1. Overview

1.1 Welcome to the ‘Unlock Her Future Prize’, a DO GOOD™ campaign from The Bicester Collection™. The Bicester Collection is a group of high-quality physical hospitality destinations, primarily retail locations in Europe, China and soon the USA. The Bicester Collection started with the opening of Bicester Village in the United Kingdom in 1995 and has grown steadily to the network which exists today. More information about The Bicester Collection and DO GOOD can be found here: https://www.thebicestercollection.com/en/stories/introducing-our-do-good-charities

1.2 In these terms we refer to the whole Unlock Her Future Prize programme as the “Prize” and that is separate to anything received by the Winner, such as the prize money. We refer to Value Retail Management Limited (a company incorporated in England in the UK (co. no. 02884191), with its registered office at Management Office, Bicester Village, OX26 6WD) as “we” or “us” or the “Organiser” and to the person making an entry to the Prize as “you” or “Participant”; “our” and “your” have associated meanings. We are part of a group of companies involved with the ownership and operation of the various parts of The Bicester Collection and the DO GOOD non-profit activity (together the “Value Retail Brand”).

1.3 As part of its DO GOOD activities, the Organiser has set up the Prize to support opportunities for women entrepreneurs. For the 2023 edition of the Prize, the focus was on the MENA region. This 2024 edition of the Prize focuses on the LATAM region, by selecting three women to win the opportunity to unlock up to $100,000 (US dollars) for a start-up project focused on delivering positive social or environmental impact. Any financial sums which are awarded will be paid in instalments within one year following the announcement of the Winners, according to milestones and criteria set by the Organiser relating to the Winner’s specific project. Winners also receive guidance and mentoring on their business projects, subject to these terms. We will not have an interest in the Winners’ business projects.

1.4 For the purposes of the Prize, the “LATAM region” comprises the following territories: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.

1.5 These terms together with any terms set out on the Prize web page (https://www.thebicestercollection.com/en/legal/unlock-her-future-prize-terms-and-conditions) and the Prize application portal (https://www.thebicestercollection.com/en/campaign/unlock-her-future-prize-2024) govern the Prize and participation in it and are the only terms that apply. Any other terms that any law, custom or practice might otherwise include shall not apply as far as legally possible.

2. Your Application, Eligibility and your Information

2.1 It is an essential precondition of your application for the Prize that you accept these terms in full, and that you meet the entry criteria listed in 2.5 below. Accordingly, by entering the Prize you agree (i) to these Terms; and (ii) to the grant of rights to us more particularly set out in paragraph 7 of these Terms.

2.2 Applications must be submitted via our designated online portal, unless we decide to accept paper applications due to technical or other issues. Your application must be received by us on or before the Closing Date which is advertised on our website. Applications received after the Closing Date may not be considered. We are not responsible for any applications that are lost, mislaid, damaged or delayed in transit, for whatever reason.

2.3 As part of the application, we collect and process your personal data and we will do that under the terms of our Privacy Notice (see the link below). You must not include anyone else’s personal data in your application.

2.4 Any dispute, whether this concerns Participant eligibility or the operation or format of the Prize or any other matter shall be determined by the Organiser whose decision will be final and binding.

2.5 To be eligible to apply for the Prize, at the time of your application and until the announcement of the Winners, you must be:

2.5.1 a woman of least 18 years of age;

2.5.2 resident in and a national of a country in the LATAM region, as set out above;

2.5.3 legally (according to all laws to which you are subject) able to participate in the Prize;

2.5.4 not subject to any sanction or ban from the USA, EU, any EU member state or the UK, and not representing or part of any entity or organisation which is subject to any sanction or ban from the USA, EU, any EU member state or the UK; 2.5.5 not subject to any inquiry, criminal investigation or any other restriction or dealings which may impede or in any way affect the administration or delivery of the Prize;

2.5.6 free of any criminal records or convictions, bankruptcy petitions or debt judgments (or equivalent, depending on jurisdiction);

2.5.7 independent of political groups, parties or affiliations, and not a member of any government;

2.5.8 not be a public official, including member of any law enforcement body or manager of any state-owned entity;

2.5.9 able to speak English (please note – the operating language of the judging panel will be English, so entries in other languages may be disadvantaged; note also, all recordings and promotional/media material created in connection with the Prize must be in English);

and you must

2.5.10 be a signatory of a bank account in the name of your project with a bank which is free from restrictions on use and sanctions;

2.5.11 not previously have received a prize or award (excluding marketing gifts or rewards) from the Organiser or the Value Retail Brand; and

2.5.12 not have worked for or have any connection with the Organiser or the Value Retail Brand (be this a partner or family member who is employed by the Organiser or any member of the Value Retail Brand or any other connection).

