Description
The Contest is administered by NineSigma Europe BVBA.
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PKN ORLEN INNOVATION CONTEST
Waste Heat Recovery from the Top of a Crude Oil Distillation Column
Official rules
These official rules, terms, and conditions (“Rules”) apply to the Sponsor and the PKN ORLEN
INNOVATION CONTEST (the “Contest”). Each individual or entity submitting an Entry (as defined
below) into the Contest (each an “Entrant” or “Respondent” on the Contest website, sometimes
referred to herein as “you”) agrees to these Rules.
Sponsor; Sponsors; Contest Sponsors; Administrator
The Contest is administered by NineSigma Europe BVBA, a Belgian Corporation, with offices at
Koning Leopold I Straat 3, 3000 Leuven, registered with the Belgian Chamber of Commerce under no.
899.736.861, VAT registration BE0899.736.861 (“Administrator” or “NineSigma”) on behalf of Polski
Koncern Naftowy ORLEN Spó?ka Akcyjna (joint stock company), a Polish company with registered seat
at 7 Chemików Street, 09-411 P?ock, Poland entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs kept by the
District Court for the Capital City of Warsaw, XIV Commercial Division of the National Court Register
under the number: KRS 28860, VAT Taxpayer Identification Number: 774-00-01-454, share
capital/paid up capital 534,656,326.25 PLN (“PKN ORLEN” or “Sponsor”). Administrator and Sponsor
are collectively referred to as “Contest Sponsors” or “Sponsors.”
Eligibility
The contest is open to all individuals over the age of 18 years or the age of majority in said
individual’s geographic location and to all validly formed legal entities that have not declared or been
declared in bankruptcy upon registration on NineSights portal www.ninesights.ninesigma.com (the
“Website”).
The Contest is not open to: (1) employees of PKN ORLEN or its affiliates or natural persons
cooperating constantly with PKN ORLEN or its affiliates on the basis the contracts; (2) the immediate
family members or members of the same household of any such employee or natural persons
cooperating constantly with PKN ORLEN or its affiliates on the basis the contracts; (3) anyone
professionally involved in the development or administration of this Contest; (4) any participants
whose employer's guidelines, policies or regulations do not allow entry in the Contest or acceptance
of the award; (5)employees or internally contracted vendors of companies or organizations who are
precluded from participation based on laws, regulations or policies; such employees or internally
contracted vendors may upon request by Sponsor need to confirm in writing their authorization for
participation in this Contest.
You are solely responsible for all equipment, including but not necessarily limited to, a computer and
modem necessary to establish a connection to the World Wide Web; access to the World Wide Web
and any related telephone, data, hosting or other service fees associated with such access, as well as
all costs incurred by you or on your behalf in participating in the Contest.
How to Enter
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To enter for consideration, Entrants must register on the Website (unless you already have such and
account, in which case you need not create another account). All of the registration information that
you provide to the Sponsors is collectively referred to as your "Account". Following registration,
Entrants must submit a completed proposal including consent for processing of personal data - if
applicable - (an “Entry”) using the response form and following the instructions provided on the
Website. In case of the Entrants being teams comprised of natural persons all members of such team
are obliged to provide the consent for processing of personal data. The Contest will be announced on
the Website with a description of the particular subject matter, the specific evaluation criteria (the
“Evaluation Criteria”), the dates during which Entries will be accepted and evaluated, and the
number and nature of the anticipated awards for the Contest, consistent with these Rules. The
response form will serve as an introduction to the Entrant’s proposed research plan and expertise,
and should provide supporting evidence that the respondent has the capability to carry out the
proposed work. The Sponsor will provide updates regarding the Contest via the Website.
By submitting an Entry, you agree that (a) your Account is complete, correct and accurate and (b)
your registration may be rejected or terminated and all Entries submitted by you may be disqualified
if any of the information in your Account is (or Sponsors have reasonable grounds to believe it is)
incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate. You are solely responsible for your Account.
All Entries must be non-confidential. Entrants may submit more than one Entry. Entrants are
responsible for any costs or expenses associated with preparing and submitting an Entry. All Entries
suspected of violating any business secret, intellectual property rights, or any local or country law(s)
will be ineligible. All Entries must be submitted in English. Entrants assume all risk of damaged, lost,
late, incomplete, invalid, incorrect or misdirected Entries.
Entry attachments may be submitted in .pdf, .xls, .xlsx, .doc, docx, .ppt, .pptx, for graphic files please
use .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .png or .vsd formats. Links to online videos (e.g., YouTube) or other large files may
be included in your submission document. Entries may include the proposal document and the size
of a complete Entry may not exceed 10MB.
