Awa Prize 2023

Table des matières

1 Presentation of the Competition
1.1 Context
1.2 Definitions
1.3 Organiser
1.4 Target countries
1.5 Targeted women entrepreneurs
1.6 Competition categories
1.6.1 Start-up category
1.6.2 Scale-up category
1.6.3 Innovation category
1.6.4 People's choice category
2 Conditions for participating
2.1 Conditions for participating
2.2 Unauthorised business activities
2.3 Procedures for submitting the application
3 How the Competition works
3.1 Stages of the Competition
3.2 Composition of the Committees
3.2.1 Selection Committee
3.2.2 Jury
4 Project selection and evaluation
4.1 Step 3: General (pre-)selection criteria
4.2 Specific (pre-)selection criteria
4.2.1 Category 1: Start-up
4.2.2 Category 2: Scale-Up
4.2.3 Category 3: Innovation
4.2.4 Category 4: People's Choice Award
4.3 Step 4: Scoring criteria for the oral interview by the Selection Committee
4.4 Step 5: Scoring criteria for the oral interview with the Jury
5 Final decision and publication of results
6 Awards
7 Commitments of the Candidates
7.1 Commitments during the Competition
7.2 Commitments after the first selection
7.3 Commitments of Competition Winners or the Candidates receiving an award
8 Withdrawal from the Competition
9 Advertising
10 Intellectual property
11 Guarantees
12 Competition clause
13 Acceptance of the Rules
14 Liability of the Candidates
15 Force majeure, right to extension
16 Personal data
17 Applicable law and interpretation
18 Filing and consultation of the Rules

1        Presentation of the Competition

1.1 Context
The development of women's entrepreneurship is a global challenge. The rate of representation of women in the entrepreneurial ecosystem varies depending on the region of the world. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, 24% of women are entrepreneurs, the majority of them subsistence farmers , while in the Middle East, the representation rate of women entrepreneurs is one of the lowest in the world.
Women's entrepreneurship is now a lever for the achievement of the various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); it significantly stimulates development potential: women's entrepreneurship has a direct impact on SDG 5 "Gender equality", and SDG 8 "Decent work".
At the international level, Belgium is committed to gender equality, the promotion of women's leadership and the empowerment of women. Thus, under the impulse of the Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy, Meryame Kitir, Enabel is committed to a global approach to support the development and promotion of women's entrepreneurship, in Belgium and in every country in which Enabel is active.
Over the next four (4) years, Enabel is committed to implementing tools to promote and develop women's entrepreneurship in Belgium and in the countries in which it works, in order to reduce and fight against socio-economic inequalities. In this context, Enabel is organising a Competition via the Awa Prize, to promote women entrepreneurs in their community and strengthen them in their entrepreneurial success. The second edition of the contest will take place as of 5th September 2023.


1.2 Definitions
- "Organiser" means Enabel.
- "Competition" means participation in the Awa Prize.
- "Candidates" means eligible participants who have been pre-selected for the Awa Prize.
- "Rules" means this document.
- "Winner" means a Candidate who has won the Awa Prize in one of the four (4) categories.
- "Selection Committee" means the committee responsible for the selection of the Candidates.
- "Jury" means the committee responsible for selecting the Winners (except for the People's Choice Award).
- "Awa Prize Team" means the Enabel intervention team in charge of organising the Competition and comprising the Project Manager, the Communication Officer and, in some cases, the Financial Officer and/or the administrative assistant.
- "Site" means the website dedicated to the Competition at the following address https://www.enabel.be/awa
- "Focal Point" means an Enabel staff member designated to support the implementation of the project in one or more countries of intervention.


1.3 Organiser
The Competition organiser is Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency, a public limited company with a social purpose.
Enabel is committed to the promotion and development of women's entrepreneurship in Belgium and in a growing number of its countries of intervention.

1.4 Target countries
Enabel operates in twenty-one (21) countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.

In principle, the Competition takes place in every country where Enabel is active. However, for this occurrence, the Competition will not be held in Gambia, Guinea Bissau and CAR, as Enabel is not yet sufficiently established in these countries to effectively support the deployment of the Competition and its activities.