2.6 You shall not say or do anything which may cause embarrassment to, discredit or bring into disrepute or reduce the wholesome image, standing or reputation of the Prize, us, the Value Retail Brand or The Bicester Collection.

3. Process

3.1 Applications will be assessed according to (non-binding) evaluation criteria guidelines published on the Prize web pages. The first stage will be a review to create a list of Semi-Finalists and the reviewers for this stage may be employees or officers of the Organiser or a third party acting on the Organiser’s behalf and may be located anywhere in the world. The Organiser will inform you if you have been selected as a Semi-Finalist around March 2024 and at this point may ask you for more information about your project.

3.2 A selection committee comprising a range of professionals and entrepreneurs from around the world will then be asked by the Organiser to create a shortlist of eight (8) Finalists from the list of Semi-Finalists referred to above. The Organiser will inform you if you have been selected as a Finalist around April 2024.

3.3 The assessments to identify Semi-Finalists and subsequently Finalists are carried out on an anonymous basis. By “anonymous basis” we mean that reviewers will not be provided with your name or identity (or any image of you which you might include as part of your application), but if you specifically include such details within the wider context of your application, we may not edit that out (but we have a right to try).

3.4 Finalists will be invited to attend an online ”Bootcamp” training session (or sessions) provided either by the Organiser or a third party on its behalf. This will cover such topics as “soft skills” with a gender lens, formation of conscious business principles, well-being practices and networking and is intended to assist the Finalists in promoting their projects.

3.5 Following completion of the Bootcamp sessions, the selected eight (8) Finalists will present (or pitch) their project to a panel of judges appointed by the Organiser (the “Panel”) which may comprise both officers and employees of the Organiser as well as respected external members from anywhere around the world. The Panel will consider the Finalists’ submissions and recommend three winners to us. The Panel members will be given impartial guidelines by us but will be free to act on their own subjective judgement.

3.6 None of the reviewers at any stage of the selection process will be required to explain their decision, be summoned by, deposed by or otherwise challenged in any court or arbitral process, except in accordance with paragraph 2.4.

3.7 The Organiser will (at its sole discretion) decide which of the Finalists becomes a Winner and will inform the selected Participant of this.

3.8 The award for becoming a Winner is the opportunity,

3.8.1 to unlock funds of up to $100,000 US dollars for the Winner’s proposed start-up project. For this, the Organiser will set milestones and goals relating to the Winner’s project to achieve for the release of tranches of funds within one year of the announcement of the Winners (nothing will be paid after this date). Any payment for the Winner’s start-up project and the amount thereof will be at the sole discretion of the Organiser and may be paid by the Organiser or a third party on its behalf. Payment will be an electronic payment to a bank account and the Winner must demonstrate a genuine link between the project and the bank account. The Organiser may undertake any financial checks it wishes and decline to make payment to any account which it feels does not have genuine links or which is under legal restrictions or for any other reason at its sole discretion.

3.8.2 to receive mentoring from our experts and educational benefits from our educational partners, subject to what our educational partners are willing to offer.

4. Semi-finalists

4.1 In the event of becoming a Semi-Finalist, you agree that from this point and at any subsequent point in the Prize process, we:

4.1.1 may carry out background checks on you and your start-up organisation (if this already exists) or your project generally, including a credit history check, social media, internet research, searches of databases, searches through research software and other personal profile checks (but all such checks shall be in accordance with our Privacy Notice); we may need further details from you to do this, which we shall ask you to provide;

4.1.2 may film or photograph you and receive images of you from you in connection with the Prize, which we may use in accordance with these Terms. In relation to this, see also paragraph 7, below.

