TERMS & CONDITIONS CREATE APPS CHAMPIONSHIP 3.0
TERMS & CONDITIONS CREATE APPS CHAMPIONSHIP 3.0
Introduction:
Dubai Chamber Digital Economy (“DCDE”) is launching the 3rd edition of the Create Apps Championship (“Competition”) that aims to foster a mobile app development community (“Apps”), boost the number of Apps across the UAE Apple Store, Google Play and Huawei App Gallery, and support the individuals, corporates, and the growth of startups in the Dubai ecosystem (“Participants”).
The participants shall read, agree and comply with these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) in accordance with the stated hereunder:
Definitions:
Participant: An individual or team entering the Create Apps Championship.
Fund Manager: The third-party entity managing and disbursing funds on behalf of DCDE.
App: The mobile application or prototype submitted to the competition.
Launch: The public release of the App on an UAE App Stores (Apple Store, Google Play Huawei App Gallery)
Family Member: A spouse, parent, sibling, child, or any person with a close personal or financial relationship to the Participant.
Eligibility:
1. Participants must be at least 14 years old at the date of entry.
2. Participants can apply from the UAE and worldwide (‘International Participants’) with a solid idea for a new Mobile Application.
3. Participants must have the Long-term intent to build a successful mobile application in Dubai.
Submission:
1. The Apps participating in the Competition shall be submitted in accordance with the required criteria as announced by DCDE within the specified period.
2. No entries may be accepted on dates other than the specified period and the Participants must submit their Apps ideas and prototypes completed at the deadline.
3. The submitted Apps must be the original work of the Participants and must not be an infringement or imitation of any third party works, including intellectual property rights.
4. If any information provided by the Participants is subsequently discovered to be fraudulent or false or if there is a material misstatement or omission, the said Participant will be automatically disqualified. The same shall apply to any information given by winners whereby the award given will be automatically revoked;
5. All Apps participating must not include any political, religious or immoral content and must be in compliance with all laws and regulations applicable in UAE.
6. Participants may submit more than one mobile app idea, provided that each submission is distinct and complies with all submission requirements. Each submission will be evaluated independently.
7. Submitted apps must not be live or published on any public platform (e.g., Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or websites) prior to the competition deadline. Only unpublished, in-progress ideas, MVPs, or prototypes are eligible for participation.
8. Participants may enter as individuals or as part of a team. Each team may consist of a maximum of six (6) members. No team shall exceed this limit under any circumstances.
Eligibility of Previous Participants:
Participants who entered the competition in the previous year are eligible to participate again, provided that the app they are submitting has not been publicly launched, published, or made commercially available prior to the start of the current competition.
Jury Panel:
1. The independent jury committee will evaluate the Apps based on predetermined criteria to select the winners.
2. The Jury panel has the right to reject any App submitted to the Competition without giving any reasons
3. The decisions of the jury panel are final, binding, and non-challengeable
Funding and Commitment Terms
1. Prizes fund will be awarded to the top-performing Participants as determined by the jury panel.
2. Four competition winners will receive funds which will be managed by a third-party organization (“Fund Manager”) and can only be used for elements contributing to the successful development of an app as deemed by the Fund Manager.
3. No cash prizes will be awarded and the funding that received will be directly invested in resources and services to support the winning mobile app projects. This support may include assistance with obtaining a trade license, marketing, recruitment, and mobile app development, among other services. No cash prizes will be awarded. If an International Participant (non-Dubai resident) wins a first-place prize, the winner must obtain a Dubai trade license and a UAE company Bank Account to be eligible to receive the investment.
4. Prizes are non-transferable and may not be redeemed for cash or any other substitute
5. Non-Transferability of Funded Apps: The funded App and any associated rights shall not be transferred, sold, licensed, or assigned to another entity or individual while under DCDE funding or before the App’s official public launch. Any such attempt will result in immediate termination of funding and disqualification.
6. Diversion from Original Idea: Any substantial change, redirection, or pivot from the original winning App idea must be resubmitted to DCDE and/or the Fund Manager for review. DCDE reserves the right to discontinue funding or reclaim allocated funds if the new idea deviates from the approved scope.
7. Commitment to Launch Timelines: Winners must actively commit to the agreed development and launch schedule as directed by DCDE and the Fund Manager. Repeated delays, extended pauses, or lack of engagement without valid justification may lead to disqualification or withdrawal of funding.
Financial Management and Reporting
1. Approved Use of Funds: All disbursements shall be used exclusively for purposes directly contributing to the App’s technical and business development, as approved by DCDE or the Fund Manager.
2. Reporting Obligations: Winners shall submit progress and financial reports in the format and frequency defined by DCDE or the Fund Manager, including expenditure breakdowns and milestone updates.
3. Right to Audit: DCDE and/or the Fund Manager reserve the right to audit or review all expenses made through the allocated funds. Failure to provide documentation or misuse of funds may result in immediate suspension or recovery of the grant.
Related-Party Payments and Founder Compensation
1. Prohibition of Related-Party Transactions: Funding shall not be used to pay salaries, stipends, consulting fees, or compensation to founders, co-founders, or their immediate family members, unless explicitly pre-approved in writing by DCDE or the Fund Manager.
2. Allowable Compensation: Founders may receive limited compensation if directly engaged in app development or operations, subject to prior approval and within reasonable market rates.
