CONDITIONS OF ENTRY & TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN EU-XCEL 2016

Please read this document carefully which outlines eligibility and selection criteria, and general terms and condition of participation in EU-XCEL 2016 prior to completing your application for a place in EU-XCEL 2016.  Application implies acceptance and adherence to the conditions of entry and terms and condition of participation and the organiser’s decision as binding in all respects.  Further information on application and participation in EU-XCEL are available in Applying for EU-XCEL: Frequently Asked Questions.

1. TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A PLACE IN EU-XCEL 2016, YOU MUST:

• Be a citizen (or holder of an unrestricted resident permit) of one of the 28 European Union Member States or an associated country (ttp://ec.europa.eu/research/bitlys/h2020_associated_countries.html)
• Be capable of completing the EU-XCEL European Virtual Accelerator programme in english.
• Be available to participate in AT LEAST ONE of the listed start-up scrum dates and to travel to/from your selected startup scrum in the 48 hours before and after scrum start/end dates [Please note, due to demand levels, the more dates you are available for, the greater your chance of selection]:
  • 8^th May – 14^th May
  • 15^th May – 21^st May
  • 22nd May – 28th May
  • 29th May – 4^th June
  • 5th June– 11th June
  • 12th June – 18th June
• Be capable of engaging with your startup team and inputting into THE virtual accelerator milestones and business plans development on an ongoing basis over the twelve week virtual acceleration timeframe following your designated startup scrum
• Be available to attend the EU-XCEL Challenge Final on 24^th and 25^th October 2016 in Munich, Germany and to travel to and from the Challenge Final in the 48 hours before and after the event.
• All entries must be submitted by individuals only (not teams) and only one application is allowed per individual. 
• Submit an online application using the official EU-XCEL application form (e-mail or paper submissions will not be considered) before 31st March 2016, 11:59pm GMT. Please note that successful applicants who apply before 31st March will receive priority scrum date choice allocations).
• Meet and agree to the conditions outlined in Sections 1 – 4 of the Conditions of Entry and Terms & Conditions of Participation in EU-XCEL 2016.
• Please note that EU-XCEL will keep you updated of the status of your application and provide general updates on project progress using the email address you provide at the time of application. It is your responsibility to ensure that all details provided in the application form are correct and up to date.

2. WHO SHOULD APPLY: EUXCEL 2016 SELECTION CRITERIA

EU-XCEL is open to all aspiring entrepreneurs that meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 1 and who are: 

1.  Committed to-founding new international tech start-ups with fellow aspiring tech entrepreneurs from across Europe;
2.  Committed to developing an incubator-ready start-up business plan, that has been tested and validated by the completion of the EU-XCEL Virtual Accelerator programme;
3.  Are aged between 21 – 35;
4.  Are information, communication and technology university students or recent graduates (i.e. have  graduated within the last 5 years), followed by business/marketing university students/recent  graduates and graduates from across all other subject disciplines with a strong interest in  entrepreneurship
5.  Have a proven interest in entrepreneurship (e.g. successfully completed entrepreneurship courses;  participated in start-up weekends or other entrepreneurship events/courses; membership of  entrepreneurship societies/groups etc);
6.  Have professional work experience preferable in a technology/innovation/business development  environment.

Please note that as an initiative funded under the youth entrepreneurship and ICT strand of the Horizon 2020 programme, EU-XCEL will consider all applications that meet selection criteria a and b, but will prioritize applicants that also meet criteria in c – f to align with the objectives of the initiative.  Further information on those who typically apply for EU-XCEL is available in our frequently asked questions.

Please note organizers’ selection decisions as final and binding in all respects.

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE SELECTED:  TERMS & CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

If your application is successful, a member of the EU-XCEL selection committee will notify you of a provisional offer by email no more than three weeks after the application closing date.  Please note that should you formally accept this offer (by signing a contract of agreement with EU-XCEL), EU-XCEL covers the following costs for successful applicants:

• Air-travel costs to/from your designated start-up scrum and EU-XCEL Challenge Final if applicable.
• Costs of accommodation during the EU-XCEL start-up scrum (accommodation selected by host partner country)
• Some catering costs during start-up scrum organised events (this typically includes catered lunch on each of the 5 start-up scrum days and meals at 1 – 2 formal networking/social events. Details will be provided in your preparatory pack)
• Costs of participation in the start-up scrum curriculum activities (mentoring/coaching costs; workshop space, printed materials etc)

3.1 Your contract of agreement with EU-XCEL

EU-XCEL heavily invests in its successful applicants from the outset (See Section 3 Before) and we seek the best and most dedicated young tech entrepreneurs in exchange for our investment in you.  Accordingly, for our provisional offer to become a formal offer, you will be required to sign a contract of agreement with EU-XCEL where you confirm:

• That you are available to fully participate in your designated start-up scrum (start-up scrums take place on the dates listed in Section 1 before and successful applicants will be allocated a place on one of the dates where you indicated availability in their application form);
• That you are available to travel to/from start-up scrum in the 48 hours immediately before and after your designated start-up scrum start and end dates;
• That you are available to attend and participate in the EU-XCEL Challenge Final which takes place in Munich on 24^th and 25^th October 2016 and to travel to/from the Challenge Final in the 48 hours immediately before and after the Challenge Final takes place (should your startup team secure a place on the Challenge Final shortlist);
• That you will fully participate in all EU-XCEL activities from the lead up to the start-up scrum, through to the virtual accelerator programme and the EU-XCEL Challenge Final (should your team be a short-listed finalist);
• That you have the relevant travel documents (passport, national identity cards, travel visas) to attend the

Please note, that under the contract of agreement, you may be required to fully reimburse EU-XCEL for all air-travel and accommodation costs associated with the EU-XCEL start-up scrum & Challenge Final (if applicable) up to a maximum ceiling of 400 euro should you fail to attend or fully participate in activities up to and including the Challenge Final (if short-listed). 

4. Participation in Project Promotion

As a EC funded programme that aims to increase the attractiveness of careers in entrepreneurship for ICT students/graduates, we at EU-XCEL are dedicated to raising awareness of the accomplishments and impact of the programme across the European tech space.  Incorporating the experiences and insights of those who apply and participate in the EU-XCEL programme is central to our project promotional work and participants are accordingly required to participate in the following press and research activities:

Press

• All teams are required to participate in media and press opportunities related to the EU-XCEL European Virtual Accelerator. This includes, but is not limited to, the following opportunities:

• All teams may be asked to speak to the media and the official partners for competition related interviews when requested by the organizing committee;
• All teams may be asked to provide quotes and/or content for any competition related press releases.

Research

• As part of the EU-XCEL’s mission to support young entrepreneurs, EU-XCEL staff will undertake research and evaluation work related to the EU-XCL programme with successful applicants in order to capture their experience and perspectives of the programme itself and the wider European entrepreneurship environment. This will include the completion of on-line surveys and potentially, in one-to-one interviews with the EU-XCEL research team.

If you have any queries/require any further information on rules/eligibility for the EU-XCEL European Virtual Accelerator Programme, please email: euxcel@ucc.ie