Sponsors are not responsible for (a) late, lost, stolen, damaged, garbled, incomplete, incorrect or
misdirected Entries or other communications, (b) errors, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects,
or delays in operations or transmission of information, in each case whether arising by way of
technical or other failures or malfunctions of computer hardware, software, communications
devices, or transmission lines, or (c) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or
alteration of Entry materials, loss or other issues related to data such as quality, access or security.
Sponsors are not responsible for electronic communications or emails which are undeliverable as a
result of any form of active or passive filtering of any kind, or insufficient space in any email account
to receive email messages. Sponsors disclaim any liability for damage to any computer system
resulting from participation in, or accessing or downloading of information in connection with, the
Contest.
Entrants shall receive an email confirmation of delivery of the Entry, however such confirmation does
not relate to the completeness or correctness of the submitted Entry.
Sponsors reserve the right to modify, remove or add data to the Contest Website. Sponsors reserve
the right, in their sole discretion, to extend or modify the dates of the Contest and/or Entry
submission dates, and to change the terms of the Rules governing any portion thereof taking place
after the effective date of any such change. Entrants are urged to consult the Contest Website
regularly during the Contest.
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Sponsors shall have the right, in their sole discretion, to remove from the Contest Website any blog
comment or social media posting related to the Contest, at any time and for any reason.
BY REGISTERING FOR THE CONTEST, YOU ARE ACCEPTING THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE
OFFICIAL RULES, AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE DECISIONS OF THE SPONSORS, AND WARRANTING
THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST. IF YOU CAN NOT ACCEPT ALL OF THESE
OFFICIAL RULES, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT AN ENTRY TO THE CONTEST. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU
PRINT A COPY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE.
The Sponsor may reject or disregard any Entry that does not comply with the applicable
requirements. In case of any doubts relating to the confidentiality of the information provided in the
Entry the Administrator might request the Entrant for clarification. If such clarification is not provided
within 7 days from the receipt of the request the Sponsors shall reject such Entry. If the consent for
processing personal data is missing from the Entry, the Sponsors might request the Entrant to
supplement the missing consent. If such consent is not supplemented within 7 days from the receipt
of the request the Sponsors shall reject such Entry.
The Contest constitutes an invitation for proposals only. It is not an offer, and the submission of an
Entry does not create a contract or agreement of any kind between the Sponsor and the Entrant,
other than the agreement created by Entrant’s acceptance of these Rules. Additionally, the Sponsor’s
selection of an Entrant to proceed to future collaboration does not create a binding contract
between the Sponsor and the Entrant, other than the agreement created by Entrant’s acceptance of
these Rules.
IP rights
Except as set forth herein, you will retain ownership of all intellectual property rights for your Entry,
and neither the Sponsor nor NineSigma will make any claim to ownership of your intellectual
property or third-party intellectual property that may be contained in your Entry, subject to
sentences below. By participating in the Contest, you are not granting any intellectual property rights
(or pending applications or registrations therefore) related to the content of your Entry; provided,
however, that by submitting an Entry to the Contest, you are granting to the Sponsor and its
authorized representatives certain limited rights as set forth in this section of the Rules.
By accepting a prize award, however, you do hereby agree to execute a confidentiality/non-
disclosure agreement directed to your Entry and all intellectual property that it may contain or
embody, including but not limited to all rights to any copyrights, trade secrets, design rights and
inventions (whether or not patentable), and that you are willing to negotiate with PKN ORLEN in
good faith a business arrangement on mutually agreeable terms. This business arrangement may
include, but shall not be limited to, a joint development agreement, a supply agreement, an
assignment of rights and/or an asset purchase agreement. In case of not willing to execute this
agreement or not willing to negotiate this arrangement you will be obliged to return the award.
By submitting an Entry, you grant to the Sponsor and NineSigma a limited right and free-of-charge
license to review your Entry, to describe your Entry in connection with any materials created in
connection with the Contest, and to have the Judging Panel and their designees review your Entry.
Any physical materials in your Entry, including all documentation and any accompanying materials
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provided to the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall become the Sponsor’s property
immediately upon delivery and will not be returned to you.
By submitting an Entry, you grant a non-exclusive right and license to the Sponsor, NineSigma, and
their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parents, members, licensees, agents and representatives, to
use your name, likeness, biographical information, image, any other personal data submitted with
your Entry in connection with (i) the Contest and (ii) the Sponsor’s related initiatives to this Contest,
in any media or format now known or hereafter invented, in any and all locations worldwide, without
any payment to or further approval from you. You also agree that this license is perpetual and
irrevocable. For uses beyond the license grant above, you agree that any use of your personal data
by the Sponsor will be governed by the Polish law – subject to the consent granted and in case of
NineSigma will be governed by the Privacy Policy posted on the Website.
