Terms & conditions

Terms and Conditions for the Second Manchester Prize: Clean Energy Systems

The Manchester Prize (the “Prize”) is delivered by Challenge Works, part of Nesta (“Challenge Works”), on behalf of the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (“DSIT”).  In these terms and conditions “participant” and “participants” means the entrant, or if submitting as a consortia the lead entrant, that submits an entry to the Prize.

Please read these terms and conditions and all additional information on the website carefully before registering or submitting an entry to the Prize. By registering or submitting an entry, you accept these terms and conditions and agree to comply with them. If you are registering or submitting an entry on behalf of one or more organisations or a team, you undertake to Challenge Works that you have the authority to bind each of them and that you will be responsible for ensuring that they comply. 

The Manchester Prize, an initiative of the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will award up to £1 million every year to a team of innovators with the most cutting-edge AI solution for public good.

The second Manchester Prize will be awarded to the most innovative and impactful AI solution enabling the UK to accelerate progress towards a net zero energy system. 

 

Solutions should demonstrate use of AI that delivers on at least one of the following:

• accelerates the UK’s adoption of clean energy technologies at scale, 
• enables efficient or low-cost operations of clean energy systems, 
• significantly reduces energy demand, or optimises energy usage.

 

The winning solution will demonstrate not only technical innovation but also an evidenced road map to near-term (2030) adoption and scale.

 

Eligibility Information 

Subject to the terms in this document, for your team to be eligible to enter the Manchester Prize, you must meet these eligibility requirements:

• Eligible entrants: Entries must come from organisations legally incorporated in the UK (e.g. private limited companies, non-profits, charities, universities). We will not accept applications from individuals or unincorporated groups. See here for guidance on how to incorporate. (Incorporation costs around £50 straightforward applications are normally processed within 24 hours, please check the site to confirm your individual needs.)
• Geographical scope: The lead entrant organisation must be based in the United Kingdom and must be able to receive funds into a UK bank account in the name of the lead entrant. Organisations other than the lead entrant organisation may be based outside of the UK. 
• Consortia entries: Teams may enter as a consortium but must nominate one organisation as the lead entrant to submit the application. The lead entrant organisation representing finalist teams will be the organisation that enters into contracts and receives funding from the Manchester Prize. 
• Previous Manchester Prize finalists: Finalists from the first Manchester Prize are eligible to participate if submitting a new and original solution, which is distinct from their first Manchester Prize submission.
• Employees of Challenge Works and DSIT prohibited: Employees of Challenge Works (Nesta, or any company within the same group) or DSIT, and any immediate family of those employees, and any other individuals working on, or connected to, the prize are not eligible to enter.
• Conflicts of interest: Any conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest, as more particularly detailed in these terms and conditions, may result in a participant being disqualified from participation. Conflicts of interest must be declared and mitigation agreed with Challenge Works. If you think this may affect you (or any of your partners, if applicable), please contact the team info@manchesterprize.org.uk.

 

Further to meeting these eligibility criteria, other entrant considerations are as follows:

• Participants (and their partners, if applicable) will be subject to due diligence checks and must pass due diligence checks in order to qualify. 
• You must agree to abide by our terms and conditions. 
• As more particularly detailed below, the participant must be fully authorised (whether by ownership or licence) to use and exploit all IP rights necessary for the development and deployment of the solution that the participant is submitting for consideration, including both background and foreground IP, and any IP that is owned or licenced by any of the lead entrant’s consortium members.  *For example, if you are an academic team entering as a newly incorporated company, you will need to ensure that the university has granted rights to their background IP and the foreground IP to you for submission through the Manchester Prize.

 

     Full details of Eligibility requirements can also be found in the Innovator Handbook 

Key Terms – Participating in the Prize

1.1 These terms and conditions apply to participants registering and submitting applications to The Manchester Prize and to any partners in relation to your application to and participation in the Prize. 

1.2 Participants must register and submit an entry between 19th November 2024 and 12 noon(GMT) on January 17th 2025. Participation and all information relating to your entry must be in English, must be legible and complete, and must comply with all applicable provisions on the Prize website and these terms and conditions. Challenge Works and DSIT reserve the right to reject any entries that are incomplete, illegible or in the wrong format. 

