INNOVATORS OF AMERICA PRIZE LEGAL FRAMEWORK

BACKGROUND

Innovadores de America is a communications platform of regional integration to promote innovation and creative ideas as tools for development and promotion of new models and values based on research, democratic principles, and dedication to work.

Innovadores de America is based on a prize that identifies and acknowledges Latin Americans renowned for their innovations in fields other than arts, sports, and music. Around these extraordinary individuals and the story of their efforts to reach their goals, a campaign will be launched with the support of media partners in the various countries of the region, a campaign to acknowledge their contributions and a movement to spread Latin America creativity a and innovations, as essential elements of our collective future and role in the global context.

Innovadores de America is being implemented with the support of a network of allies of the most influential media in each country of the region and a group of regional and local sponsors.

1.     The Prize

The Prize Innovadores de America (“the Prize) is a regional initiative to promote creativity, as a means for Latin American to use their ingenuity to solve problems, develop novel ideas, and strengthen its road to development. This is a prize that rewards projects that have made true creative and innovative contributions and whose feasibility and functioning have been demonstrated; not individual success. It is focused on awarding projects with creative and original concepts which have or will have an impact, acknowledging its potential and importance in terms of its contribution to society, in particular the Latin American community.

2.     The Organizers

The Prize Innovadores de America has been created by the firm INNOVAMERICA, INC. (Innovamerica), located at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is the entity responsible for its general organization, promotion, and prize implementation. Innovamerica is formed by the Pages Group (an operator of international franchises affiliated to the Omnicom Group in the Caribbean); Patricia Janiot (Innovadores de America Director, CNN En Español main anchor person); Gustavo Sorzano (artist, humanist, and creative director of international standing and creator of the concept of the Prize); and Aldo Espinosa (consultant of institutional strengthening).

3.     Prize Categories

The prize encompasses six categories, which have been conceived in order to include projects that contribute to the development of areas which are considered essential for the growth and development of the region, as follows:

i.        Education: Includes conceptual or methodological contributions to education and the implementation of innovative ideas that impact the education sector in favor of the community, social and economic development, and strengthen the levels of competitiveness of the sector where implemented.

ii.        Sustainability and Ecology: Includes innovative projects that contribute and provide solutions to problems related to the preservation of the environment. Projects that contribute and in some way complement and increase sustainable development and adequate exploitation of resources, facilitating responsible and beneficial use of natural resources.

iii.        Enterprise and Industry: Includes contributions to the productive sector of the community which provide creative and innovative solutions that result in increased production levels or optimization of them through innovative and original tools. Also, the implementation of innovative corporate plans of social responsibility and its general contribution to the community.

iv.        Design: Includes the creation or improvement of designs that create impact and are considered true innovations in the market, as instruments that make a difference; also the design and implementation of projects that represent an improvement in terms of comparative and competitive advantage. This category includes industrial as well as architectural designs.

v.        Science and Technology: Includes the creation of new methods, technologies, or technological processes that add value or facilitate comprehension or handling of existing problems in any field – scientific research in the widest sense that results in contribution to present knowledge or implementation of new solutions.

vi.        Community Development: Includes the participation of citizens in the development of projects in the daily life of the community and dedication to creating integrated communities where respect for fundamental rights is promoted, protection of collective interests, protection of transparency in the interaction between citizens and the State, active citizens’ participation and development of the common good, and efforts to mitigate poverty.

4.   Icons and Legends

This is a section of the Prize in which various types of publications will be made in order to promote, disseminate and acknowledge those Latin Americans considered by the prize as innovators and pioneers in several fields of knowledge. Their work, innovations, originality, creativity, and legacy to the community will be promoted.

5.   The Candidates

As applicants or nominees the following may participate in the Prize:

·         Any person,  that is a national of a Latin American country from which nominations can be accepted;

·         A group of individuals, whether legally constituted or not, as long as the majority of its members are Latin American nationals from the countries from which nominations can be accepted.

·         Any organization or legal entity, properly incorporated in its jurisdiction of origin, whether profit or non-profit, public or private, whose innovation has been developed in any of the region’s countries.

·         Persons from other regions residing in a Latin American country for at least ten years who have documents proving the nationality of the country in which they reside.

In the event of a group of individuals or entities, a representative must be appointed who will act as the liaison with the Prize and be responsible for everything related to the Prize.

6.   Participating Countries

For the purposes of the Prize, Participating Countries (“the Countries”) will be the following from Latin America and the Caribbean:

7.   How to participate

Anyone who considers himself (herself) an innovator, and has an original creation which is in operation may participate. Also, a third party many nominate another, if the individual has consented in writing to the nomination. The written consent may be required by Innovamerica after the nomination.

