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Grant Rules

Terms & Conditions

Startup Mzansi Foundation Grant Contest Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST

1. GENERAL.

  • The Startup Mzansi Foundation Grant Contest (the “SMF Grant Contest”) and COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Contest (the “COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Contest,” and together with the SMF Grant Contest, the “Contests”) are sponsored by Startup Mzansi Foundation NPC. (Startup Mzansi) (“Sponsor”).
  • By entering these Contests, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and Sponsor’s determinations regarding the Contests, which are final and binding.
  • The Contests are subject to all applicable national, provincial, and local laws and are void where prohibited.
  • There is no purchase necessary or other cost to enter or win the Contests.

2. ELIGIBILITY.

  • To be eligible to enter a business in the Contests, you (“Officer”) must be all of the following as of the first day of the Contest Periods (defined below): (a) a legal resident of the Republic of South Africa, (b) at least 18 years of age, and (c) a business owner who is a leading executive (i.e., Founder, President, CEO, CFO, COO, or any other similar title or role) of the business who is authorized to legally bind the business with respect to the Contests.
  • To be eligible to participate in the Contests, the business (“Entrant”) must meet all of the following criteria as of the first day of the Contest Periods: each Entrant (a) must have Its principal place of business in the Republic of South Africa, (b) must not be engaged in illegal, potentially illegal, or illegitimate activities as adjudged in Sponsor’s determination, and (c) may be any business entity legally permissible in the Republic of South Africa.
  • The potential winners are subject to verification of eligibility by Sponsor, which may include a background check and completing associated documentation.

3. CONTEST PERIODS.

  • The SMF Grant Contest starts on April 3, 2020, at 12:00 AM South African Standard Time and ends on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 12:00 AM South African Standard Time (the “SMF Contest Period”).
  • The COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Contest starts on April 03, 2020, at 12:00 AM South African Standard Time and ends on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 12:00 AM South African Standard Time (the “COVID-19 Contest Period,” and together with the SMF Contest Period, the “Contest Periods”).
  • Sponsor’s computer is the official timekeeper for all matters related to the Contests.
  • Sponsor reserves the right to shorten or lengthen the COVID-19 Contest Period based on need and availability of funds.

4. HOW TO ENTER.

  • To enter the Contests, each Officer must clearly and concisely complete all sections of the online application, which consists of a series of questions about the Entrant and the Officer, by taking these steps: during the Contest Periods, (1) go to www.startupmzansi.org.za/grants; (2) create an account, or log in if you already have an account; (3) complete and submit application on www.startupmzansi.org.za/grants (“Entry”). The full list of Entry questions can be found in the application form at www.startupmzansi.org.za/grants.
  • All entries must be received by 12:00 AM South African Standard Time on September 25, 2020 to be eligible.
  • Limit: One entry per Entrant and per Officer. Multiple entries received for any Entrant or Officer after the first Entry received from that Entrant or Officer is void.

5. ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS.

  • Sponsor may disqualify any Entry that, as adjudged in Sponsor’s determination:
    • contains any material that is indecent, obscene, hateful, discriminatory, defamatory, slanderous, libelous, unlawful, or otherwise inappropriate;
    • is submitted in bad faith, is inappropriate, or otherwise violates these Official Rules;
    • is submitted by an Entrant or Officer who is ineligible or noncompliant with these Official Rules;
    • is submitted by any person who tampers with or abuses any aspect of the Contests or the Startup Mzansi website, who acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, who violates these Official Rules, or about whom a background check provides unsatisfactory results.
  • If there is a dispute about who submitted an Entry, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register will be deemed to be the Officer and the business identified in the Entry will be deemed the Entrant for the Contests. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. The Officer may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder.

6. OTHER ENTRY TERMS.

  • After an Entry has been submitted, it cannot be modified in any way and Sponsor is not responsible for any delayed Entry, incomplete Entry, or Entry not received, recognized, or accepted for any reason.
  • Entrant retains all rights in and to its product or service, including all intellectual property rights, but no Entry may disclose any information confidential to or any trade secret of the Entrant or any third party. Sponsor will treat all information disclosed by Entrant as nonconfidential.
  • By submitting an Entry to the Contests, each Entrant hereby grants Sponsor on behalf of Entrant and Officer a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, global, nonexclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display the information in the Entry, in whole or in part, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media, or technology, now known or later developed, for any purpose including for promotional and marketing purposes, including on www.startupmzansi.org.za or other Startup Mzansi-branded websites or social platforms.
  • The Released Parties do not guarantee that any Entry will be used as described in the preceding license.
  • The Released Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized use by third parties of any Entry.