1.3 Late applications will not be accepted and Challenge Works and/or DSIT are not responsible for applications which are lost, damaged or late due to third party failures. Please refer to the detailed timetable included on the Prize website for further details. 

1.4 Applications will be assessed on submission against the pre-defined eligibility criteria set out on the Manchester Prize website. The participants must meet all the eligibility requirements throughout the Prize. Challenge Works’ decision relating to eligibility, shortlisting of finalists, judges’ recommendations and the Prize awards (including in each case the validity of any claims and data submitted) as ratified by DSIT is final and is not subject to appeal. 

1.5 Participants must meet the defined eligibility criteria for the Prize. Participants may submit multiple entries to the Prize, no participant is permitted to lead more than one finalist team.  

1.6 Both Challenge Works and DSIT will use the contact details provided to contact you about the Prize. All updates and communications to participants will be provided in English. Failure to respond to any communication within 14 days, may result in, at our discretion, entries being withdrawn from the Prize and, where relevant, us selecting an alternative entry in your place.

1.7 Employees of Challenge Works (Nesta, or any company within the same group), DSIT, and other individuals working on the project and their immediate families are not eligible to enter. Should any conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, between a team and an assessor, Nesta, DSIT or judge exist, this must be declared and a mitigation agreed with Challenge Works and, if the conflict relates to DSIT, with DSIT.  

1.8 Unless otherwise stated, all participants’ costs of entering and participating in the Prize are born by the participant. 

1.9 Participants must identify one individual as team leader from the lead organisation. The team leader is responsible for making sure that all other members are aware of and comply with these terms and conditions and all relevant application information on the Prize website. Participants must notify Challenge Works and/or DSIT in writing if the team leader changes, and provide us with up-to-date contact details via info@manchesterprize.org. 

1.10 Challenge Works and DSIT reserve the right to prohibit entry, and to make no award if entries fail to meet required standards as we deem appropriate in the circumstances. We may vary the form or substance of the Prize (including but not limited to deadlines, event dates, and the number of entries selected to receive funding and amount of funding ) if funding from DSIT is withdrawn or in our reasonable opinion, we feel that the Prize will no longer achieve its aims. 

1.11 Challenge Works and DSIT reserve the right at our sole discretion to remove participants from the Prize if participants do not comply with the terms and conditions. If you cheat or behave in a way which is disruptive, inappropriate, or potentially dangerous, or if you fail to participate fully or do anything which may damage the reputation of any of Challenge Works or DSIT. Participants must notify Challenge Works in writing if they decide to withdraw from the Prize for any reason.

1.12 Challenge Works and DSIT reserve the right to vary the form or substance of the Prize (including, without limitation, the information on the Prize website, the criteria and requirements for success, these terms and conditions and any deadlines) as we deem appropriate in the circumstances within the boundaries of DSIT’s legal authority to award the grant, taking into account the aims of the Prize. Challenge Works will contact the participant in the event of any variation. Participants who are not happy with the changes made, should withdraw from the Prize; continued participation will indicate your agreement to all and any changes.

1.13 No compensation will be paid to participants if the Prize is changed, suspended or terminated by Challenge Works or DSIT in accordance with these terms and conditions.

1.14 Finalist and/or winning teams will be invited to sign a grant agreement setting out the terms of Prize funding. The terms of the grant agreement are final and not subject to negotiation. 

1.15 Acceptance of the grant agreement and funding is a condition of participation as a finalist in the Prize, and of being selected as winner of the Prize.

1.16 Subject to the terms within the grant agreement, finalist teams will be awarded £100,000 and the winning team will be awarded £1,000,000. The purpose of the grant is to support innovative and impactful artificial intelligence research and development that overcomes challenges in the field of Clean Energy Systems

1.17 Any funds awarded by the Prize must be used for purposes related to your proposal. You must comply with all reasonable monitoring requirements specified by Challenge Works or DSIT to verify the proper use of such funds, and you consent to the sharing of all monitoring information with DSIT and any third party DSIT may in future appoint in respect of the monitoring of the Challenge. 