5. Finalists

5.1 In the event of becoming a Finalist, you agree to participate in the Organiser’s Alumni Programme for no less than five (5) years after this LATAM edition of the Prize has closed (which will be the date for the last possible payment of a financial award as set out in these terms). This may involve attending events at various international locations, providing interviews or articles for distribution and supporting with promoting the Organiser’s DO GOOD campaign.

5.2 Finalists are expected to attend,

5.2.1 a pitch day at a location in LATAM in May 2024 (date and location to be finalised) at which the Finalist will present her project to the judging Panel; and

5.2.2 the award ceremony in Spain in June 2024, at which the Finalist will be again expected to present her project and at which the Winners will be announced.

5.3 At each of the events referred to in paragraph 5.2, the Participant will be expected to attend filmed interviews.

5.4 The Organiser will pay the Participant’s costs for travel, victuals and accommodation for the visits referred to in paragraph 5.2 and will provide appropriate assistance for any related visa application. If a visa cannot be obtained in time, or at all, videoconferencing will have to be used.

5.5 If for any reason the Participant is unable to attend the events referred to in paragraph 5.2 in person, she will do so via remote video conference or other method agreed with us. It is your responsibility to have equipment, internet connection and a location at which to make such a call. We are not responsible if your country prevents or restricts internet calling or for technical failures with communication equipment.

6. Winner(s)

6.1 The Organiser will inform you if you have won the Prize and are therefore a Winner. We will make a public announcement about the result of the Prize. You may not communicate the outcome of the Prize before the Organiser has made a public announcement about the Winners.

6.2 As set out in paragraphs 1.3 and 3.8, the Organiser will assess the Winner’s project and decide (at its sole discretion) criteria to unlock payment of Prize money for it. The cumulative amount paid towards any single project will not exceed $100,000 US dollars. Save for this maximum cumulative figure, the amount and time of any payments will be at the sole discretion of the Organiser and will be linked to and not determined by or conditional on the fulfilment of the criteria set by the Organiser. No payment will be made after the first anniversary of the announcement of the Winners.

6.3 If you are a Winner, you must give us bank details for an account relating to the management and delivery of your project. Subject to eligibility or legal restrictions and at our sole discretion, we or a third party we direct, may pay the Prize money by bank transfer. No third party has a right to receive the money and the benefit of becoming a Winner is non-assignable.

6.4 Each Winner has the opportunity to receive mentoring or other benefits from our academic partner. The academic partner will decide what mentoring or other benefits to offer in the circumstances and the Winner is required to participate fully in all that is provided.

6.5 If you become a Winner, you must:

6.5.1 immediately following our public announcement of the Winner, provide a statement to us for public release about winning the Prize;

6.5.2 provide us with monthly updates in writing about your start-up activities and successes throughout the first eighteen months following your announcement of becoming the Winner;

6.5.3 at our expense, if required, attend at least one promotional event each year held by us for the next five (5) years;

6.5.4 only use the Prize money for moral and lawful purposes relating to your start-up and commercial best practice, for example, by contracting with parties who ensure respect for the rights and freedoms of individuals, complying with modern laws and standards on anti-slavery, avoidance of bribery and high standards of corporate governance including honest dealings and payment of taxes.

7. Use of Materials

7.1 The Organiser anticipates that it will publish materials (of any form, whether these be sound, images or text) provided by Semi-Finalists, Finalists and Winners for promotional purposes on its web pages, in hard-copy print or through any other medium it chooses. This means that you and your project might benefit from widespread (likely international) public exposure even if you do not become a Winner. However, the Organiser is under no obligation to publish such materials or promote you or your project and may withdraw, cancel or shut down any publication of such materials at any time and at its sole discretion.