1.5 Targeted women entrepreneurs
The Competition is open to any woman (co-)founder and majority or equal partner in a company based in one of the selected countries.
The company turnover for 2023 must be at least €1. Nevertheless, as the objective of the Competition is to highlight high-impact projects, the demonstrated and/or potential socio-economic benefits of the selected companies will be key selection criteria. The second edition of the contest will focus on green and circular economies and will therefore prioritize companies active in a sustainable and resilient economical system.
As participation in the Competition is entirely digital, candidates must have access to an internet connection. Candidates must also be able to understand and express themselves in French or English.



1.6 Competition categories
Candidates may choose to apply in one of the following categories:
1.6.1 Start-up category
This award is for companies that have been in existence for at least one year and no more than three years when the Competition is launched.
1.6.2 Scale-up category
This award is for companies that have been in existence for three years or more when the Competition is launched.
1.6.3 Innovation category
This award is intended for any company that develops particularly innovative products, services and/or approaches.
1.6.4 People's choice category
This award is open to any company in the Start-up, Scale-up or Innovation categories wanting to compete for the People's Choice via an online vote.

2 Conditions for participating

2.1 Conditions for participating
Members of the Selection Committee, members of the Jury, persons working for the Organiser or any person directly or indirectly involved in the implementation of the Competition may not compete.
Participation in the Competition is strictly by name. It is strictly forbidden to apply under multiple names, with multiple email addresses or on behalf of other participants. Any duplicate submission by the same individual, under different company names, will result in the cancellation of their participation. Only one entry per entrepreneur is allowed.
By accepting the Competition Rules, the entrant is informed that the Organiser may make all necessary checks regarding the identity, contact information and nationality of the entrants and the registration of their company. Any erroneous, incomplete or fraudulent information will result in the cancellation of participation in the Competition.
Participation in the Competition is free of charge.
The requirements for participation in the Competition are as follows (the information for verifying the requirement is in brackets):
1. officially be a woman in the country of nationality; (identity card or passport.)
2. be at least 18 years old and have reached the age of majority in the country of nationality; (identity card or passport.)
3. be of the nationality of one of the target countries; (identity card or passport.)
4. be a (co-)founder and majority or equal partner in a company based in one of the selected countries when the contest is launched in the participating countries; (official company creation document.)
5. declare commitment (founder and her team) to the project activities for a minimum of twelve (12) months after the day a potential prize is awarded; (part completed in the form.)
6. have a company that is active in the green and circular economies.
7. Not having one 3 or more than 3 contests.

NB: Winners will need to meet the requirements for a business visa to travel to Belgium. Enabel will facilitate the visa process and will cover any costs associated with obtaining the visa.


2.2 Unauthorised business activities
Companies conducting the following activities are not eligible for the Competition:

- production of or trade in any illegal product or illegal activity in relation to the legislation of the country of intervention and Belgium or the regulations, conventions and/or international agreements;
- production or activity requiring forced or child labour;
- trade in animals, plants or any natural products that do not comply with the provisions of CITES;
- fishing activity using a drift net of more than 2.5 km in length;
- any operation that results in or requires the destruction of critical habitat, and any forestry project that does not implement a sustainable development and management plan;
- production, use or trade of hazardous materials such as asbestos fibres or products containing PCB6;
- production, use or trade of pharmaceuticals, pesticides/herbicides, ozone-depleting substances or any other hazardous products subject to an international ban or phase-out;
- cross-border trade in wastes, except those accepted by the Basel Convention and its underlying regulations;
- production of or trade in: weapons and/or ammunition; tobacco; strong alcohol for human consumption;
- gaming houses, casinos or any equivalent business;
- any business related to pornography or prostitution;
- any operation resulting in the irreversible modification or significant displacement of a critical cultural heritage element;
- production and distribution of, or participation in, media that are racist, anti-democratic or advocate discrimination against a segment of the population;
- exploitation of diamond mines and marketing of diamonds if the host State has not joined the Kimberley Process;
- any sector or service that is subject to a United Nations, European Union and/or Belgian embargo in a given State, without restriction of the absolute or relative amount.