3. Disclosure Obligation: Any related-party transaction (including spouses, parents, siblings, or business partners) must be disclosed in advance. Failure to do so may result in suspension or recovery of funds.
Performance Evaluation and Termination
1. Performance Monitoring: The progress and performance of the funded App will be continuously assessed by DCDE and/or the Fund Manager based on predefined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) covering technical and business milestones.
2. Termination of Support: DCDE reserves the right to terminate funding if the Participant fails to meet performance targets, deviates from the agreed plan, or breaches these Terms.
3. Reallocation of Funding: In the event of termination, DCDE may reallocate remaining funds to other Participants or initiatives at its sole discretion.
Intellectual Property:
1. The Participants retain ownership of the intellectual property rights to their Apps.
2. The Participants, by entering the Competition, grant the DCDE a non-exclusive,royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and display their Apps for promotional purposes. This is limited to promotional activities on the DCDE platforms, which may include showcasing the apps in advertisements, presentations, or other marketing materials.
3. The Participants are responsible for all intellectual property rights towards third parties in all elements used in the Apps, including but not limited to sounds, video, and images.
4. In cases where DCDE provides funding, mentorship, or strategic support, the Participant agrees that DCDE may be recognized as a “Strategic Partner” in all public materials, media mentions, and digital listings related to the App during the funding period.
5. Participants shall not engage in any third-party licensing, acquisition, or partnership involving the App’s IP without DCDE’s written consent while funding is active.
Development Partners:
1. Participants must build an MVP to make it through to the quarter final stage, and are encouraged to complete building the full application after this stage.
2. Participants should conduct proper research to choose the suitable development partner from the list of preferred development partners shared by DCDE without any liability on DCDE on any challenges faced by choosing these specific development partners.
3. Detailed terms and conditions for Participants prototype and app build will be outlined with the chosen development partner, DCDE will not be liable, or part of the T+C’s outlined between the Participants and the chosen development partner.
Publicity:
1. The Participants agree to use their names and public information related to the APPS for any purpose.
2. The Participants agree to participate in publicity activities, including but not limited to media interviews, photographs, and social media promotions, as requested by DCDE.
3.The Participants agree to the use of their images and information in media promotions.
Disqualification:
1. DCDE reserves the right to disqualify any Participants who violate these Terms or engages in any conduct that is deemed unfair or contrary to the spirit of the Competition.
2. Any Participant who does not respect these Terms of the Competition, does not respect the jury panel, or causes assault, infringement and harmful to other Participants will be disqualified of the Competition.
3. DCDE reserves the right to disqualify any Participants from the competition, if it believes, in its sole discretion and without any restrictions, that the Participants has violated the rights of any third party.
4. DCDE reserves the right to disqualify any Participant found to have provided false information, engaged in fraudulent activities, or misused DCDE’s name, logo, or branding in any capacity.
Disclaimers:
1. DCDE is not responsible for any technical malfunctions, errors, or failures that may occur in connection with the Competition.
2. DCDE is not responsible for any claims or disputes arising between the Participants regarding the ownership of the App or its contents.
3. In no event shall DCDE be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the Competition.
4. DCDE does not bear responsibility for any material or moral losses, or any damage incurred by the Participant as a result of participating in the Competition.
5. The Participants must not violate any international or local rights, laws, or provisions, or in any way encourage the violation of those rights, laws, or provisions.
6. DCDE is not responsible for all legal measures taken against the Participants if they violate any of the rules and regulations before the official authorities.
7. DCDE is not held liable for any challenges between the Participants and the Development Partners.
Acknowledgement
1. The Participants agree and acknowledge that DCDE will not bear any financial costs on their behalf in exchange for participating in the Competition.
2. The Participant acknowledges to bear any costs related to his participation and any subsidiary issues arising from it. To avoid any doubt, DCDE is not responsible for paying any fees, charges or expenses for developing the Participants’ Apps.
3. The Participants acknowledge and grant DCDE the right to keep all information and files submitted and related thereto in its archive.
4. The Participant acknowledges that he is the sole and exclusive owner of the submitted App and its contents, and this App has not been used before in any way and is not owned by any entity or individual.
5. By entering the competition, you will automatically be enrolled in the DCDE Business In Dubai programme and will receive a DCDE monthly community newsletter, in which you may opt to unsubscribe at any time.
6. DCDE reserves the right to invite outstanding teams that do not qualify for the semi-finals to participate in a specialized Accelerator Program. These teams will be selected based on their innovation potential, feasibility, viability, scalability, and relevance to the Dubai market, as determined by the jury panel and DCDE.
6. Post-Funding Obligations:
1. Post-Launch Reporting
Funded Participants shall provide DCDE with post-launch updates for six (6) months following the official release, including user metrics, downloads, and performance highlights.
2. DCDE Brand Recognition
Participants must acknowledge DCDE’s support in all public launch communications (e.g., app store listings, websites, press releases) unless otherwise approved in writing.
3. Continuation of Engagement
DCDE reserves the right to invite winning teams to future accelerators, collaborations, or events under the “Create Apps in Dubai” initiative.
Amendments:
DCDE reserves the right to amend, revise or update these Terms at any time. The Participants shall follow up any updates/amendments of these Terms through the DCDE website.
Governing Law:
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the federal laws of UAE and Emirate of Dubai and the jurisdiction for any unsettled disputes shall be subject to Dubai Courts.
By participating in the Create Apps Championship, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to sign without any restriction to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
