SHE’S NEXT IN DESIGN EMPOWERED BY VISA GRANT CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

SHE’S NEXT IN DESIGN EMPOWERED BY VISA GRANT CONTEST OFFICIAL RULE


The Organizer of the Visa She’s Next Grant Contest (the “Contest”) in Georgia is NOBLET MEDIA LIMITED, a company registered under the laws of Cyprus, registration number HE 173925, having its registered office at Mpoumpoulinas 1-3, BOUBOULINA BUILDING, Flat 42, 1060, Nicosia, Cyprus (hereinafter – “Organizer”).

The Partner of the Contest is Design Institute (hereinafter – “Partner” or “DI”).

The Contest is implemented under the auspices of Visa International Service Association. Location: 900 METRO CENTER BLVD FOSTER CITY, 94404, UNITED STATES (hereinafter referred to as “Visa”).

The Contest is conducted under the fifth wave of She’s Next, Empowered by Visa campaign in Georgia. Entrants may enter the Contest beginning April 23 and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through May 8, 2025 (the “Entry Period”).

ACCEPTANCE is dependent on the applicant meeting the judging criteria. The terms and rules of conduct are regulated by the agreement between Visa, and Partner and by the relevant laws of Georgia, which are governed by these Official Rules.

1. ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFICIAL RULES; LAWS: By entering the Contest, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Partner, which shall be final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest. By entering the Contest, each entrant also agrees to comply with any and all applicable Laws in connection with the Entrant’s participation in the Contest. Entry in the Contest does not constitute entry into any other promotion, sweepstakes, or contest.

2. ELIGIBILITY AND CATEGORIES:

1. The Contest is open to any natural person who meets all of the following eligibility requirements:
1. The entrant is a legal female resident of Georgia;
2. The entrant is at least the age of 18, authorized as an adult by Georgian Law except employees (and those with whom such employees are domiciled) of Visa or Partner, its affiliated companies or agents, advertising and promotion agencies, and the Contest judges;
3. The entrant must own at least 51% of their business and operate their business in Georgia;
4. The entrant’s business must have been operating for 1,5+ years;
5. The entrant must own a business that offers a product or service in the market, is generating revenue, and can provide specific documentation regarding the business's registration, and which is not ineligible as per paragraph 2(e).
2. Partner reserves the right, in its sole discretion and at any time, to disqualify any entrant or business if Partner or Visa determines that allowing such entrant or business to participate (or continue to participate) in the Contest would bring discredit to Partner or Visa, or damage in any way the good reputation of the Partner or Visa in the eyes of the general public. Partner’s decisions on all matters arising in connection therewith shall be final, binding, and not subject to appeal.
3. Employees, officers, directors, and agents of Visa, Partner, and other companies involved in the Contest, as well as their immediate family and household members, are not eligible to participate in the Contest. Visa, Partner, and their respective advertising and promotion agencies, the prize providers, any other company or organization involved with the design, or operation of the Contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively, the “Contest Parties”), and immediate family and household members of such individuals, are NOT eligible to enter the Contest. For the purposes of this Contest and these Official Rules: (i) "Immediate family members" shall mean a person’s spouse and a person’s and their spouse’s parents, stepparents, legal guardians, children, stepchildren, siblings, stepsiblings, and each of their respective spouses; and (ii) "Household members" shall mean those people who share the same residence, whether or not related.
4. Categories of the Contest:
1. Digital Creative Design

• Interior and Environmental Design
• Architectural Visualization
• UI & UX Design
• Motion Graphics & Animation
• AR/VR Experience Design

2. Digital Products

• Software & Applications
• Gaming & Virtual Assets
• Digital Media & Content
• Coding & Development
• Digital Platforms & SaaS

3. Handmade

• Clothing & Textiles
• Jewelry & Accessories
• Handcrafted Art & Decor
• Home & Living
• Personal Accessories

5. NOT ELIGIBLE:

Companies, that produce – weapons of any kind, beverages (including alcohol), food, and medical supplies (including any kinds of vitamins, but excluding personal care and wellness products as per paragraph 2 (d)(3) above)

3. HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Contest, each entrant must complete and submit the “Contest Entry Form” found on the Contest Site (https://forms.gle/zxsxJXK8vcLmc6U7A), including completion of all of the elements in the Contest Entry Form (“Entry”). You may include a portfolio, including photos or videos, as requested also (Media must be of high resolution and no more than 10MB per file. Photos must be provided in PNG or JPG format, and videos in MP4 format).