2.3 Procedures for submitting the application
The participant must complete and send the entry form and the file relating to the Competition within the deadline via the internet link provided by the Organiser.
The participant agrees to fill in all the required fields on the entry form accurately to validate her participation in the Competition and be contacted in the event of selection for the Competition.

This application will be the only document consulted during the eligibility and pre-selection stages and must be written in French, English or Arabic.

The application must include:
- The answers to the entry form, completed on the Typeform platform via the link provided by the Organiser: https://form.typeform.com/to/g74E7Uia
- a copy of the Candidate's identity card
- a copy of proof of official business registration/licensing
- Proof of the company turnover for last year and/or paid taxes in relation with the benefits or a balance sheet.

the participant will have the possibility to add attachments to her Application or delete it, before the end of the Competition, by contacting the Awa Prize Team, via awa@enabel.be .

3. 1        How the Competition works

3.1 Stages of the Competition
Step 1: Registration
From 5th September, 08H00 GMT to 15th September 2023 14H00 GMT, the candidates are invited to fill the registration form on the Awa Prize website.

The candidates are invited to select only one of the four (4) categories in which they want to enter the contest (see article 1.6 : Competition categories).


Step 2: Verification of the eligibility of applications
The validity of the applications is checked by the Awa Prize Team and potentially by a Focal Point or an expert working for the Organiser, in order to include all the applications that meet the conditions for participation, as presented in Article 1.6.
From 10th September to 25th September, eligible candidates will be invited to fill a second form and to send documents to validate their registration to the contest. The Organiser will provide the link.

Step 3: Pre-selection of candidates
The pre-selection process aims to identify companies that offer the greatest potential economic and social impact and whose quality of application makes them credible candidates.
During this step, the eligible applications are reviewed by the Awa Prize Team and potentially by a Focal Point or an expert working for the Organiser. Only the most relevant applications received in their territory of intervention, based on the criteria defined in Articles 4.1 and 4.2 of these Rules, translated into a scoring grid in Excel format, will be evaluated. The overall score will be assigned automatically via a methodology that uses a coding system based on the selected answers.
The candidates who have won 3 or more than 3 contests will automatically be excluded from the contest. The provided information will be checked.

The scoring grid and the candidate pre-selection criteria are specified in Article 4.
The eighteen (18) best candidates per award category (categories 1, 2, 3), i.e. forty-eight (54), will be retained for the next selection stage. The Awa Prize Team will collect the evaluation grids and the score obtained by each candidate.

For the "People's Choice Award" category, a maximum of three (3) candidates per country will be selected to participate in the interview before the Selection Committee, i.e. a maximum of fifty-four (54) candidates.
The Awa Prize Intervention Manager will be in charge of producing the pre-selection report.
Candidates will be notified of the outcome of this stage by email within a maximum of one week after the Selection Committee's decision.
If the Candidate does not respond within one (1) week of receiving the email designating her for the next stage of the Competition, her entry will be cancelled in favour of the next Candidate in the ranking.
The Organiser reserves the right to make a public announcement of the name and company of the Candidates, starting from the third stage of the Competition.

Step 4: Interviews with the Selection Committee
From 2nd October to 20 October 2023, Candidates will be invited to an oral interview before the Selection Committee.
Each Candidate will be given an individual interview of twenty to thirty (20-30) minutes. The Candidate will have eight to ten (8-10) minutes to introduce herself and her Application to the Selection Committee, and will then be asked a series of questions for ten to fifteen (10-15) minutes.
The Candidate will be invited to use any audio-visual material at her disposal to best present her story, her company and her team.
Following her presentation, the members of the Selection Committee will have five to ten (5-10) minutes to confer and award their scores.
The interview will take place virtually. Any Candidate who does not attend the selection interview without having justified her absence in advance, will be directly eliminated.
A scoring grid in Excel format will be provided to each member of the Selection Committee. The selection criteria are defined in Article 4.3 of the Regulations.
An average will be calculated. The average score obtained by the Candidate will determine her place in the Competition. Four (4) Candidates for Award categories 1, 2 and 3, a total of twelve (12) Candidates, will be selected to participate in the final selection.
The Selection Committee will designate a maximum of one (1) Candidate per country, i.e. a maximum of eighteen (18) Candidates, to participate in the Public Choice Award.
The Awa Prize Intervention Manager will be in charge of producing the intermediate selection report for the four (4) award categories.