7. JUDGING CRITERIA AND SELECTION OF WINNERS.

COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Contest:

Entries will be judged by Sponsor, based on the following equally weighted COVID-19 Judging Criteria:

  • Demonstrated need
  • Proposed use of funds
  • Meeting the Eligibility points in Section 2

Sponsor will award Grants to Entrants whose Entries receive the highest cumulative score (the “COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Winners”) every three weeks from the start of COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Contest.

The number of COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Winners will be based on need and available funds. COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Winners will be notified by email on or about the fourteenth day after each round.

An Entrant who receives a COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant forfeits eligibility to receive a Startup Mzansi Grant. An Entrant who is not awarded a COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant is eligible for a Startup Mzansi Grant.

SMF Grant Contest:

Initial Judging Round

Entries will be judged by Sponsor or members of the Grants Council, comprising a group of leaders from across the business ecosystem representing diverse organizations, industries, locations, and demographics (the “Panel”), based on the following equally weighted Initial Judging Criteria:

  • Quality and substantiveness of Entrant’s answers to how the national and local governments can support the Company
  • How Officer has a positive impact through Entrant
  • Preference will be given to Entrants that have launched and need support to scale
  • Meeting the Eligibility points in Section 2

Finalist Judging Round

The top quartile of Entrants with the highest cumulative scores, but no more than 300 Entrants, will be deemed Finalists. Sponsor’s determination of the number of Finalists, based on the number of applications received or other factors, is final. Each Finalist must submit a one-minute pitch video describing their business, which will be scored by the Panel based on the following equally weighted Finalist Judging Criteria:

  • Uniqueness of Finalist’s product or service
  • Clarity of Finalist’s “pitch” for grant funding
  • Context and specificity of Finalist’s business journey and future goals
  • Preference will be given to Finalists owned by Youth Owned and Historically Disadvanted business owners, defined as women, blacks, military-connected owners, entrepreneurs with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community

The Entrant that submitted the Entry receiving the highest cumulative score will be deemed the “R50K SMF Grant Winner”. The two Entries receiving the next highest cumulative scores will be deemed the “R25K SMF Grant Winners,” and the subsequent twelve Entries receiving the highest cumulative scores will be deemed the “R10K SMF Grant Winners” (subject to verification and compliance with these Official Rules). At least 11 out of 15 grants to business owners will go to Black Youth business owners.

Organization SMF Grants

  • The Entry application includes two questions about organizations that helped Entrants and Officers most in their journey as a business owners (“Organizations”).
  • The ten Organizations that received the highest number of nominations in the Entries will be evaluated by Sponsor based on degree of help to business owners.
  • The three Organizations with the greatest impact to business owners are deemed the “Organization SMF Grant Winners” and will each receive R10,000.

SMF Grant Winners

  • The R50K SMF Grant Winner, R25K SMF Grant Winners, R10K SMF Grant Winners, and the Organization SMF Grant Winners are collectively referred to as the “SMF Grant Winners.”
  • The SMF Grant Winners will be selected by the Panel on or about October 9, 2020, from among all eligible Entries received by Sponsor during the SMF Grant Contest Period.
  • The SMF Grant Winners will be notified on or about October 9, 2020 by email.

Additional Rules Applicable to Both Contests:

  • Sponsor may, in Sponsor’s determination, conduct a brief interview with any Entrant and request an Entrant to submit additional materials relating to their Entry if Sponsor’s determination is that that step is necessary to fairly judge the Entry.
  • If during any judging there is a tie, the tie will be broken based on the highest score in the first judging criterion, continuing thereafter to each judging criterion in order as needed to break the tie.
  • Sponsor’s or the Panel’s decision, as the case may be, is final and not open to dispute of any kind.
  • Each grant winner may be required to execute and return to Sponsor an affidavit of eligibility, liability release, and, where lawful, a publicity release (collectively, the “Release”), within seven days after the date of Sponsor’s notification.
  • If a potential grant winner cannot be located or does not respond within seven days after the date of Sponsor’s notification, or the potential grant winner rejects the grant or fails to complete the Release within the allotted time period, the grant will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner, who is the Entrant with the next highest ranked Entry from among all remaining eligible Entries.
  • Sponsor will award all grants, but if a grant cannot be awarded to any potential winner, property of equal or greater value will be provided to a charity chosen by Sponsor.