1. The Contest Official Rules will be translated into Georgian and made available to all eligible entrants on the Contest Site and Contest Entry Form.
2. The Contest entry form is only available in Georgian and can be found on the Contest Site.

4. ADDITIONAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS; REPRESENTATIONS BY ENTRANTS:

1. All Entries must be received by the end of the Entry Period. Submission of Entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Proof of transmission of an Entry does not constitute proof that it was received. Incomplete, unreadable, late, or unintelligible Entries are void and will be disqualified.
2. Limit of one (1) Entry per person.
3. In case of a dispute over an entrant's identity or eligibility, the entry will be attributed to the authorized account holder of the listed email address. Using multiple email or social media accounts to enter may lead to disqualification of all entries.
4. Each Entry (including the Contest Entry form and all other data, information, images, content, and other materials included in the Entry) must comply with the following:

1. It must be entirely the original work of the entrant.
2. It must not contain any individual’s photograph, likeness, name, voice, or other element of persona and identity unless the entrant has obtained all releases and consents from such individual necessary to enter the Entry in the Contest (or the parent/legal guardian for any minor depicted), and to grant the rights in the Entry as provided in these Official Rules.
3. If a professional image or video is submitted, the Entrant is responsible for securing usage rights from the photographer or videographer to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the image by Visa, Partner, and their respective agents, in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known.
4. It must not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other proprietary rights of any third party.
5. All information provided in the Entry must be true, accurate, and correct in all respects.
6. It must not be created or submitted through any script, macro, or other automatic method.
7. It must comply with these Official Rules and all applicable Laws.
8. It must be suitable for publication to a general audience and must not contain anything that:
1. is illegal, abusive, tortious, defamatory, pornographic, sexually explicit, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or otherwise objectionable;
2. promotes discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or age;
3. promotes violence or unsafe or illegal activity;
4. is threatening, harassing, or degrading;
5. serves to impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent affiliation with any person or entity;
6. or disparages or injures the reputation or goodwill of Visa, Partner, the prize providers, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, products, or services.
9. Entries that do not comply with these requirements (as determined by Partner in its sole discretion) are void and will be disqualified. Entrants may be required to submit proof of compliance with these requirements, and failure to provide such proof on request may, in Partner’s sole discretion, disqualify an entrant’s Entry.
10. Neither submission of an Entry nor any other participation in the Contest creates any confidential, fiduciary, agency, employment, or other relationship or contract between Visa, Partner, and any entrant, and by submitting an Entry each entrant acknowledges that no such relationship or contract exists.
11. By entering the Contest, each entrant represents and warrants to Partner that:
1. The entrant meets all the eligibility requirements for the Contest; and
2. The entrant has complied with these Official Rules and all applicable Laws in entering and participating in the Contest.

5. CONTEST STAGES: APPLICATION SELECTION PROCESS, TRAINING SESSIONS, PITCH DAY & WINNER DETERMINATION:

1. Judging Period: The Winners will be determined within a period following the application window.
2. Judges: Eligible Entries will be evaluated by a jury formed by Visa and Partner (as further described below).
3. Judging Methods and Application Criteria: The judges will make their decision based on the following criteria:

1. Compelling Story of Entrepreneurship (20 points)
2. Strength of Business Metrics (10 points)
3. Compelling Digital Presence (20 points)
4. Problem the Business Is Solving (20 points)
5. Quality of Written Materials and/or Visual Media (20 points)
6. Component of Social Responsibility (10 points)

4. The jury will select the TOP 15 Entries based on their applications;
5. The TOP 15 Entries will receive support through 5 training sessions.
6. Out of the TOP 15 Entries, the jury will choose 3 winners who will be awarded monetary prizes.
7. The winner of each category will be selected during pitch day by jurors based on the following criteria:

• Expertise: The presenter will be evaluated on her knowledge gained from the sessions and their overall experience; (5 Points)
• Vision: The presenter must effectively convey key information about their business within the allotted time – 2-3 minutes; (5 Points)
• Clear and Coherent Narrative: The presenter must deliver a well-structured and clear speech outlining the business and its growth trajectory. (5 Points)

8. Rating Scale of the Application and Pitch:

1. Point 0 (Very Poor) – The proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be assessed owing to missing or incomplete information.
2. Point 1 (Poor) – The criterion is inadequately addressed, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.
3. Point 2 (Fair) – The proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are significant weaknesses.
4. Point 3 (Good) – The proposal addresses the criterion well, but a number of shortcomings are present.
5. Point 4 (Very Good) – The proposal addresses the criterion well, but a small number of shortcomings are present.
6. Point 5 (Excellent) – The proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the criterion.

