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Enterprising Ideas Business Planning Competition 2014 – Business Start Up
Terms and Conditions
For the purposes of this competition, the following definitions apply. These rules apply to the Enterprising
Ideas Business Planning Competition- Business Start Up 2014 run by University of Sheffield Enterprise,
and not to any other competition at the University of Sheffield.
Terms Used
Enterprising Ideas Business Planning Competition 2014 hereafter referred to as the Competition. This
relates specifically to the competition held in the 2014 calendar year.
Current Student. A current student is a student who is registered at the University of Sheffield. This
includes undergraduate and postgraduate students. Current student status will be verified on entry to the
Competition.
Graduating in 2014 This term refers to students graduating or due to graduate from a University of
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Sheffield course (either undergraduate or postgraduate) during the 2014 calendar year (i.e. from 1
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January 2014 until 31 December 2014).
Graduated in between 2009-2014 This term refers to graduates from The University of Sheffield who
graduated from any level of course (either undergraduate or postgraduate)
Contestant Information. This term refers collectively to the Intellectual Property Rights and other
information contained within an entrant’s submission and plans.
Permitted Purpose. This term refers to the use of Contestant Information for the purposes of judging
the Competition and any other purposes mentioned explicitly within this document.
Competition Finalists. This term refers to the Contestants who are chosen by the judging panel as one
of the top entrants
Rules
The Competition is open to those that have a business idea and meet the entry and eligibility criteria set
out below.
1. The Competition is open to all Current Students and those Graduating in 2014 as well as former
students who graduated between March 2009 – March 2014. Eligibility and business status will be
checked on receipt of completed entries.
2. Both individuals and groups may enter. In groups there must be a nominated leader who will receive
all correspondence and who will be awarded any prizes. Non-students and graduates can comprise part
of the group as long as the nominated leader is a Current Student or Graduating in 2014 or has
Graduated between 2009 and 2014. It is the responsibility of the nominated leader to ensure that
University of Sheffield Enterprise has correct and current contact details for both individuals.
3. It is the responsibility of the nominated leader to provide University of Sheffield Enterprise with and
keep them informed of changes to their current correspondence address during the period from date of
their Competition entry to 31st September 2014. Please contact d.c.chouings@sheffield.ac.uk with any
changes and updates as necessary.
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4. All entrants must be trading and registered with HMRC on the 20 March 2014. Businesses also must
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not be trading for more than 3 years on the 20 March 2014.
5. Contestants are advised that the entry form can be found at www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise Entries will
be accepted online, using a Competition entry form (Entries will only be valid when terms and conditions
are accepted either by online indicated consent or by signed agreement to the terms and conditions
accompanying a Competition entry form.
5. Any entries received from Contestants who have not agreed to the Terms and Conditions will be null
and void.
6. By entering the Competition you are agreeing to provide University of Sheffield Enterprise with
relevant and accurate information about yourself and your business idea, to enable University of Sheffield
Enterprise to meet the data collection requirements of the funders and relevant auditors. University of
Sheffield Enterprise will collect data from you at the compulsory business planning workshops. University
of Sheffield Enterprise reserves the right to ask for further information if required.
7. Any entries made to the 2013 Enterprising Ideas Business Planning Competition cannot be submitted
for the 2014 Enterprising Ideas Business Planning Competition. Contestants of the 2013 Enterprising
Ideas Business Planning Competition are eligible to enter the 2014 Enterprising Ideas Business Planning
Competition provided their business plan is distinct from their previous entry or entries, and provided they
meet the entry criteria detailed above.
8. Appendices containing logos, designs and images can be submitted to support your
application. Appendices used to increase the word limit shall be disregarded.
9. Should entries exceed the specified page limit for a section of the Competition entry form, only the
pages contained within the maximum page limit will be shown to the judges. Pages will be counted from
the start of the relevant section. Any words exceeding the specified page count will be removed from
entries prior to the judging. It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that their entry meets the word
count for each section.
10. University of Sheffield Enterprise reserves the right to exclude entries, including but not limited to
exclusion on moral, ethical or legal grounds. Such exclusions are at the discretion of University of
Sheffield Enterprise whose decision is final.
11. Any current University of Sheffield Enterprise staff member, contractor or worker who has worked
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more than a total of 20 hours for University of Sheffield Enterprise since Monday 14 September 2013 is
not permitted to enter the 2014 Enterprising Ideas Business Planning Competition. Similarly, Academics/
Staff from the University of Sheffield or any other academic institution may not enter the competition.
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12. The deadline for final plan entries is 5pm on 27 April 2014. Late entries will not be accepted. It
is the responsibility of the entrant(s) to ensure that the application is received by University of Sheffield
Enterprise by this deadline. All applicants must also have registered on the initial entry
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deadline: (20 March 2014)
13. It is the responsibility of the applicants to ensure they have the right to exploit the intellectual property
rights (IPR) and any other information (collectively Contestant Information) contained in their
submissions and plans and have taken appropriate steps to protect it and secure any necessary
consent(s) so that such Contestant Information may be used by for the purposes of judging the
Competition and any other purposes set out in these rules or other documents mentioned herein (the
Permitted Purpose).
