Before you register, carefully read the official competition rules below. You must agree to these official rules by clicking the checkbox where indicated when entering the competition.
1. Principle of Confidentiality
The organizer: the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT): Co-organizer: PepsiCo, judges, and any other person involved in TIC Americas, hereafter referred to as the "Competition," will maintain faithful enforcement of the Principle of Confidentiality of the projects presented by the teams for TIC Americas (including the Talent & Innovation and Eco-Challenge Awards) in accordance with the Rules, Terms, and Conditions.
All information submitted by the Teams during the Online Semi-Finals is considered confidential. Teams will be asked to provide a summary of the project that will be made available to the public though the YABT, TIC Americas, and PepsiCo websites, informational bulletins, and magazines. Websites listed by the Teams under the Team Profile will be considered public information. During the Online Semi-Finals and Virtual Finals, Project Plans will be reviewed by the judges, who have previously agreed to maintain confidentiality of the Business/Project Plans. During the live Finals presentation Business/Project plans. will be considered to be confidential information.
It is the Teams' responsibility to decide which and how much information should be disclosed at any time during their participation in TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge. YABT and PepsiCo are not responsible for any type of complaints or demands from a third party claiming that a project or work submitted and presented to TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge contains proprietary work that they consider to be their own.
2. Usage of Team Profiles and Pictures of Team Members
By submitting a project the Team acknowledges that the Team Profile and pictures of Team Members that are submitted during the Team's participation in any phase of TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge will be collected and saved in the TIC Americas database. YABT and PepsiCo are authorized the rights of free use, reproduction, and dissemination of the Team Profile and Pictures for the purposes of TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge.
Personal information, such as email, phone, gender, address, age, and education level collected at the time of registration will be added to YABT and PepsiCo's database, and Teams will receive communications regarding new programs, competitions, events, promotions, new products, etc. unless the Team opts out at registration. If at any point, the Team wants to cancel the subscription to any of the two databases, the Team may request the cancellation in writing by email to YABT.
It is understood and agreed that this condition of use of the Profile, personal information, and pictures of the Teams does not violate the Principle of Confidentiality described in the previous clause nor does it at any time generate an obligation of payment or other remuneration as a lucrative activity in favor of the Team for such usage.
Therefore, within these Terms and Conditions, by entering the YABT & PepsiCo Eco-Challenge and uploading your team profiles and pictures of team members, you irrevocably grant to YABT and PepsiCo and their agents the unconditional and perpetual right to post, display, publish, use, adapt, edit and/or modify such information in any way, in any and all media, for any purpose, without limitation, and without consideration to you. Teams agree to irrevocably assign and transfer to the Sponsors all rights, title and interest in these materials, including, without limitation, all copyrights and waive all moral rights in the materials chosen to receive the Award. Teams unwilling to adhere to this principle will be disqualified and ineligible for the Award.
All Competitors and Teams further agree to release and indemnify and hold harmless Sponsors and the YABT & PepsiCo Eco-Challenge Parties from any and all claims that any commercial, advertising, presentation, web content or any other material subsequently produced, presented, and/or prepared by or on behalf of Sponsors infringes on the rights of Competitors or Teams work as contained in any Project.
PepsiCo and YABT will include written credits to the registered competitors in a Team in the final product that is produced by YABT and PepsiCo.
* For Argentina residents, Article 14, paragraph 3 of Law No. 25.326, will be applied. The National Directory of Personal Data Protection, Law No. 25,326 Control Organ, has the authority to resolve grievances and complaints regarding the violation of the rules on personal data protection.
* For residents of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Article 14 of Law No. 18,331-will be applied. The UNIDAD REGULADORA Y DE CONTROL DE DATOS PERSONALES, Law No. 18,331 Control Organ, has the authority to deal with complaints regarding the violation of the rules on personal data protection.
3. Selection of the Judges
YABT and PepsiCo will appoint judges for the Semi-finals and Virtual Final phases of the Competition. The judges will be professionals from the academic and business world and will be able to analyze different areas of the business/project plan such as innovation, marketing, technology, human resources, and finance.
4. Decisions of the Evaluation Committee
The decisions of the Evaluation Committee will be final and not subject to appeal. The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to resolve any point not mentioned in the terms and conditions of TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge at its sole discretion. The Evaluation Committee will only assign Awards if the projects presented reach an adequate level of quality at its sole discretion.
5. Announcement of the Finalists
Those Teams who qualify for the Finals phase of TIC Americas will be notified at the e-mail address used for the Team at the time of registration. The list of qualifying Finalists will be published on the TIC Americas website, www.ticamericas.net.
6. Disqualification
YABT, PepsiCo may disqualify any Team if:
• There is actual, alleged or publicized illegal conduct of any registered Team member or mentor.