9. The evaluation forms completed by jurors during the application selection process and pitch day are confidential and will not be shared with third parties, including participants.
10. Information about the selected three winners will be published on the Partner's communication channels. Additionally, each winner will receive notification via the email address provided in their application form.
11. Information about the top participants and winners is expected to be published on Visa’s platforms, in the media, and through Partner's communication channels.

6. JURY: The selection committee includes subject matter experts and specialists in branding, design, digital technologies, bank products, sales, marketing, communication, and investment; The winners will be determined by secret ballot. The composition of the jury is strictly confidential and they will be identified according to paragraph 5. Visa and Partner of the Contest retain the right to change a number of jury members. The decision of the jury is based on the principle of a simple majority for each participant. The jury's decision will be final and not appealable. The jury operates under its full discretion and is not obliged to make a decision in favor of any participant.

7. MONETARY PRIZES AND AWARDING CEREMONY:

1. Each of the three Prize Winners will receive a monetary prize of 10,000 Georgian Lari (GEL).
2. Winners of the Contest will be informed about procedures to receive their monetary prize within 30 working days. Prizes are not exchangeable, assignable, or otherwise transferable, except at the sole and absolute discretion of the Partner or Visa.
3. The value of each prize may be taxable to each Winner as income. If required, an applicable tax form will be issued by the Partner in the name of each Winner for the value of the prize(s) received. Each Winner shall be solely responsible for all applicable taxes in Georgia (including income, and withholding taxes), and the reporting consequences thereof, for any other fees or costs associated with the applicable prize(s), and for any other liabilities incurred in connection with any prize.

8. USE OF PERSONAL DATA: All personal information collected by or on behalf of Partner (including without limitation, an entrant’s name, biographical data, and city and province/territory of residence) may be used for the administration of the Contest and as stated in these Official Rules. By submitting an Entry, each entrant acknowledges that Partner may disclose the entrant’s personal information to Visa, as Visa does not collect or process any personal data. Visa takes responsibility to protect, not share with third parties, and discard after accomplishing the Contest.

9. GRANT TRANSFER: By submitting an Entry, each entrant irrevocably grants Partner and its designees the unconditional, irrevocable, and perpetual right and permission, royalty-free, to use the Entry and any other data, information, images, content, or materials included in such Entry, in any media now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world for brand promotional purposes and related activities. Partner is not obligated to use any of the above-mentioned data, information, images, content, or materials, but may do so and may edit them in Partner’s sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation. Each entrant waives all intellectual property rights, privacy/publicity rights, or other legal or moral rights that might preclude the Partner’s use of the Entry or exercise of any rights granted to DI, and each entrant agrees not to sue or assert any claim against the Partner and Parties with respect to such use.

10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Partner and supporting parties are not liable for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages related to the challenge or prizes, regardless of the legal basis. All prizes are provided "as is," and no warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, are given or implied.

11. DISQUALIFICATION: Partner reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant who Partner finds to be tampering with the participation process or the operation of the Contest or the Contest Site. This includes acting in violation of these Official Rules, acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest, or to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other person, and DI reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by Law.

12. TERMINATION/MODIFICATION: Partner shall have the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Contest, at any time for any reason, including without limitation as a result of natural disaster, equipment failure, civil disturbance, fraud, financial, or administrative difficulties, technical problems (such as a computer virus/ bug), unauthorized intervention that corrupts the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper functioning of the Contest, or other causes not within the control of the Partner. Partner reserves the right to make changes in these Official Rules and repost on the Contest Site. Any such changes will become effective upon notice via online posting at the Contest Site or other means of wide dissemination.

13. DISPUTES: Unless otherwise stated by the law of Georgia, each entrant agrees that:

1. any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with these Official Rules, this Contest, or any prize shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the courts located in Georgia and hereby waives any objection to such courts, whether on the basis of venue, personal jurisdiction, inconvenience of the form, or otherwise; (ii) any and all claims made by entrant, and any and all judgments and awards in favor of entrant, shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (iii) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All disputes concerning the Contest, the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of each entrant and Partner in connection with these Official Rules or the Contest shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of Georgia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules that would cause the application of the Laws of any other jurisdiction.

14. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: The Contest may be advertised on or accessed through one or more social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn. However, the Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with any such platforms. Entrants agree to comply with all terms and policies governing such platforms in connection with the Contest.