and is subject to any guidelines issued by the applicable trademark owner.

8. Intellectual Property

Ownership and Responsibility: Entrants shall retain ownership of any ideas and technologies referenced in any Submissions, and shall be solely responsible for ensuring that their Submissions do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.

9. Accessibility and Accommodation

Accessibility accommodations can be arranged on a case-by-case basis subject to written approval from the Administrator. Please email ideas@experiment.com to discuss any specific situation.

10. Disqualification

Administrator reserves the right to disqualify any entrant found to be in violation of these terms, engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, or otherwise disrupting the integrity of the Prize.

11. Third-Party Websites

The Prize website may contain links to third-party websites. The Administrator and Prize Sponsor are not responsible for the content or reliability of these external sites.

12. Winner Notification and Verification

Notification: Winners will be notified via the contact information (email) provided at submission. Failure to respond within ten (10) business days may result in forfeiture of the grant award.

Verification: Each potential winner will be required to execute and return a Request for Information and Waiver form or Affidavit, within ten (10) days of the date that such form is sent by the Administrator to the potential winner. Non-compliance with the foregoing or with any of these Official Rules, the return to the Administrator of the prize notification or the Request for Information and Waiver form or Affidavit as undeliverable, or the Administrator’s inability to contact the potential winner within ten (10) days of its first attempt to notify will, at the Administrator’s sole option, result in disqualification of the potential winner and, at the Administrator’s sole option, an alternate winner being selected by the judging panel from the remaining eligible entries.

13. Compliance with Laws

Entrants are responsible for ensuring their submissions comply with all relevant laws and regulations.

14. General Liability Release

By participating, entrants agree to release the Administrator and all Released Parties from any liability arising from the entrant’s participation in the Prize, including any technical or issues that may arise, or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize.

15. Disputes

Except where prohibited by law, entrants agree that:

• any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Prize or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the state or federal courts located in the State of California, United States of America;
• any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Prize and in no event shall any entrant be entitled to obtain attorneys’ fees or other legal costs;
• under no circumstances will entrants be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrants hereby waive, to the extent permitted by applicable law, all rights to claim indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased; and
• all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrants and the Released Parties in connection with this Prize, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California.

16. Privacy and Data Security

The Administrator is committed to high standards of data privacy and protection. This section outlines our approach to handling and using the personal data collected during the course of the Prize. We may also collect non-personal information by a variety of means. By participating in the Prize – or providing us with any personal information - you are accepting the practices and policies described below, and you are further indicating that you agree to be bound by the terms below. If you do not agree to the terms below, you are not authorized to participate in the competition.

Data Collection

Purpose of Collection: Data collected from participants will be used solely for the purposes of administering the competition, evaluating submissions, and communicating with participants.

Type of Personal Data Collected: This may include contact information, submission details, and other relevant personal or organizational information necessary for participation. All personal information we collect is information that you provide to us, voluntarily.

Data Use

Scope and Limitations: The Administrator and Prize Sponsor will use the data within the scope of the Prize's operational requirements, or as reasonably required to conduct the Prize. This includes assessing submissions, awarding prizes, and facilitating collaboration and communication among participants.

Consent for Use: By participating in the Prize, entrants consent to the use of their data as outlined in these terms.

Data Sharing

Confidentiality: Personal data will be kept confidential and will not be shared with unrelated parties without explicit consent, and further provided that we may share personal data as required by law, as necessary for the operation of the Prize (e.g., sharing with judging panels or partners), as otherwise specified in the Official Rules, or with third-party vendors/consultants with whom we work.

Data Security

Protection Measures: The Administrator will implement appropriate security measures to protect data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Data Retention Period

Data will be retained only for as long as necessary for the Prize and will be securely disposed of thereafter.

Access and Correction Rights

Participants have the right to access their personal data and request corrections or deletions as applicable.

Contact and Inquiries

Queries and Concerns: Participants with questions or concerns regarding their data privacy and usage can contact the designated privacy officer at the Experiment Foundation for assistance.

17. Changes and Termination

Right to Modify or Cancel: The Administrator and Prize Sponsor reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Prize at any time.

18. Winners List

19. Administrator

The Administrator is Experiment Foundation, a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Labs, Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity.

20. Contact

You can contact the Prize Administrator at ideas@experiment.com with questions.