7.2 In respect of any materials you provide in connection with these Terms or the Prize, whether upon entry to the Prize or in the future, including but not limited to your name, voice, biography, image, likeness, slogan, logo, signature and any recorded performance by you (the "Materials"), you,

7.2.1 irrevocably grant us and the Value Retail Brand a non-exclusive royalty-free, sub-licensable licence in perpetuity to use and exploit (including but not limited to, using publishing, printing, producing, copying, displaying, performing, exhibiting, transmitting, creating derivative works from, broadcasting, disseminating, marketing, advertising, licensing, transferring, editing, or altering worldwide) the Materials for the purpose of the Organiser’s promotional activities generally and also in connection with the Prize and any DO GOOD activities;

7.2.2 waive any moral rights (or any broadly equivalent rights, such as droit moral, in any territory of the world) that you may have in the Materials;

7.2.3 agree to do all such acts and execute all such documents as we or the Value Retail Brand may require to formally vest in, or further assure, us or the Value Retail Brand, the rights expressed to be granted herein (including, if applicable, but not limited to, any permissions, consents, licenses or waivers as we or the Value Retail Brand may require);

7.2.4 waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product of any work created using the Materials, including without limitation any written copy, and agree that the Materials may be edited, cut, copied, altered, adapted or translated;

7.2.5 waive and release us and the Value Retail Brand from any claim, action or demand arising out of, or in connection with the Materials and use or exploitation by us or the Value Retail Brand of the Materials in accordance with these Terms, including without limitation any and all claims for invasion of privacy, infringement of your right of publicity, defamation and any other personal and/or property rights.

8. Communications

8.1 You shall inform us about enquiries from the media or other third parties concerning the Prize and if you are a Winner we will inform you of enquiries about you. We may provide a response to a media or third-party enquiry which includes Materials you have provided to us. In order to ensure consistency with the Value Retail Brand’s policies on the format and style of communications, the Participant agrees to obtain the Organiser’s approval to any response to a media or third-party enquiry before providing a response.

8.2 You are required to inform us of any other competitions, donations or funding you are applying for or have applied for or will receive in respect of your project. If you receive an award, advancement, donation towards, investment in or any other support with your project within eighteen (18) months following any publication about you or your project by us (whether or not you become a Winner of the Prize), you permit us to refer to this good news publicly (using any Materials you have provided in connection with the Prize) and also to congratulate you publicly on your good news.

9. Exclusions

9.1 No warranty is given by the Organiser as to the provision, standard, quality, usefulness, adequacy, completeness or relevance of any feedback or mentoring, whether provided by us or third-party contributors and partners supporting the Prize.

9.2 We shall have no liability to you for any loss of property, publicity or opportunity to enhance your reputation as a result of entering the Prize or any matter, act or omission connected with the Prize. We shall have no liability for any loss of opportunity or loss of chance arising from or connected with any decision made about the conduct of the Prize or the selection of the Winners.

9.3 We both agree that neither of us shall have any claim for innocent or negligent misrepresentation or negligent misstatement based on any statement in these Terms. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit or exclude any liability for fraud or other non-excludable loss or our ability to disqualify you from the Prize if your application is not entirely truthful.

10. General

10.1 Nothing in these Terms shall constitute any relationship of employer and employee, principal and agent, partnership or joint venture between the Organiser or a member of the Value Retail Brand and the Participant (or any connected or associated person with the Participant.

10.2 The selection of Semi-Finalists, Finalists and Winners is ultimately at the sole discretion of the Organiser (which may rely on the judgement and advice of others it directs to assist throughout the selection process). Any guidelines are for guidance only and are non-binding. All decisions at any stage of the Prize are non-challengeable.

10.3 Withdrawal from or exclusion or disqualification of a Participant from the Prize does not affect rights granted by the Participant pursuant to these Terms, including the right by the Organiser or members of the Value Retail Brand to use materials provided by the Participant in accordance with these Terms.

10.4 These Terms constitute the entire agreement between the parties and supersede and extinguish all previous and contemporaneous agreements, promises, assurances and understandings between them, whether written or oral, relating to its subject matter.

10.5 Unless it expressly states otherwise, these Terms do not give rise to any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

10.6 These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and the Parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts (without prejudice to the right to seek interim relief in any forum with jurisdiction).

10.7 The Organiser is at liberty to assign this Agreement as it wishes. This Agreement is not assignable by the Participant.

10.8 The Prize is promoted and operated by the Organiser, whose details are set out above in paragraph 1.2.

11. Links

Our Privacy Notice: https://www.thebicestercollection.com/en/legal/unlock-her-future-2024-privacy-notice