You grant to the Sponsor and NineSigma the right to include your name and logo (if any) as an
entrant on the Website and in materials from the Sponsor announcing winners or prospective
winners of the Contest. You further agree that nothing in these Rules grants you a right or license to
use any names, trademarks, service marks, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights of the
Sponsor or NineSigma, without prior written consent of Sponsor.
You are free to discuss your Entry and the ideas or technologies contained therein with other parties
and you are free to contract with any third parties; provided that you do not sign any agreement,
grant any license or undertake any obligations that conflict with any agreement that you have
entered into, agreed to enter into, do enter into with the Sponsor or NineSigma regarding your Entry
and subject to the obligation indicated in the paragraphs above. You acknowledge that your
participation in the Contest does not create an obligation on the Sponsor’s part to enter into any
further business relationship with you or to sign any commercial agreement with you.
You further agree that the Sponsor and its agents may independently develop information internally
or receive information from other parties that is similar to the information included with your Entry.
Accordingly, nothing in the Rules shall be construed as a representation or agreement that Sponsor
has not or will not develop or have developed methods, ideas, protocols, technologies, solutions,
programs, or concepts that are similar to or compete with the proprietary methods, ideas, protocols,
technologies, solutions, programs, or concepts contemplated by or embodied in your Entry. Further,
you understand that the Sponsor is actively engaged in activities, investments, technology
exploration, research and development efforts and the creation of methods, ideas, protocols,
technologies, solutions, programs, concepts, and other intangibles with respect to its operations
(collectively, the “Sponsor Activities”), and that information contained in your entry may include,
without limitation, descriptions of methods, ideas, protocols, technologies, solutions, programs, or
concepts that may be similar to or coincident with the Sponsor Activities. You further acknowledge
and agree that the Sponsor Activities may have originated with its own employees or others and may
duplicate, parallel or resemble portions of the information contained in your Entry. Each party agrees
that these Rules shall in no way limit, restrict or preclude either party from pursuing any of its
present or future business activities or operations, either alone or in conjunction with others, or from
entering into any agreement or transaction of any kind with any other person or entity, regardless of
whether the subject matter of any such agreement or transaction involves elements similar to or
coincident with the information contained in your Entry or is in any other way similar to or coincident
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with any transaction considered or evaluated by the parties. For the avoidance of doubt, you
acknowledge that Sponsors are not obligated to take any action whatsoever with regard to your
Entry.
Timelines
For the Contest timelines please visit see the Contest Website.
Evaluation and selection process
Evaluation Criteria for Entries shall be provided on Response form downloadable from the Contest
Website. Successful proposals will address the following:
? Overview of proposal
? Detailed description of a solution
? Applicability in hazardous areas
? Scalability (adjustment capability)
? Reversibility to previous configuration
? Continuous performance between turnarounds (months/years)
? Percentage of heat recuperated
? Required additional utilities (electricity, cooling, steam etc.)
? Parameters that are monitored during operation
? Physical size and weight
? Capex, Opex and Internal rate of return (IRR)
? Address what the key technical risks are and how they will be overcome
? IP position and patent numbers
? Impact on the Environment
? Business model, including overview on how the system is run
? Team experience and background.
Confidential Information
By making an Entry to the Contest, you represent, warrant, and agree that no part of the Entry (or
other submissions related thereto) includes any confidential or proprietary information, ideas or
products of you or any other person or entity. Since neither the Sponsor nor NineSigma wishes to
receive or hold any materials that are proprietary or confidential to you or any third party, you agree
that, with respect to your Entry, no confidential or fiduciary relationship or obligation of secrecy is
established between the Sponsor or NineSigma and you, any individuals or entities assisting you in
the Contest, the individuals or entities you represent in submitting an Entry, or any other person or
entity associated with any part of your Entry.
Limitation of Liability
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By participating in the Contest, You are undertaking the expenditures required to prepare and submit
your Entry entirely at your own risk and expense. You agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless
the Sponsor, NineSigma, each member of Judging Panel, their respective affiliates, subsidiaries,
advertising and promotions agencies, as applicable, and each of their respective agents,
representatives, officers, directors, shareholders, members, and employees (collectively, “Released
Entities”) from and against any injuries, losses, damages, claims, actions and any liability of any kind
(including attorneys’ fees) resulting from or arising out of your participation in, association with or
submission to the Contest (including any claims alleging that your Entry infringes, misappropriates or
violates any third party’s intellectual property rights). The Released Entities are not responsible for
any miscommunications such as technical failures related to computer, telephone, cable, and
unavailable network or server connections, related technical failures, or other failures related to
hardware, software or virus, or incomplete, late or misdirected entries. Any compromise to the fair
and proper conduct of the Contest may result in the disqualification of an Entry, termination of the
Contest, or other remedial action, at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. By entering, you agree to
these Rules and to all decisions of the Sponsor, NineSigma, the Judging Panel, and/or all of their
respective agents, which are final and binding in all respects.