8. SUMMARY OF GRANTS.

  • Each COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Winners will receive R10,000.
  • The twelve R10K SMF Grant Winners will each receive R10,000.
  • The two R25K SMF Grant Winners will each receive R25,000.
  • The R50K SMF Grant Winner will receive R50,000.
  • The three Organization SMF Grant Winners will each receive R10,000.
  • Each SMF Grant Winner and COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Winner will receive recognition on the Startup Mzansi platforms.
  • Each grant is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor.
  • Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute property of equal or greater value for any grant (or portion of a grant) that cannot be awarded.
  • Each winner is responsible for all applicable national, provincial, and local taxes, if any, as well as any other costs and expenses associated with grant acceptance and use not specified in these Official Rules.
  • The Released Parties make no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to any grant awarded in the Contests.

9. ODDS OF WINNING. The odds of being awarded a grant will depend on the number of eligible Entries received during the Contest Periods.

10. GENERAL CONDITIONS.

  • Releases. Each Entrant and Officer will release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor and its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and the shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives of each of the foregoing (collectively, the “Released Parties”), from any and all injuries, liability, losses, and damages of any kind to persons, including death or property damage resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the Entrant’s or the Officer’s participation in the Contests or any Contests-related activity or the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any grant.
  • Liability Limitation. The Released Parties are not responsible for:
    • lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, or garbled Entries;
    • lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider, website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contests, including errors or difficulties that may occur in connection with the administration of the Contests, the processing or judging of Entries, or the announcement of the Winners;
    • any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contests;
    • injury or damage to any person’s computer related to or resulting from participating in this Contests or downloading materials from or use of Sponsor’s website or other platforms.
  • Contests Compromised. If any portion of the Contests is compromised by virus, worms, bugs, nonauthorized human intervention, or other causes that, in Sponsor’s determination, corrupt or impair the Contests’ administration, security, fairness, or proper play, or submission of Entries, Sponsor may suspend, modify, or terminate the Contests and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the Winners from all eligible, nonsuspect Entries received prior to action taken using the judging procedure outlined above.
  • Interpretation. In these Official rules: “Including” means including but not limited to. “Sponsor’s determination” or “Sponsor’s consent” means Sponsor’s determination or Sponsor’s consent, in either case, in its sole discretion.

11. PUBLICITY.

  • By entering and participating in the Contests, each Entrant and Officer permits the use of Entrant’s and Officer’s names and submitted content for programming, advertising, publicity, and promotional purposes in all media, now known or later created, worldwide and on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Sponsor and its designees, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) or additional consents from Entrant or Officer or any third party and without prior notice, approval, or inspection.
  • Each Entrant and Officer will execute specific consent to the uses described in the previous sentence at Sponsor’s request.
  • No Entrant or Officer may release on their own or through a third party any publicity or other materials regarding their participation in the Contests, without Sponsor’s consent.

12. GOVERNING LAW. South African law governs all issues and questions concerning these Official Rules and Entrant’s or Sponsor’s rights and obligations in connection with the Contests, and that law applies regardless of any choice-of-law principles otherwise applicable.

13. ARBITRATION.

  • Except where prohibited by law, the parties must resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to the Contests or these Official Rules individually and exclusively by final and binding arbitration administered by the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa (“AFSA”) and conducted before a single arbitrator under AFSA’s applicable arbitration rules.
  • The arbitration must be held at a location in the province in which the Business’s principal place of business is located.
  • There shall be no authority for any claims to be arbitrated (or otherwise disputed) on a class or representative basis; arbitration can decide only Sponsor’s or your individual claims and the arbitrator may not consolidate or join the claims of other persons or parties who may be similarly situated.
  • Entrant, Officer, and Sponsor each specifically waives any right to a jury trial related to the resolution of any dispute arising out of or relating to the Contests or these Official Rules.
  • Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Official Rules, if the amount in dispute arising out of or relating to the Contests or these Official Rules is less than the jurisdictional maximum of a small claims court applicable in the province in the Business’s principal place of business is located, an Entrant may bring an action in the small claims court for the dispute, which will be in lieu of arbitration or an action in any other court.

14. USE OF DATA.

  • By participating in the Contests, each Entrant and Officer acknowledges that Sponsor will collect private or personal data about the Entrant and the Officer that is submitted in the Entry (the “Private Information”).
  • Sponsor may collect and use of the Private Information for purposes of these Contests and as authorized under these Official Rules.

15. REQUEST FOR WINNERS’ LIST. For a list of winners, send an email, by October 9, 2021 to Startup Mzansi Foundation Grant and COVID-19 Startup Relief Grant Contest Winners, Startup Mzansi Foundation NPC., hello@startupmzansi.org.za.

16. SPONSOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION. Startup Mzansi Foundation NPC., hello@startupmzansi.org.za