Step 5: Interviews with the Jury
From 16 October 2023 to 23 October 2023, the twelve (12) Candidates in the Start-up, Scale-up and Innovation award categories that have been retained for the final selection will have an interview before the Jury.
Each Candidate will have an individual interview of twenty to thirty (20-30) minutes.
The Candidate will have eight to ten (8-10) minutes to present her company, how she will use the award and the expected socio-economic impacts to the members of the Jury. She will then have to answer a series of questions from the Jury members for ten to fifteen (10 to 15) minutes.
Following her presentation, the members of the Jury will have five to ten (5-10) minutes to confer and award their scores.
A scoring grid in Excel format will be provided to each member of the Jury. The selection criteria are defined in Article 4.4 of the Regulations.
The interview will take place virtually. Any Candidate who does not attend the selection interview without having justified her absence in advance, will be directly eliminated.


Step 5 bis: People's Choice Vote
From 26th November to 2nd December2023, the Candidates in the "People's Choice Award" category who have been selected by the Selection Committee will be submitted to a public vote. Votes will be counted automatically via online registration.
Candidates will send the Awa Prize Team a two hundred and fifty (250) word description of their project for the public, as well as a maximum of three (3) illustrations (photos, drawings, montages, etc.) for publication on the Competition website. The Organiser will support each Candidate in the production of a video clip of less than one hundred and twenty (120) seconds that presents her story and her business and will be broadcast on the Competition website. The Organiser undertakes not to favour one Candidate over another.


The Winner of the "People's Choice Award" category will be determined based on the number of online votes received by the Candidates under the control of the Organiser. The Candidate with the highest number of votes will be awarded the "People's Vote Award".

Step 6: One week trip to Belgium
The four (4) Competition Winners will be invited to attend a one-week entrepreneurial programme in Belgium from 24 to 31 January 2023. The exact programme will be communicated to them two (2) weeks before their departure.
The Awa Prize Team will support the Winners in their administrative procedures for obtaining a business visa. A letter of invitation signed by the Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy will be sent to each Winner. Enabel will cover the various expenses related to obtaining the business visa and will provide the proof of accommodation requested by the administration

Step 7: Presentation of the awards by the Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy
On 28th November 2023, the four (4) Winners will be presented with the Competition award by the Minister of Cooperation and Development, in Brussels.

Step 8: Support for the Winners
From 1 February 2024 to 31 March 2026, the four (4) Winners will be supported by the Organiser and an entity designated by the Organiser, as defined in Section 7 of this document.


3.2 Composition of the Committees
3.2.1 Selection Committee
The Selection Committee is composed of three (3) individuals:
- The Awa Prize Project Manager
- The Awa Prize Communication Officer and/or the administrative assistant of the Awa Prize
- One (1) Expert from the Organiser or the Focal Point of the Candidate's country (pool of experts constituted beforehand according to the sectors of activity of the entrepreneurs, and the availability of the experts)
3.2.2 Jury
The Jury is composed of three (3) individuals:
- One (1) member of the DGD or/and the Cabinet of the Minister of Cooperation and Development
- One (1) or two (2) members of the Belgian entrepreneurial ecosystem

4. Project selection and evaluation

4.1      General (pre-)selection criteria

The general selection criteria apply to all applications, regardless of the category chosen, according to the selection grid below:

4.2 Specific (pre-)selection criteria
Selection is based on the following criteria:

4.2.2 Category 2: Scale-Up

4.2.3 Category 3: Innovation

4.2.4 Category 4: People's Choice Award

Each criterion will be explained to the members of the various selection committees during an information meeting prior to the Competition selections. An explanatory note will also be provided.