Warranties
By submitting an Entry, you represent, warrant, and covenant that all information you enter on the
Website is true and complete to the best of your knowledge, that you have the right and authority to
submit the Entry on your own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that you specify within
the Entry, and that your Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the
underlying methods, ideas, protocols, technologies, solutions, programs, or concepts described in the
Entry):
a. is your own original work, or is submitted by with all necessary approvals, consents, licenses, and
permissions with full and proper credit given within the Entry;
b. does not contain confidential information or trade secrets (whether belonging to your or any other
party);
c. does not knowingly, after due inquiry (including, by way of example only and without limitation,
reviewing the records of the respective Patent and Trademark Office and inquiring of any employees
and other professionals retained with respect to such matters), violate or infringe upon the patent
rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual
property or other rights of any person or entity;
d. does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan
horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;
e. does not and will not violate any applicable Law; and
f. does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.
Judging
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All Entries must be received by Sponsor by 5:00pm Eastern Time on or before the announced close
date.
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of PKN ORLEN employees with expertise in
the fields of oil and gas, material science and product commercialization (collectively the “Judges
Panel” or “Judges”).
Up to 6 (six) Entries that meet the Judging Criteria will be selected as finalists (“Finalists”). Finalists
will be invited for in-depth evaluation Finals. Remote conferencing facilities will be used for these
Finals. As a result, up to 3 (three) Entries that meet the Judging Criteria will be selected as winners
(“Winners”).
All potential prize winners (or finalists) will be notified by e-mail to the e-mail address provided in the
submission document and may be required to complete further documentation confirming their
eligibility. Return of any notification as “undeliverable” will result in disqualification. Prize awards are
subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Rules. Sponsors reserve the right to
examine Entries for compliance with the Contest Rules - Winners may, subject to applicable laws and
regulations, be screened to ensure they are not included on any Government Watch list.
As a further condition of receipt of the prize, the Winners or their representative, if they act as a
team, must agree to participate in prize award event at Sponsor’s venue in Warsaw with
representatives of the Sponsor (invitation with exact dates will be send after Finals). Sponsor reserve
the right in their sole discretion to waive this obligation. Sponsor will pay for airfare and
accommodation of a maximum of 2 (two) persons of the finalist’s team if he/she is coming from
outside of Poland.
All decisions of the Sponsors and Judges will be final and binding on all matters relating to this
Contest.
Award and Development Options
Subject to these Rules, once confirmed by Sponsor, the Winner(s) will receive the following awards
listed below (“Awards”). Sponsor reserves the right to award fewer than the anticipated number of
awards in the event an insufficient number of eligible Entries meet the Evaluation Criteria in the
Sponsor’s sole discretion. Awards will be made based on the Judges Panel’s analysis of an Entry’s
compliance with the Evaluation Criteria for the Contest.
Up to 3 (three) Winners will receive cash awards of € 10,000 (ten thousand) for a total maximum
cash value of € 30,000 (thirty thousand), and may be invited to attend an event hosted by Sponsor to
be held Spring, 2016 to receive the award.
The cash award will be awarded per winning Entry, not per Entrant or number of persons involved in
the Entry.
All potential winners will be notified by the e-mail address provided in the Entry submission
document and may be required to complete further documentation confirming their eligibility.
Return of any notification as “undeliverable” may result in disqualification. After verification of
eligibility, Awards will be distributed to the official representative specified in the winning Entry,
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consistent with these Rules. That official representative will have sole responsibility for further
distribution of any Awards funding among participants in a group Entry or within a company or
institution that has submitted an Entry through that representative. Each Entrant receiving an Award
for the PKN ORLEN Innovation Contest will be identified on the Website.
No assignment or transfer of any award is allowed by any winner. If a potential winner is unable to
participate in or accept the award or any portion of the award for any reason, Sponsor shall have no
further obligation to such potential winner. The Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen awards
after being awarded to winners. In no event will Sponsor be responsible for awarding more than the
stated number of awards.
This is a contest of skill. Whether or not your Entry is determined as a Winner depends on how your
Entry compares to the other Entries submitted in the Contest when evaluated based on the Judging
Criteria. All cash awards are a one-time offer and there is no offer of licensure, royalty, or other
financial compensation implied beyond the award.
Each Winner will be solely responsible for any local, provincial, country or any other applicable taxes,
and any other costs, expenses and fees in connection with the Award.
Waiver
By entering the Contest, you waive all rights to seek injunctive or equitable relief, or to claim
punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or attorneys’ fees.
Governing law
You agree that these terms and the relationship between you and the Sponsor shall be governed by
the laws of Poland, and between you and the Administrator shall be governed by the laws of the
United States of America.
doc_333877897.pdf
The Contest is administered by NineSigma Europe BVBA.