1.18 Any funds awarded by the Prize may be clawed back in circumstances defined within the grant agreement, including if used for improper purposes.

2.Your promises to Challenge Works and DSIT 

2.1 To participate in the Prize, you represent and warrant, and shall ensure that:

2.1.1 each Participant member satisfies the relevant eligibility requirements to enter the Prize;

2.1.2 all information submitted by you is true, accurate and complete. Challenge Works and DSIT reserve the right to ask for additional evidence of claims made by you, to validate claims by any means we see fit, and/or to reject claims at our sole discretion;

2.1.3 each Participant shall provide any additional information Challenge Works or DSIT reasonably request within 10 days of such information request, and shall participate promptly in any assessment, testing, challenges and presentations required by Challenge Works and/or DSIT as part of the Prize. This may include, but is not limited to, providing the Judges and technical assessors with access to the code and/or data used in the team’s solution if requested.

2.1.4 each participant has all authorisations, consents and permissions necessary to submit your entry, carry out your proposal, and comply with these terms & conditions;

2.1.5 your entry does not and will not infringe or misappropriate any intellectual property or other third-party rights, or breach any contractual obligation (specifically, though without limitation, please see Clause 4 below). Challenge Works or DSIT may withdraw your entry if we receive notice that your entry infringes or misappropriate any third-party rights, or breaches any contractual obligations;

2.1.6 each Participant shall make no attempt to undermine the Prize, cheat, or behave in any way which is in Challenge Works or DSIT’s reasonable opinion unfair, disruptive, inappropriate or potentially dangerous, or which damages or may damage the reputation of the Prize or of any Partner;

2.1.7 each Participant shall always act lawfully, ethically, and in good faith and comply with the rules of the Prize and any relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and codes of practice; and

2.1.8 each Participant shall comply with our reasonable instructions while participating in the Prize, including in relation to health, safety, and security.

2.2 You agree that if Challenge Works or DSIT determine that any of the above has been violated, we may, at our sole discretion, withdraw your entry, and/or rescind or recover any prizes awarded to you.

3. Information and Publicity

3.1 You will retain your intellectual property rights in your entry to the Prize. 

3.2 Challenge Works will use the information which you provide, including personal details of you and your team members, to process your entry to the Prize, to administer the Prize, to let you know about other Challenge Works and/or DSIT events and activities or to evaluate the Prize. We may share the information with our partners and anyone helping us to run the Prize, subject to appropriate obligations of confidentiality and data protection. Challenge Works will only share personal details of team members under the age of 18 with partners and contractors, as necessary, for administration of the Prize subject to appropriate obligations of confidentiality and any relevant data protection regime. Some of these organisations may process your information outside of the UK. For more information on how we use your personal data please see our Privacy Policy.

3.3 Challenge Works and DSIT may carry out publicity and promotion for the Prize and publish our research and evaluation in relation to the Prize. You agree that your organisation will participate in publicity for the Prize and you consent to the use of your organisation’s name, logo, a summary of your proposal, and photographs/recordings of your organisation’s participation in the Prize in promotion and publications in any media and online.  Any public statements made by a shortlisted entrant or winner in relation to the Prize during the Prize and for the following calendar year must acknowledge the support of Challenge Works and DSIT partners and must be approved by both parties in advance.

4. Exclusion and Limitation of Liability

4.1 To the extent permitted by applicable law, Challenge Works and DSIT exclude all liability for any direct or indirect loss or liability, costs, claims, taxes, charges or expenses arising from your participation in the Prize or your reliance on statements made or advice given by us, our partners or contractors. If you submit any materials or items as part of your entry to the Prize, this is at your own risk. Challenge Works gives no undertakings to keep safely, maintain or return any materials or items.

4.2 Without prejudice to Clause 4.1, our maximum liability to you in connection with the Prize (if any) is limited to £500. Nothing in these terms and conditions excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or fraudulent misrepresentation made by us or our partners.

5. Force Majeure

Neither Challenge Works, DSIT nor their partners shall be in breach of these terms and conditions, nor liable for any delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations pursuant to these terms and conditions if such delay or failure results from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control.

1. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

6.1 These terms and conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and you hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.