4.3 Step 4: Scoring criteria for the oral interview by the Selection Committee
Candidates chosen in the first stage of selection will be invited to attend an oral interview with the Selection Committee.
The Competition finalists will be selected according to the following criteria and scoring grid:

The overall score for Candidates in all categories will be out of sixteen (/16)

4.4 Step 5: Scoring criteria for the oral interview with the Jury
Candidates selected at the first oral interview will be invited to attend a final interview with the Jury.
The Competition Winners, except for the "People's Choice Award" category, will be selected according to the following criteria and scoring grid:

The overall score for the "Start-up", "Scale-up" and "Innovation" categories will be out of twenty (/20)

5 Final decision and publication of results

The Jury of the Selection Committee will designate a Winner for the "Start-up", "Scale-up" and "Innovation" awards according to the criteria defined in Articles 4 and 5.1, 5.2 of the Regulations.

The Winner of the "People's Choice Award" will be chosen based on the number of votes cast for her online. All voting data will be kept for at least one year.

The Competition complies with the guidelines of Enabel's transparency policy, as stated on the Organiser's website.

At the end of the Competition, all Candidates will be notified by email of the final decision of the Jury or the public, within a maximum of one (1) week after the decision is made. The email will be sent to the email address listed on the Competition entry form.

The Organiser cannot be held liable if the email address does not correspond to that of the Candidate, if it is incorrect, if the Candidate is unavailable and/or unreachable, if she has changed her address or if there is a failure by the Internet service provider or the Internet network. If the Winner does not respond within five (5) days of receiving the email designating her as the Competition Winner, the award will go to the Competition's No. 2 Candidate, referred to as the Alternate Winner.

The names of the Winners will be made public at the award event organised in Brussels by the Organiser, in the presence of the Minister. The results will also be published through the various communication channels of the Organiser and its partners.

 

In the event of a dispute between the Organiser and the Candidate, the parties will work together to find a solution. If necessary, the Candidate may request mediation at the email address complaints@enabel.be, cf. https://www.enabel.be/content/complaints-management.

 

Unsuccessful Candidates may request further information from the Organiser by sending an email to the following address: awa@enabel.be

6. Awards

The Winners will each be awarded a prize in the form of support worth a maximum of fifty thousand (50,000) euros. The actual value of the prize will correspond to a minimum of twenty-five thousand (25,000) euros or 75% of the company's projected turnover, but may not exceed the maximum sum mentioned above.

The Candidates coming second in each prize category will be awarded support worth ten thousand (10,000) euros each.

Candidates finishing third in each prize category will be awarded support worth five thousand (5,000) euros each.

A maximum of 10% of the prize money may be spent on small purchases, supplies or work contracted by the Organiser.

The prizes will be awarded after an analysis of the needs of the Winners or the Candidates receiving a prize, by the Organiser or by an entity designated by the Organiser. The support plan will be formalised with the Winners or Candidates receiving a prize and the Organiser.
The Organiser will assist the Winners or the Candidates receiving a prize in the search for service providers who can meet their needs. The Winners or the Candidates receiving a prize agree to provide all estimates and proof of use of funds requested by the Organiser. They also agree that the Organiser will follow up and evaluate the impact of the Competition on their business for a minimum of twelve (12) months after the award.
The prizes awarded are personal and non-transferable.

7. Commitments of the Candidates

7.1 Commitments during the Competition
Participants in the Competition formally agree to:
- unreservedly accept these Rules in their entirety;
- demonstrate sincerity and good faith in completing their application form and presenting their project;
- respond to all requests for additional information made during the selection process;
- respect the different steps of the selection process, and the deadlines for submitting the requested documents.

Any incomplete, erroneous, forged or fraudulent information will result in the cancellation of participation in the Competition, and a formal ban on taking part in all editions of the Competition.

7.2 Commitments after the first selection
The Candidates selected at the first stage of the Competition agree to participate in the various interviews with the Selection Committee and the Jury.
Candidates also agree to send all the documents necessary for the continuation of their application for the members of the Selection Committee and the Jury to make their final decision. These documents can be in different forms: written documents, video recordings, etc.