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PKN ORLEN INNOVATION CONTEST
Waste Heat Recovery from the Top of a Crude Oil Distillation Column
Official rules
These official rules, terms, and conditions (“Rules”) apply to the Sponsor and the PKN ORLEN
INNOVATION CONTEST (the “Contest”). Each individual or entity submitting an Entry (as defined
below) into the Contest (each an “Entrant” or “Respondent” on the Contest website, sometimes
referred to herein as “you”) agrees to these Rules.
Sponsor; Sponsors; Contest Sponsors; Administrator
The Contest is administered by NineSigma Europe BVBA, a Belgian Corporation, with offices at
Koning Leopold I Straat 3, 3000 Leuven, registered with the Belgian Chamber of Commerce under no.
899.736.861, VAT registration BE0899.736.861 (“Administrator” or “NineSigma”) on behalf of Polski
Koncern Naftowy ORLEN Spó?ka Akcyjna (joint stock company), a Polish company with registered seat
at 7 Chemików Street, 09-411 P?ock, Poland entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs kept by the
District Court for the Capital City of Warsaw, XIV Commercial Division of the National Court Register
under the number: KRS 28860, VAT Taxpayer Identification Number: 774-00-01-454, share
capital/paid up capital 534,656,326.25 PLN (“PKN ORLEN” or “Sponsor”). Administrator and Sponsor
are collectively referred to as “Contest Sponsors” or “Sponsors.”
Eligibility
The contest is open to all individuals over the age of 18 years or the age of majority in said
individual’s geographic location and to all validly formed legal entities that have not declared or been
declared in bankruptcy upon registration on NineSights portal www.ninesights.ninesigma.com (the
“Website”).
The Contest is not open to: (1) employees of PKN ORLEN or its affiliates or natural persons
cooperating constantly with PKN ORLEN or its affiliates on the basis the contracts; (2) the immediate
family members or members of the same household of any such employee or natural persons
cooperating constantly with PKN ORLEN or its affiliates on the basis the contracts; (3) anyone
professionally involved in the development or administration of this Contest; (4) any participants
whose employer's guidelines, policies or regulations do not allow entry in the Contest or acceptance
of the award; (5)employees or internally contracted vendors of companies or organizations who are
precluded from participation based on laws, regulations or policies; such employees or internally
contracted vendors may upon request by Sponsor need to confirm in writing their authorization for
participation in this Contest.
You are solely responsible for all equipment, including but not necessarily limited to, a computer and
modem necessary to establish a connection to the World Wide Web; access to the World Wide Web
and any related telephone, data, hosting or other service fees associated with such access, as well as
all costs incurred by you or on your behalf in participating in the Contest.
How to Enter
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To enter for consideration, Entrants must register on the Website (unless you already have such and
account, in which case you need not create another account). All of the registration information that
you provide to the Sponsors is collectively referred to as your "Account". Following registration,
Entrants must submit a completed proposal including consent for processing of personal data - if
applicable - (an “Entry”) using the response form and following the instructions provided on the
Website. In case of the Entrants being teams comprised of natural persons all members of such team
are obliged to provide the consent for processing of personal data. The Contest will be announced on
the Website with a description of the particular subject matter, the specific evaluation criteria (the
“Evaluation Criteria”), the dates during which Entries will be accepted and evaluated, and the
number and nature of the anticipated awards for the Contest, consistent with these Rules. The
response form will serve as an introduction to the Entrant’s proposed research plan and expertise,
and should provide supporting evidence that the respondent has the capability to carry out the
proposed work. The Sponsor will provide updates regarding the Contest via the Website.
By submitting an Entry, you agree that (a) your Account is complete, correct and accurate and (b)
your registration may be rejected or terminated and all Entries submitted by you may be disqualified
if any of the information in your Account is (or Sponsors have reasonable grounds to believe it is)
incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate. You are solely responsible for your Account.
All Entries must be non-confidential. Entrants may submit more than one Entry. Entrants are
responsible for any costs or expenses associated with preparing and submitting an Entry. All Entries
suspected of violating any business secret, intellectual property rights, or any local or country law(s)
will be ineligible. All Entries must be submitted in English. Entrants assume all risk of damaged, lost,
late, incomplete, invalid, incorrect or misdirected Entries.
Entry attachments may be submitted in .pdf, .xls, .xlsx, .doc, docx, .ppt, .pptx, for graphic files please
use .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .png or .vsd formats. Links to online videos (e.g., YouTube) or other large files may
be included in your submission document. Entries may include the proposal document and the size
of a complete Entry may not exceed 10MB.
