Terms and Conditions

1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

By accessing and using the Global Tech & Innovation Awards platform ("Platform"), creating an account, or submitting any applications, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to either, you must immediately cease using the Platform.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Global Tech & Innovation Awards, organized by AwardsFlow, a company incorporated under the laws of India. Your continued use of the Platform constitutes acceptance of any modifications to these Terms.

2. DEFINITIONS

• "Platform" refers to the Global Tech & Innovation Awards website and award management software
• "User" refers to any individual or organization using the Platform
• "Applicant" refers to individuals or organizations submitting award applications
• "Sponsor" refers to organizations providing financial or other support for awards
• "Judge" or "Assessor" refers to individuals evaluating award submissions
• "Administrator" refers to Platform administrators and staff
• "Submission" refers to any award application, supporting materials, or related content
• "WOA" refers to Global Tech & Innovation Awards and AwardsFlow collectively

3. USER ACCOUNTS AND REGISTRATION

3.1 Account Creation

To access certain features, you must create an account providing accurate, current, and complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

3.2 Password Policy

All user passwords must comply with our security requirements as configured by administrators:

• Minimum length as specified in security settings (typically 6-32 characters)
• May require uppercase letters (A-Z) if enabled by administrators
• May require numeric characters (0-9) if enabled by administrators
• May require special characters (!@#$%^&*) if enabled by administrators
• Passwords must be unique and not previously compromised

Password requirements are subject to change for security purposes. Users will be notified of any changes and may be required to update their passwords accordingly.

3.3 Account Security

You are responsible for all activities under your account. You must immediately notify us of any unauthorized access or security breaches at demo@awardsflow.com. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that pose security risks.

4. USER ROLES AND PERMISSIONS

4.1 Applicants

• May submit award applications and supporting materials
• Can track application status and receive notifications
• Must provide accurate and truthful information
• Are responsible for meeting all submission deadlines

4.2 Sponsors

• May view sponsor dashboard and analytics
• Can access sponsored award applications and results
• Must fulfill all sponsorship obligations and payments
• May receive recognition and branding opportunities as agreed
• Are bound by confidentiality requirements regarding submissions

4.3 Judges and Assessors

• All Judges and Assessors are bound by a written Code of Conduct that includes obligations of impartiality, confidentiality, conflict-of-interest disclosure, and ethical evaluation
• Must maintain impartiality and avoid conflicts of interest
• Are bound by strict confidentiality agreements
• Must complete evaluations within specified timeframes
• Cannot disclose submission details or evaluation criteria
• Must declare any potential conflicts of interest immediately
• Breach of the Code of Conduct may result in removal from the panel and other actions at WOA's discretion

4.4 Administrators

• Have access to all Platform features and data
• Are responsible for maintaining Platform security and integrity
• Must protect user privacy and confidential information
• May modify user access and permissions as necessary

5. AWARD SUBMISSIONS

5.1 Submission Requirements

All award submissions must:

• Be original work and accurately represent the achievements of the applicant organization
• Comply with specific award category criteria and guidelines
• Include all required supporting documentation and evidence
• Be submitted before the specified deadline
• Not contain false, misleading, or fraudulent information

5.2 Submission Deadlines

All submissions must be completed by the published deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted unless exceptional circumstances are approved in writing by administrators.

5.3 Verification and Validation

We reserve the right to verify all submitted information. Applicants may be required to provide additional documentation or evidence. False or misleading submissions will result in immediate disqualification.

5.4 Applicant Warranties

By submitting an entry, you warrant and represent that:

• All information provided is accurate and truthful
• You have all necessary rights and authority to submit the content, including authorization from your organization where the content involves organizational achievements, processes, or data
• Submitted content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights
• Submitted content does not violate any confidentiality obligations, employment agreements, or non-disclosure agreements
• You have full authority to grant the licenses described in Section 7

5.5 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Global Tech & Innovation Awards, AwardsFlow, and their respective affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your breach of these Terms
• Your submitted content, including but not limited to claims of inaccuracy, copyright infringement, confidentiality breach, defamation, or unauthorized publication
• Your warranties or representations being false or misleading
• Your misuse of the Platform

5.6 Decision Finality

The decisions of Global Tech & Innovation Awards, including but not limited to selection of winners, award tiers, category assignments, and any disqualification, are final and binding. By submitting an entry, you agree not to challenge or contest any such decision through legal, administrative, or other proceedings.