7.3 Commitments of Competition Winners or the Candidates receiving an award
The Winners of the Competition agree to participate in the production of an audiovisual report about them. This audiovisual report will be broadcast during the Competition award ceremony in Brussels.
The Competition Winners commit to a one-week programme in Brussels at the time of the Competition's award ceremony. This programme will be defined according to the entrepreneurial needs of the Winner and will have the objective of technology transfer with peers, strengthening the entrepreneurial network and exchanges with local organisations.
The Competition Winners commit to take part in the Competition's award ceremony in Brussels. All expenses related to their participation in this event will be paid by the Organiser.
The Competition Winners agree to abide by the Organiser's code of ethics.
The Competition Winners agree to participate in as many Competition events as possible to which they are invited, for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of the award.
After identifying her needs in terms of entrepreneurial, sectoral or personal development capacity building, the Winner commits to attending the coaching sessions over a period determined in advance. The choice of coach may be made by the Winner or the Candidate receiving a prize, in accordance with the terms of the contract issued by the Organiser. The Winner or the Candidate receiving a prize may stop the coaching sessions before the scheduled date, provided that she has the agreement of the Organiser and has explained this wish in writing.
The Competition Winners agree to support the Organiser in the dissemination of the Competition the following year, in particular by sharing their experiences, participating in audiovisual reports, round tables, podcasts or any other type of communication media.
The Competition Winners commit to having a positive impact on the promotion and development of women's entrepreneurship in their community, through actions defined in collaboration with the Organiser, over a period of twelve (12) months from the date of the award.
The Competition finalists commit to being an ambassador for women's entrepreneurship in their community and being a Role Model, by:
- being available for a video report within their company and within their community.
- being available for a one-week trip to Belgium from 26th November to 2nd December 2023.
- being available during the period of support offered by Enabel and actively participating in the support activities that will be deployed around their project.
- being active in the (virtual) community set up around the participants in the Awa Prize and the ecosystem of women entrepreneurship in Belgium.
- participating in communication activities around the Awa Prize, their professional activity and their title of Winner by taking part in potential interviews in the written press, radio or television and by joining in communication/marketing campaigns initiated by Enabel and organised jointly with its partners.
- speaking at events organised by, or in collaboration with, Enabel to inspire other women to become entrepreneurs.
The Organiser may require the return of part or all of the prize in the event of non-compliance with the commitments of the Competition Winners and/or Candidates receiving an award.

8. Withdrawal from the Competition

Any Candidate wanting to withdraw her application from the Competition before its closing date must notify her decision by sending an email to awa@enabel.be
This withdrawal makes her ineligible for the current year's Competition.

9. Advertising

The Organiser may need to use promotional and publicity activities related to the Competition. In this event, the Candidates' authorisation will be requested so that the Organiser can reproduce and use the full name and contact information of the company and/or the Candidate. This use may not give rise to any consideration, whether in kind or financial.

The Candidates in the first selection and the Competition Winners will be asked to sign an authorisation for image rights.

10 Intellectual property

The Organiser and the members of the Selection Committee and Jury are obliged to treat all information about the Candidates as strictly confidential.

The Candidates retain ownership of the projects submitted in the framework of the Competition.
The Candidates acknowledge that their participation in the Competition implies that their application and everything that results from it may be the subject of communication by the Organiser, beyond the context of the Competition.

In accordance with the laws governing literary and artistic property rights, the reproduction, representation or exploitation of all or part of the elements relating to the Competition are strictly prohibited.

11. Guarantees

Candidates undertake to ensure that any information relating to their application submitted in the context of the Competition is not likely to infringe the rights of third parties, whatever the nature and legal basis thereof.

12 Competition clause

Candidates are advised that the Organiser may support companies competing with them, independently of this Competition. The liability of the Organiser cannot be called into question.

13 Acceptance of the Rules

Participation in the Competition implies the Candidates' unconditional acceptance of these Rules in their entirety, of the rules of ethics in force on the Internet, as well as of the laws, regulations and other texts applicable in the countries involved in the Competition.
Candidates must indicate their acceptance of these Rules and the granting of rights thereunder by ticking the boxes provided for without the restriction of that purpose on the entry form when registering online. Sending an application by email amounts to acceptance of these rules.
Participation in the Competition implies knowledge and acceptance of the characteristics and limits of the Internet, particularly with regard to technical performance, response times for consulting and transferring information, the risks of interruption and, more generally, the risks inherent in any connection and transmission on the Internet, the lack of protection of certain data against possible misappropriation and the risks of contamination by any viruses circulating on the network. The Organiser is not liable for the risks associated with the limitations of the Internet.