Sponsors are not responsible for (a) late, lost, stolen, damaged, garbled, incomplete, incorrect or
misdirected Entries or other communications, (b) errors, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects,
or delays in operations or transmission of information, in each case whether arising by way of
technical or other failures or malfunctions of computer hardware, software, communications
devices, or transmission lines, or (c) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or
alteration of Entry materials, loss or other issues related to data such as quality, access or security.
Sponsors are not responsible for electronic communications or emails which are undeliverable as a
result of any form of active or passive filtering of any kind, or insufficient space in any email account
to receive email messages. Sponsors disclaim any liability for damage to any computer system
resulting from participation in, or accessing or downloading of information in connection with, the
Contest.
Entrants shall receive an email confirmation of delivery of the Entry, however such confirmation does
not relate to the completeness or correctness of the submitted Entry.
Sponsors reserve the right to modify, remove or add data to the Contest Website. Sponsors reserve
the right, in their sole discretion, to extend or modify the dates of the Contest and/or Entry
submission dates, and to change the terms of the Rules governing any portion thereof taking place
after the effective date of any such change. Entrants are urged to consult the Contest Website
regularly during the Contest.
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Sponsors shall have the right, in their sole discretion, to remove from the Contest Website any blog
comment or social media posting related to the Contest, at any time and for any reason.
BY REGISTERING FOR THE CONTEST, YOU ARE ACCEPTING THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE
OFFICIAL RULES, AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE DECISIONS OF THE SPONSORS, AND WARRANTING
THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST. IF YOU CAN NOT ACCEPT ALL OF THESE
OFFICIAL RULES, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT AN ENTRY TO THE CONTEST. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU
PRINT A COPY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE.
The Sponsor may reject or disregard any Entry that does not comply with the applicable
requirements. In case of any doubts relating to the confidentiality of the information provided in the
Entry the Administrator might request the Entrant for clarification. If such clarification is not provided
within 7 days from the receipt of the request the Sponsors shall reject such Entry. If the consent for
processing personal data is missing from the Entry, the Sponsors might request the Entrant to
supplement the missing consent. If such consent is not supplemented within 7 days from the receipt
of the request the Sponsors shall reject such Entry.
The Contest constitutes an invitation for proposals only. It is not an offer, and the submission of an
Entry does not create a contract or agreement of any kind between the Sponsor and the Entrant,
other than the agreement created by Entrant’s acceptance of these Rules. Additionally, the Sponsor’s
selection of an Entrant to proceed to future collaboration does not create a binding contract
between the Sponsor and the Entrant, other than the agreement created by Entrant’s acceptance of
these Rules.
IP rights
Except as set forth herein, you will retain ownership of all intellectual property rights for your Entry,
and neither the Sponsor nor NineSigma will make any claim to ownership of your intellectual
property or third-party intellectual property that may be contained in your Entry, subject to
sentences below. By participating in the Contest, you are not granting any intellectual property rights
(or pending applications or registrations therefore) related to the content of your Entry; provided,
however, that by submitting an Entry to the Contest, you are granting to the Sponsor and its
authorized representatives certain limited rights as set forth in this section of the Rules.
By accepting a prize award, however, you do hereby agree to execute a confidentiality/non-
disclosure agreement directed to your Entry and all intellectual property that it may contain or
embody, including but not limited to all rights to any copyrights, trade secrets, design rights and
inventions (whether or not patentable), and that you are willing to negotiate with PKN ORLEN in
good faith a business arrangement on mutually agreeable terms. This business arrangement may
include, but shall not be limited to, a joint development agreement, a supply agreement, an
assignment of rights and/or an asset purchase agreement. In case of not willing to execute this
agreement or not willing to negotiate this arrangement you will be obliged to return the award.
By submitting an Entry, you grant to the Sponsor and NineSigma a limited right and free-of-charge
license to review your Entry, to describe your Entry in connection with any materials created in
connection with the Contest, and to have the Judging Panel and their designees review your Entry.
Any physical materials in your Entry, including all documentation and any accompanying materials
4
provided to the Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall become the Sponsor’s property
immediately upon delivery and will not be returned to you.
By submitting an Entry, you grant a non-exclusive right and license to the Sponsor, NineSigma, and
their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, parents, members, licensees, agents and representatives, to
use your name, likeness, biographical information, image, any other personal data submitted with
your Entry in connection with (i) the Contest and (ii) the Sponsor’s related initiatives to this Contest,
in any media or format now known or hereafter invented, in any and all locations worldwide, without
any payment to or further approval from you. You also agree that this license is perpetual and
irrevocable. For uses beyond the license grant above, you agree that any use of your personal data
by the Sponsor will be governed by the Polish law – subject to the consent granted and in case of
NineSigma will be governed by the Privacy Policy posted on the Website.