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14. University of Sheffield Enterprise may at its discretion without notice or reason refuse to proceed with
an application if it considers such use may cause University of Sheffield Enterprise or other person
authorised by University of Sheffield Enterprise to be in breach of a third party’s rights in any Contestant
Information connected with an application or business plan. In such circumstances University of
Sheffield Enterprise may be obliged to cooperate with any third party whose rights may have been
prejudiced as a consequence of the use of the Contestant Information.
15. You can only submit one business idea.
16. University of Sheffield Enterprise may at its discretion without notice or reason cancel the
Competition.
17. University of Sheffield Enterprise shall use reasonable endeavours to ensure the applications and
any subsequent submissions are used only for the Permitted Purpose. University of Sheffield Enterprise
may discuss any of the information contained in an application or submission with its professional
advisers, the judges or its/their staff for the Permitted Purpose only.
18. By entering the Competition each contestant undertakes that it/they will not at any time hereafter
use, divulge or communicate to any person, except to its professional representatives or advisers or as
may be required by law or any legal or regulatory authority, any confidential information concerning the
business or affairs of the University of Sheffield Enterprise authorised persons or other contestant’s
information which may have or may in future come to its/their knowledge and shall use its/their
reasonable endeavours to prevent the publication or disclosure of any confidential information concerning
such matters.
19. The judges will sign a University of Sheffield confidentiality agreement prior to judging the
Competition.
20. The judges may decide to award joint prizes. The decision of the judges is final.
21. Five Competition Finalists will be chosen by the judges for each of the two categories. It is
permitted for a Contestant to be chosen as a Competition Finalist for more than one category.
22. Both individuals and partnerships may enter the Business Start-up category of the Enterprising Ideas
Business Planning Competition.
23. Competition Finalists will be required to give short presentations prior to the Competition prize
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giving at times to be arranged with University of Sheffield Enterprise on the morning of 20 May 2014. All
presentation material used by the winners shall be available for use by University of Sheffield Enterprise
for marketing purposes connected to the Competition and any press or publicity releases.
24. You must be available for a photoshoot in order to be eligible to enter the Enterprising Ideas Business
Planning Competition
25. Prizes will be awarded at the Competition prize giving, currently planned for the 11
September. Competition Finalists will be required to attend this event.
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26. Winner(s) of monetary prizes will be paid by cheque to the name of the winning business or
nominated leader. Please be aware that cheques can take some weeks to arrive. If a prize is awarded
which provides benefits in kind (e.g. mentoring) it is not possible to convert this to a cash prize. None of
the prizes are transferable without the written consent of University of Sheffield Enterprise.
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27. Winners of monetary prizes must cash their prize cheque within six months of the cheque date, after
this point all prizes shall become null and void.
28. If the winner or runner up is found that their business was ineligible, any further support from USE will
be withdrawn.
29. All contestants (including the winners) must seek written approval from University of Sheffield
Enterprise prior to releasing any marketing or press materials related to the Competition or University of
Sheffield Enterprise. Contestants must not use any trademarks, designs, brand and trade names or any
other material which identifies or makes use of information related to the Competition, University of
Sheffield Enterprise, The University of Sheffield or its staff without first seeking such permission.
30. Whilst University of Sheffield Enterprise shall treat information received on business ideas
confidentially. University of Sheffield Enterprise reserves the right to use reasonable information about the
winning business ideas, for publicity purposes, without consultation with the entrant(s).
31. University of Sheffield Enterprise make no warranty or representations for themselves or on behalf of
persons authorised by University of Sheffield Enterprise for the Permitted Purpose as to the accuracy of
any information supplied to the contestants during the Competition.
32. Whilst University of Sheffield Enterprise shall treat all materials supplied with care, applicants should
retain their own copies for future use. University of Sheffield Enterprise will not return entries that are
submitted for the Competition.
34. Nothing in these rules is intended to or shall operate to create a partnership or joint venture of any
kind between University of Sheffield Enterprise, its authorised representatives and the contestants or any
of them or to authorise any party to act as agent for the other and no party shall have authority to act in
the name or on behalf of or otherwise to hind the other in any way (including but not limited to the making
of any representation or warranty, the assumption of any obligation or otherwise to bind the other in any
way (including but not limited to the making of any representation or warranty, the assumption of any
obligation or liability and the exercise of any right or power) other than as set out in these rules.
35. Applicants are advised that by entering the Competition they are agreeing to abide by these rules.
For information about the Competition administration, clarification of rules and general enquires contact
d.c.chouings@sheffield.ac.uk