14 Liability of the Candidates

Candidates must comply with all these Rules.
Each Candidate agrees to:
- not defame, assault, or violate the rights of others;
- not cause offence to public order and morality (in particular, apology for crimes against humanity, incitement to racial hatred, pornography, etc.);
- not create a false identity or impersonate another person;
- not reproduce and/or use the brand, the company name, the logo or any distinctive sign of a third party without their formal agreement;
- not infringe on the privacy and image rights of a third party;
- not carry out a project contrary to the interests of the Organiser;
- not transmit any material that infringes on intellectual property rights, trademark rights, patent rights or copyrights.

The Organiser may cancel part or all of the Competition if it appears that fraud exists in any form.
Fraud is considered, not exhaustively, as:
- the fact that a Candidate does not register with her own identity
- the fact that a Candidate registers multiple times with different email addresses
- steering the public vote (category 4) through in-kind or financial compensation

In the event that a Candidate fails to comply with the Rules, the Organiser reserves the right to automatically disqualify any entry from the Candidate, without them being able to make any claim whatsoever. The Organiser also reserves the right not to award prizes to persons who may have committed fraud and/or to prosecute them in the competent courts.
Any established and declared fraud will result in permanent exclusion from the Competition, for the four (4) years of the Competition.

It is specified that the Organiser cannot be held liable for any direct or indirect damage resulting from an interruption or malfunction of any kind, for any reason whatsoever, or for any direct or indirect damage resulting, in any way whatsoever, from a connection to the online form.
It is the responsibility of each Candidate to take all appropriate measures to protect their own data and/or software stored on their computer equipment from being compromised. The connection of any person to the platform of the form and their participation take place under their full liability.

15 Force majeure, right to extension

The Organiser cannot be held liable if the Competition has to be modified, shortened or cancelled due to force majeure or events beyond its control. The Organiser reserves the right to extend the entry period and postpone any announced date.
Any modification of the Rules will come into effect as soon as it is posted online. All Candidates will be deemed to have accepted the amendment by participating in the Competition, as of the effective date of the modification.
Any Candidate refusing to accept the modification(s) to the Rules will be required to stop participating in the Competition.
No compensation can be claimed by the Candidates.

16 Personal data

The personal data of the Candidates is processed exclusively by the Organiser, the members of the Selection Committee and the Jury. Candidates are informed and aware that the mandatory personal data concerning them and registered in the context of this call for applications is necessary for their participation in the Competition to be taken into account.

 

Candidates are informed that this data may be transmitted to other entities partnering with the Organiser in order to support and sustain women's entrepreneurship in the countries of intervention. These entities will be able to contact the Candidates concerned or send them useful information.

Personal data is collected when Candidates complete the online Competition entry form. This personal data is used to ensure the proper management of participation in the Competition. Personal data is processed in accordance with the privacy law applicable in Belgium and in the countries where this Competition is launched.

The Organiser will keep the personal data for the four (4) consecutive years of the duration of the Competition.

 

The personal data collected in the context of this call for applications is processed in accordance with the law of 3 December 2017, amended according to Belgian law, under the Data Protection Authority. In application of this law, all Candidates in the Competition have the right to access, rectify or delete their personal data.

Any request for access, rectification or deletion should be addressed to awa@enabel.be

17. Applicable law and interpretation

The Rules are governed exclusively by Belgian law.
Any question regarding the application or interpretation of the Rules, or any unforeseen question that may arise, will be decided by the Organiser at its sole discretion, depending on the nature of the question, in compliance with Belgian law. No oral requests will be accepted regarding the Competition or the results.
The Rules are available in English, French, Dutch and Arabic. Only these versions are authentic.

18 Filing and consultation of the Rules

The Rules were posted on the website on 5 September 2023
They may be consulted and printed.