You grant to the Sponsor and NineSigma the right to include your name and logo (if any) as an
entrant on the Website and in materials from the Sponsor announcing winners or prospective
winners of the Contest. You further agree that nothing in these Rules grants you a right or license to
use any names, trademarks, service marks, or other intellectual property or proprietary rights of the
Sponsor or NineSigma, without prior written consent of Sponsor.
You are free to discuss your Entry and the ideas or technologies contained therein with other parties
and you are free to contract with any third parties; provided that you do not sign any agreement,
grant any license or undertake any obligations that conflict with any agreement that you have
entered into, agreed to enter into, do enter into with the Sponsor or NineSigma regarding your Entry
and subject to the obligation indicated in the paragraphs above. You acknowledge that your
participation in the Contest does not create an obligation on the Sponsor’s part to enter into any
further business relationship with you or to sign any commercial agreement with you.
You further agree that the Sponsor and its agents may independently develop information internally
or receive information from other parties that is similar to the information included with your Entry.
Accordingly, nothing in the Rules shall be construed as a representation or agreement that Sponsor
has not or will not develop or have developed methods, ideas, protocols, technologies, solutions,
programs, or concepts that are similar to or compete with the proprietary methods, ideas, protocols,
technologies, solutions, programs, or concepts contemplated by or embodied in your Entry. Further,
you understand that the Sponsor is actively engaged in activities, investments, technology
exploration, research and development efforts and the creation of methods, ideas, protocols,
technologies, solutions, programs, concepts, and other intangibles with respect to its operations
(collectively, the “Sponsor Activities”), and that information contained in your entry may include,
without limitation, descriptions of methods, ideas, protocols, technologies, solutions, programs, or
concepts that may be similar to or coincident with the Sponsor Activities. You further acknowledge
and agree that the Sponsor Activities may have originated with its own employees or others and may
duplicate, parallel or resemble portions of the information contained in your Entry. Each party agrees
that these Rules shall in no way limit, restrict or preclude either party from pursuing any of its
present or future business activities or operations, either alone or in conjunction with others, or from
entering into any agreement or transaction of any kind with any other person or entity, regardless of
whether the subject matter of any such agreement or transaction involves elements similar to or
coincident with the information contained in your Entry or is in any other way similar to or coincident
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with any transaction considered or evaluated by the parties. For the avoidance of doubt, you
acknowledge that Sponsors are not obligated to take any action whatsoever with regard to your
Entry.
Timelines
For the Contest timelines please visit see the Contest Website.
Evaluation and selection process
Evaluation Criteria for Entries shall be provided on Response form downloadable from the Contest
Website. Successful proposals will address the following:
? Overview of proposal
? Detailed description of a solution
? Applicability in hazardous areas
? Scalability (adjustment capability)
? Reversibility to previous configuration
? Continuous performance between turnarounds (months/years)
? Percentage of heat recuperated
? Required additional utilities (electricity, cooling, steam etc.)
? Parameters that are monitored during operation
? Physical size and weight
? Capex, Opex and Internal rate of return (IRR)
? Address what the key technical risks are and how they will be overcome
? IP position and patent numbers
? Impact on the Environment
? Business model, including overview on how the system is run
? Team experience and background.
Confidential Information
By making an Entry to the Contest, you represent, warrant, and agree that no part of the Entry (or
other submissions related thereto) includes any confidential or proprietary information, ideas or
products of you or any other person or entity. Since neither the Sponsor nor NineSigma wishes to
receive or hold any materials that are proprietary or confidential to you or any third party, you agree
that, with respect to your Entry, no confidential or fiduciary relationship or obligation of secrecy is
established between the Sponsor or NineSigma and you, any individuals or entities assisting you in
the Contest, the individuals or entities you represent in submitting an Entry, or any other person or
entity associated with any part of your Entry.
Limitation of Liability
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By participating in the Contest, You are undertaking the expenditures required to prepare and submit
your Entry entirely at your own risk and expense. You agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless
the Sponsor, NineSigma, each member of Judging Panel, their respective affiliates, subsidiaries,
advertising and promotions agencies, as applicable, and each of their respective agents,
representatives, officers, directors, shareholders, members, and employees (collectively, “Released
Entities”) from and against any injuries, losses, damages, claims, actions and any liability of any kind
(including attorneys’ fees) resulting from or arising out of your participation in, association with or
submission to the Contest (including any claims alleging that your Entry infringes, misappropriates or
violates any third party’s intellectual property rights). The Released Entities are not responsible for
any miscommunications such as technical failures related to computer, telephone, cable, and
unavailable network or server connections, related technical failures, or other failures related to
hardware, software or virus, or incomplete, late or misdirected entries. Any compromise to the fair
and proper conduct of the Contest may result in the disqualification of an Entry, termination of the
Contest, or other remedial action, at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. By entering, you agree to
these Rules and to all decisions of the Sponsor, NineSigma, the Judging Panel, and/or all of their
respective agents, which are final and binding in all respects.