5.7 Eligibility and Accuracy Declaration

By submitting an entry, you declare and confirm that:

• Your organization or individual self is eligible to participate under the relevant category criteria
• All information in the application is accurate, truthful, and complete
• You will abide by the rules of the Global Tech & Innovation Awards program
• You accept that all decisions of Global Tech & Innovation Awards are final

6. PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF AWARD WINNERS

6.1 Public Winners Directory

By submitting an entry, you acknowledge and agree that if your entry is recognized as a winner, the following information will be displayed publicly on the Global Tech & Innovation Awards winners directory hosted on the Global Tech & Innovation Awards website:

• Applicant name (organization, individual, team, or partnership credit as submitted)
• Award category as published in the relevant awards cycle
• Award tier as awarded
• Award year
• Entry title (if applicable)

The award categories, tier structure, evaluation criteria, and directory location may evolve over time. The categories, tiers, and structure applicable to your entry will be those published at the time of submission for the relevant awards cycle.

6.2 Standard Practice

Public recognition is a standard part of receiving the award and is required for the integrity and transparency of the Global Tech & Innovation Awards program. If you do not wish to be publicly listed, you may decline acceptance of the award.

6.3 Optional Showcase Consent

Additional use of submitted content for case studies, marketing materials, snippets, sponsor channels, industry publications, and similar purposes requires the optional showcase consent provided during entry submission. This consent is separate from the public winners directory listing.

6.4 Right to Withhold or Alter Awards

Global Tech & Innovation Awards reserves the right to withhold any award, alter the award scheme, modify award categories, or change the awards calendar at its sole discretion, with reasonable notice to affected parties.

6.5 Updates and Removals from the Directory

Global Tech & Innovation Awards reserves the right to update, modify, or remove entries from the winners directory in cases of subsequent disqualification, applicant request, credible third-party complaint, or operational requirements.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

7.1 Applicant Content License

Submitted materials remain the intellectual property of the applicant. By submitting, you grant Global Tech & Innovation Awards a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to:

• Use submitted materials for evaluation, judging, and award administration purposes
• Display the winners directory information described in Section 6.1 publicly
• Display, share, and reproduce submitted content for promotional and recognition purposes where you have provided the optional showcase consent during entry submission
• Use submitted content in case studies, snippets, quotes, and excerpts across the Global Tech & Innovation Awards website, social media, sponsor channels, industry publications, marketing materials, and commercial offerings (subject to the optional showcase consent)
• Process submitted content using AI and similar tools to assist in evaluation, drafting case studies, preparing reports, and creating marketing content. Global Tech & Innovation Awards does not provide submitted content to third parties for AI model training purposes
• Archive submissions for historical and reference purposes

7.2 Confidentiality of Submissions

Notwithstanding the licenses granted, Global Tech & Innovation Awards shall treat all submitted application content as confidential and shall not publish, share, or disclose proprietary information from submissions except where the applicant has provided the optional showcase consent. Winners are not required to share proprietary information for public showcase purposes, even where such information was part of their original submission.

7.3 Platform Content

All Platform content, including software, designs, text, graphics, and logos, is owned by Global Tech & Innovation Awards and AwardsFlow, protected by intellectual property laws. Users may not copy, reproduce, or distribute Platform content without written permission.

7.4 Platform as Publisher

Global Tech & Innovation Awards acts as a publisher and platform for applicant-submitted content. Global Tech & Innovation Awards is not the author of submitted content and is not responsible for the accuracy of claims, third-party rights, confidentiality of submitted information, or any consequences arising from publication. Applicants are solely responsible for the content they submit.