• Any registered Team member's behavior is considered offensive or violates generally accepted community standards of behavior including, but not limited to, illicit drug use or public intoxication, or an action that leads YABT and/or PepsiCo to believe or conclude that the public association with the Team subjects YABT and/or PepsiCo to ridicule, contempt, controversy, embarrassment or scandal.
Disqualified Teams and each registered member or of the Team will no longer be eligible to participate in any Award in TIC Americas, including the Eco-Challenge.
7. Tax and Legal Considerations
The cash prizes awarded may have legal or tax implications for the Winning Team's domestic tax status in their home country and any taxes will be the responsibility of the winning Team(s). YABT, PepsiCo hold no responsibility with these or any related tax or related legal obligations of the Teams or winners, nor does any Team represent or hold themselves to represent YABT or PepsiCo.
8. Participation Guidelines for the Finals
If the context of the COVID-19 pandemic does not allow for on-site (in-situ) activities, the Finals will be held in a virtual format in which the Finalist teams and the Evaluation Committee interact with each other through an online platform developed by YABT. Both the Finalist teams and the Evaluation Committee will receive training on the use of the platform prior to the Finals. The structure of the Finalist´s presentation will maintain its original structure.
The Finalists are expected to participate in the preparatory online training sessions for the Finals established by the TIC Americas' organizers. These online training sessions will provide additional mentoring, guidance, and preparation for the understanding and usage of the online platform environment.
There will be a test of the online platform with the Finalists, in order for all participants to be comfortable and knowledgeable with the tools used during the Virtual Finals.
The Finalists participation in any or all activities of the Virtual Finals is mandatory. In the event that the Finalist Team elects not to participate in any or all designated activities for the Virtual Finals, the Finalist will be afforded no additional compensation in exchange.
If the Team representing a Finalist Team is a minor (minimum age is determined by the Team's country of nationality's laws) the parent or legal guardian of that minor must sign all prize acceptance documents and accept the Award on behalf of the minor. The parent or legal guardian of such minor will be required to be present during the Virtual Finals presentation with the minor-aged Team member. It is understood and agreed that if the parent or legal guardian so authorizes, the minor may appear with the other registered Teams to receive the award virtually. YABT or PepsiCo will not provide any grant or support to the minor's parent or legal guardian.
9. Author's Rights
The Author's Rights of the Business/Project Plans presented during the development of TIC Americas/Eco-Challenge will be retained by the Teams who submitted them.
YABT, PepsiCo, and Eco-Challenge parties must be given the first option on any aspect of the project, including but not restricted to: implementation, funding, communication, etc. PepsiCo and Eco-Challenge parties will have up to 180 days, starting a day after the TIC Americas/Eco-Challenge finals, to show and/or express their interest or not in investing in the Team’s business proposal. If an Eco-Challenge Team receives an investment opportunity, they will have to communicate it to YABT, PepsiCo, and Eco-Challenge parties for their acknowledgment and approval.
If YABT and PepsiCo are interested in sponsoring the project, they will not own the Author's Rights to the project and these will be retained by the Team during the implementation of the project, if so elected.
For those projects not selected as the winner and not recipient of the Award, the Team will retain proprietary rights to the project. Beyond the use of the Profile and photographs for promotion of the PepsiCo Eco-Challenge and TIC Americas, YABT and PepsiCo will have no interest in the proprietary rights for those projects not selected.
By submitting a project, the Team acknowledges that the project description that is submitted during the Team's participation in any phase of TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge will be collected and saved in the TIC Americas database. YABT and PepsiCo are authorized the rights of free use, reproduction, and dissemination of the project description for the purposes of TIC Americas and Eco-Challenge.
It is understood and agreed that this condition of use of the project description does not violate the Principle of Confidentiality nor does it at any time generate an obligation of payment or other remuneration as a lucrative activity in favor of the Team for such usage.
The Teams grant to PepsiCo and YABT the unconditional and irrevocable right to copyright, use, and publish such photograph(s) or information either alone or accompanied by other materials, in any manner and in any media (including but not limited to print, TV (broadcast or cable), the internet and on various social media platforms in PepsiCo’s or YABT’s sole discretion) in whole or in part, in edited, modified or altered format, at any time hereafter for any purpose whatsoever, including without limitation, for advertising, trade and marketing purposes all without prior examination or approval by the Team, including any written copy that may be created in connection therewith.
The Teams also understand that they do not have any right to compensation in connection with the above granted rights and they release and discharge PepsiCo and YABT from any and all claims and liability based on said photographs or information, including, without limitation, any claims based on libel, the right of publicity, the right of privacy or the commercial appropriation or use of name or likeness.
10. Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of TIC Americas
By registration for the YABT / PepsiCo Eco-Challenge, constitutes acceptance, on behalf of all the persons registering as the Team of all the Terms and Conditions included in this document. Modifications will be posted on the www.ticamericas.net website. It is the responsibility of the competitors to keep themselves up to date with publications and notices made by YABT and PepsiCo during the on-line and Finals phases
Furthermore, by registering a Team, all competitors agree that:
a) Any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with their Project will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action;
b) Any and all claims, judgments and awards will be limited to actual third-party, out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event will attorneys' fees be awarded or recoverable;
c) The Team knowingly and expressly waives all rights to seek, punitive, incidental, consequential or special damages, lost profits and/or any other damages;
d) They irrevocably waive any right to seek injunctive or equitable relief; and
e) They release and indemnify and hold harmless YABT, PepsiCo, the Contest Parties and the Judges from any and all claims that any commercial, advertising, presentation, web content or any other material subsequently produced, presented, and/or prepared by or on behalf of YABT and PepsiCo infringes on any of the rights of Team's work as contained in the Project.
11. About the Organizer and Sponsor
• TIC Americas Organizer: Young Americas Business Trust, 1889 F Street NW, Washington, DC, 20006
• Eco-Challenge Sponsor: PepsiCo Inc., 1000 NW 57th Court, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33126
12. Limitations of Liability and Release
No liability or responsibility is assumed by YABT and / or PepsiCo or judges or other sponsors resulting from any user's participation in or attempt to participate in TIC Americas or their ability or inability to upload or download any information in connection with participating in the TIC Americas. No responsibility or liability is assumed by YABT and / or PepsiCo or judges or other sponsors for technical problems or technical malfunction arising in connection with any of the following occurrences or any other circumstance which may affect the operation of TIC Americas: hardware or software errors; faulty computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, electronic, wireless or Internet connectivity or other online communication problems; errors or limitations of any Internet service providers, servers, hosts or providers; garbled, jumbled or faulty data transmissions; failure of any e-mail transmissions to be sent or received; lost, late, delayed or intercepted e-mail transmissions; inaccessibility of the Website in whole or in part for any reason; traffic congestion on the Internet or the Website; unauthorized human or non-human intervention of the operation of TIC Americas, including without limitation, unauthorized tampering, hacking, theft, virus, bugs, worms; or destruction of any aspect of TIC Americas, or loss, miscount, misdirection, inaccessibility or unavailability of an email account used in connection with the Contest.
YABT and PepsiCo and judges and other sponsors are not responsible for any typographical errors in the announcement of prizes or these official TIC Americas Rules, or any inaccurate or incorrect data contained on the Website. Use of Website is at user's own risk. YABT / PepsiCo and the judges and other sponsors are not responsible for any personal injury or property damage or losses of any kind which may be sustained to user's or any other person's computer equipment resulting from participation in TIC Americas, use of the Website or the download of any information from the Website.
By participating in TIC Americas, the Team releases YABT & PepsiCo, judges and other sponsors from any and all claims, damages or liabilities arising from or relating to such Team's participation in TIC Americas. By accepting a prize in TIC Americas, each Team agrees that YABT & PepsiCo, judges and other sponsors shall not be liable for any loss or injury resulting from participation in the Contest, acceptance or use of any prize, or any travel related thereto. YABT & PepsiCo, judges and other sponsors are not liable in the event that any portion of TIC Americas, event or the event broadcast is cancelled due to weather, fire, strike, acts of war or terrorism, or any other condition beyond their control (a "Force Majeure Event").
Registered Teams agree that YABT and PepsiCo have the sole right to decide all matters and disputes arising in TIC Americas and that all decisions of YABT and PepsiCo are final and binding. By accepting the award, the Teams agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless YABT and PepsiCo judges and other sponsors, as well as each of their respective parent and affiliated companies or organization(s), and each of their employees, representatives, contractors, advertisers, YABT and PepsiCo from any and all liability, loss, damage, cost or claim relate to any allegation regarding the acceptance or use of their prize, including but not limited to the airing of the commercial Project.
13. Modifications of the Terms and Conditions of the Competition
YABT and PepsiCo can modify the Terms and Conditions of the Competition and Awards, including increasing or decreasing prizes according to sponsor contributions. YABT may also modify the dates of the Competition or suspend temporarily or definitively the execution of the Competition as considered appropriate.
With the priority being to keep all participants, staff of YABT and PepsiCo, and other collaborators of the TIC Americas program safe and healthy during these uncertain times of COVID-19, the program partners may decide to organize the Finals of TIC Americas 2023 in a Virtual Format.
All the modifications to the actual Terms and Conditions will be published on the website www.ticamericas.net with prior notification to the competitors. The current version that is posted on the www.ticamericas.net website is considered the applicable and final version.
These Rules are the intellectual property of YABT. Total or partial reproduction is prohibited without prior written authorization. For any questions, contact us via ticamericas@yabt.net