Warranties
By submitting an Entry, you represent, warrant, and covenant that all information you enter on the
Website is true and complete to the best of your knowledge, that you have the right and authority to
submit the Entry on your own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that you specify within
the Entry, and that your Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the
underlying methods, ideas, protocols, technologies, solutions, programs, or concepts described in the
Entry):
a. is your own original work, or is submitted by with all necessary approvals, consents, licenses, and
permissions with full and proper credit given within the Entry;
b. does not contain confidential information or trade secrets (whether belonging to your or any other
party);
c. does not knowingly, after due inquiry (including, by way of example only and without limitation,
reviewing the records of the respective Patent and Trademark Office and inquiring of any employees
and other professionals retained with respect to such matters), violate or infringe upon the patent
rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual
property or other rights of any person or entity;
d. does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan
horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;
e. does not and will not violate any applicable Law; and
f. does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.
Judging
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All Entries must be received by Sponsor by 5:00pm Eastern Time on or before the announced close
date.
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of PKN ORLEN employees with expertise in
the fields of oil and gas, material science and product commercialization (collectively the “Judges
Panel” or “Judges”).
Up to 6 (six) Entries that meet the Judging Criteria will be selected as finalists (“Finalists”). Finalists
will be invited for in-depth evaluation Finals. Remote conferencing facilities will be used for these
Finals. As a result, up to 3 (three) Entries that meet the Judging Criteria will be selected as winners
(“Winners”).
All potential prize winners (or finalists) will be notified by e-mail to the e-mail address provided in the
submission document and may be required to complete further documentation confirming their
eligibility. Return of any notification as “undeliverable” will result in disqualification. Prize awards are
subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Rules. Sponsors reserve the right to
examine Entries for compliance with the Contest Rules - Winners may, subject to applicable laws and
regulations, be screened to ensure they are not included on any Government Watch list.
As a further condition of receipt of the prize, the Winners or their representative, if they act as a
team, must agree to participate in prize award event at Sponsor’s venue in Warsaw with
representatives of the Sponsor (invitation with exact dates will be send after Finals). Sponsor reserve
the right in their sole discretion to waive this obligation. Sponsor will pay for airfare and
accommodation of a maximum of 2 (two) persons of the finalist’s team if he/she is coming from
outside of Poland.
All decisions of the Sponsors and Judges will be final and binding on all matters relating to this
Contest.
Award and Development Options
Subject to these Rules, once confirmed by Sponsor, the Winner(s) will receive the following awards
listed below (“Awards”). Sponsor reserves the right to award fewer than the anticipated number of
awards in the event an insufficient number of eligible Entries meet the Evaluation Criteria in the
Sponsor’s sole discretion. Awards will be made based on the Judges Panel’s analysis of an Entry’s
compliance with the Evaluation Criteria for the Contest.
Up to 3 (three) Winners will receive cash awards of € 10,000 (ten thousand) for a total maximum
cash value of € 30,000 (thirty thousand), and may be invited to attend an event hosted by Sponsor to
be held Spring, 2016 to receive the award.
The cash award will be awarded per winning Entry, not per Entrant or number of persons involved in
the Entry.
All potential winners will be notified by the e-mail address provided in the Entry submission
document and may be required to complete further documentation confirming their eligibility.
Return of any notification as “undeliverable” may result in disqualification. After verification of
eligibility, Awards will be distributed to the official representative specified in the winning Entry,
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consistent with these Rules. That official representative will have sole responsibility for further
distribution of any Awards funding among participants in a group Entry or within a company or
institution that has submitted an Entry through that representative. Each Entrant receiving an Award
for the PKN ORLEN Innovation Contest will be identified on the Website.
No assignment or transfer of any award is allowed by any winner. If a potential winner is unable to
participate in or accept the award or any portion of the award for any reason, Sponsor shall have no
further obligation to such potential winner. The Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen awards
after being awarded to winners. In no event will Sponsor be responsible for awarding more than the
stated number of awards.
This is a contest of skill. Whether or not your Entry is determined as a Winner depends on how your
Entry compares to the other Entries submitted in the Contest when evaluated based on the Judging
Criteria. All cash awards are a one-time offer and there is no offer of licensure, royalty, or other
financial compensation implied beyond the award.
Each Winner will be solely responsible for any local, provincial, country or any other applicable taxes,
and any other costs, expenses and fees in connection with the Award.
Waiver
By entering the Contest, you waive all rights to seek injunctive or equitable relief, or to claim
punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or attorneys’ fees.
Governing law
You agree that these terms and the relationship between you and the Sponsor shall be governed by
the laws of Poland, and between you and the Administrator shall be governed by the laws of the
United States of America.
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