7.5 Reasonable Care, No Absolute Guarantee

Global Tech & Innovation Awards will take all reasonable action to ensure that applications and information therein are treated in strict confidence by its staff, judges, and assessors. However, Global Tech & Innovation Awards cannot be held responsible for any loss of confidentiality caused by third parties beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to data breaches caused by sophisticated cyber attacks, third-party service failures, or actions by applicants or their representatives.

7.6 Logo Usage by Winners

Winners are entitled to use the Global Tech & Innovation Awards logo with the corresponding year and tier on their printed and promotional materials, subject to the Logo Usage Policy published at awardsflow.com. Use of the logo confers no warranty or endorsement by Global Tech & Innovation Awards regarding the winner's products, services, or business practices.

7.7 Withdrawal of Optional Showcase Consent

Applicants who have provided the optional showcase consent may withdraw it at any time by emailing demo@awardsflow.com. Upon withdrawal:

• Content will be removed from current and future Global Tech & Innovation Awards publications within 30 days
• Content already published in printed materials, third-party publications, or syndicated content cannot always be recalled
• The public winners directory listing under Section 6 is not affected by such withdrawal

8. PAYMENT TERMS AND POLICIES

8.1 Application Fees

All applicable fees must be paid in full before application review begins. Fees are clearly displayed during the application process and must be paid via approved payment methods.

8.2 No Refund Policy

ALL PAYMENTS ARE FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE, except in the following limited circumstances:

• Platform technical errors that prevent submission completion
• Awards cancelled by organizers before the submission deadline
• Duplicate payments made in error

Refund requests must be submitted to demo@awardsflow.com and will be examined on case-by-case basis and decided on specific circumstances of each case. Interest free refunds after deduction of bank commission, payment gateway and administrative charges etc. may take about 30-45 business working days (if approved). No request for refund will be entertained after 7 days of payment under any circumstances.

8.3 Sponsorship Payments

Sponsors must fulfill all payment obligations as outlined in their sponsorship agreements. Late payments may result in reduced benefits or termination of sponsorship privileges.

9. PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTION

9.1 Data Collection and Use

We collect and process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable Indian data protection laws including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. By using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference into these Terms. The Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data, your rights as a data principal, and the mechanisms for exercising those rights.

9.2 Confidentiality

Judges, sponsors, and administrators must maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submissions and evaluation processes. Unauthorized disclosure may result in legal action and Platform access termination.

9.3 Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect user data. However, no system is completely secure, and users acknowledge the inherent risks of data transmission and storage.

9.4 Data Retention

Submission content is retained for three years after the awards cycle for jury evaluation, audit, and research purposes, after which it is archived in secured storage. Access during the retention period is restricted to authorized Global Tech & Innovation Awards staff and assigned Judges under non-disclosure obligations.

9.5 AI Processing

Global Tech & Innovation Awards may use artificial intelligence and similar tools to assist in evaluation, content preparation, case study drafting, and administrative tasks. Global Tech & Innovation Awards does not provide submission content to third parties for AI model training purposes and uses AI services with privacy-preserving configurations.

10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the total liability of Global Tech & Innovation Awards and AwardsFlow arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall not exceed the amount of fees paid by you for the relevant awards cycle subject to Condition 8.2 No Refund Policy.

Global Tech & Innovation Awards and AwardsFlow shall not be liable for any indirect, consequential, special, incidental, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Platform or these Terms.

11. FORCE MAJEURE

Global Tech & Innovation Awards shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of these Terms due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, government actions, internet or telecommunications failures, or other force majeure events.

12. MODIFICATION OF TERMS

Global Tech & Innovation Awards may modify these Terms from time to time. It is the responsibility of the user to periodocally check the terms.

13. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes, claims, or controversies arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

14. CONTACT

For any questions, concerns, or notices regarding these Terms, please contact us at demo@awardsflow.com.

Global Tech & Innovation Awards | Organized by AwardsFlow