Anyone interested in self nominating for the prize or in nominating someone else, must access the Prize webpage (www.innovadoresdeamerica.org) and enter the section “How to participate”, there it should be stated whether it is a nomination of a third party or self nomination. Then complete the on-line form and press “send”. Each nomination must include all the data required in the webpage form (name, contact telephone, e-mail, and brief description of the innovation).  Innovamerica may reject those nominations that are received incomplete. Nominations may be made in Spanish or Portuguese.

Nominations must be supported with truthful and verifiable data. Nominees must send to Innovamerica all documents or elements that substantiate the statements made in the nomination. Participants must complete the physical or digital forms as well as provide photographic or audiovisual proofs of the innovation as required by the jury. Innovamerica will not be responsible for any false or incomplete information provided by the nominees. In the event false or incomplete information is submitted the nominee will be disqualified. In addition, Innovamerica must receive via Internet copy of the passports, or equivalent identification document that includes a photograph of each nominee.

Innovamerica will accept nominations exclusively in the manner stated in this clause and will only consider for the evaluation process those nominations that are received in the manner stated and within the term specified. Submission of a nomination to participate in the Prize only guarantees that Innovamerica will evaluate the merits of the nomination and the innovation. Therefore, Innovamerica is not liable if due to unforeseen events the nomination cannot be considered for the Prize. Innovamerica reserves the right to include or not any proposal received.

Only one nomination in only one category may be registered at each session. Every two years innovations may be submitted at another version of the Prize.

Nominees, upon Innovamerica’s request, must sign the Nominees Contract to be provided by Innovamerica. Until the nominee subscribes the Nominees Contract the innovation cannot be considered as a candidate for the Prize.

8. Evaluation Criteria

Innovamerica will evaluate each nomination in an individual manner and will accept or reject the nomination submitted at its entire discretion.

In order to choose the winning innovations the Jury will take into account the following criteria:

a)     Creative development: Project’s contribution, viability, and innovation.

b)    Personal commitment: Effort required for the project’s development.

c)     Finding: Originality and contribution of the project to the community.

d)    Legacy: The project’s permanence in time and its impact on society.

9.   The Jury

Decisions concerning winners of the Prize will be made by the Jury appointed by Innovamerica and their ruling will be unappealable.

Innovamerica will count on a Jury panel made up of three (3) jurors for each one of the Prize categories – two Latin American jurors and a third from another region.

The jurors will be individuals that Innovamerica understands have the professional and technical knowledge, expertise, performance, and occupation that allows them to evaluate correctly the innovative projects nominated.

10.  Evaluation Process

Jury Regulations are an integral part of these Legal Bases and is for the exclusive use of Innovamerica and the Jury.

11.  Prize Calendar

12.  The Prize

The winner of each one of the Categories will receive from Innovamerica a prize in cash equivalent to forty thousand United States dollars (US$40,000.00).

All prizes stated in this document will be subject to withholdings and discounts applicable to tax laws, depending on the jurisdiction, and will be the sole responsibility of the winner.

The prize will be delivered to the individual who is nominated or in favor of the group of people, organization or legal entity, in the hands of the representative designated as responsible before the Prize.

The winners may reserve the right to accept or reject the prize. In such a case, Innovamerica will evaluate the second place of the Category in question, to decide whether to award the prize or not.

13.  Information provided

Every nominee authorizes Innovamerica to use the information submitted for the Prize for dissemination and promotion of the innovation through the media and any other audiovisual means Innovamerica may deem convenient.

14.  Copyright, trademark rights and accountability

Nominees must ensure that they have taken necessary measures to protect their copyrights and trademark rights in accordance with the jurisdiction of origin, prior to its nomination. This will include, as applicable, trademarks, patents, commercial names, models, etc. Every nominee must guarantee, by the mere fact of participating, that all these rights are his own and that they have not been plagiarized or copied from others without prior consent. Any claims from third parties due to violation of this kind will be the exclusive responsibility of the nominee.

The nominees accept that Innovamerica will use the models and information submitted to promote the Prize. In this regard Innovamerica is authorized to publish, present and disseminate in any type of media the innovation nominated.

15. Prize Award

Innovamerica may organize an award ceremony to be attended by all winners to receive their prize.

16.  Acceptance of Legal Framework

Nomination of a project in the manner stated in this document implies full, unconditional, immediate, and total acceptance of this Legal Framework, with all its consequences and will represent an express waiver of the nominees regarding any claim against Innovamerica.

Innovamerica reserves the right to modify this framework. Its publication in the Innovadores de America webpage will suffice as official notification to all nominees.