Background

The European Union recently granted financial support for the implementation of SmartAgriHubs through the Horizon 2020 Programme. Agri-EPI Centre Limited (“Agri-EPI”) was selected to facilitate the Project named Resilience through Automation and Digital Acceleration in Response to COVID-19 (“RADAR”) to help identify and support suitable companies and professionals (“Participants”) to investigate potential opportunities in the fight against the Corona virus pandemic using digital innovation to mitigate consequences in the agri-food domain. Two areas of challenge are to be addressed: Challenge Area 1 – Reduced mobility of vets to conduct farm diagnoses and prescription. Challenge Area 2 – Shortage of labour supply for harvest operations in horticulture. Four teams (“Team”/“Teams”) of at least two or more Participants will be selected to take part in each Area to develop innovative solutions to address these 2 challenge Areas. Agri-EPI will be responsible for the registration of applicants and deciding which applicants will become Participants to take part in the Challenge Areas. Agri-EPI will be responsible for the handling of their data, putting them into Teams, hosting the hackathon via teams, (via the submission criteria). Hackathon activity will enable experienced technology (hardware, software, data) developers to collaborate intensively to create functioning solutions to this industry-led challenges. The Teams competing shall include a mix of technology hardware/software/robotics, machine vision companies. These Terms and Conditions shall remain in place and continue to be applicable to confirmed Participants following the application process, and following the Hackathon, to the winners of the competition unless it is otherwise agreed that these are superseded by a new agreement with Agri-EPI and partners as a result of their success.

Eligibility and process

This event is open to both members and non-members of Agri-EPI. Application for the Hackathon is free. Applicants can be professional individuals on behalf of themselves e.g consultants, selfemployed, or on behalf of their employing company, university or organisation. Applicants can also form their own Teams with 3-6 other applicants (or prospective “Participants”) including themselves. Whether entering individually before being allocated to a Team, or as a Team, each applicant or Team member must complete their individual details overleaf and submit by 12 noon on 8th September In completing and submitting this form, all applicants and therefore potential Participants, declare that they, or the entity they represent, agrees to the Terms and Conditions set out in this document and is responsible for continuing to uphold these Terms and Conditions upon selection as a Participant. In the interests of encouraging balanced collaboration, please note that in cases where applicants apply as a Team, the composition of the Team proposed shall first be approved by Agri-EPI and AgriEPI reserves the right to decline the application or propose an alternative Team make up. In the case of single applications who don’t have a Team, Agri-EPI Centre will add you or your organisation into a pre-existing Team or form a Team on your behalf.

There will be a maximum of four Teams entered per Challenge Area and therefore Agri-EPI reserves the right to eliminate individuals or Teams prior to the start of the Hackathon. Teams shall be given a name as chosen by its members. Team names must not be connected in any way with the names of companies or registered trademarks or use expressions that incite violence or are discriminatory, obscene, or represent any form of defamation. Failure to comply will result in disqualification. Participants acknowledge that the virtual event participation is free of charge and that participation does not entail any right to compensation of any kind or to reimbursement of any expenses incurred.

Judging and awards

The Teams will develop a proof of concept during the Hackathon to be presented and submitted for judging at the Hackathon (“Entry”). There are no restrictions on what form the proof of concept can take. Entries must be presented and submitted in English language. The Entry must be the individual Participant’s or Team’s original work and must not be funded or compensated, in whole or in part, by any third party. However, the Entry may use publicly available APIs and data. The panel of judges is selected by Agri-EPI and may change in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Agri-EPI will run an open and transparent judging process where participants will be able to see all aspects of the judging criteria ahead of time. Criteria used to judge entries will be: (a) value creation, (b) innovation, (c) market potential and (d) pitch quality. However, all decisions related to judging of Entries are at the sole discretion of Agri-EPI Centre and are final and binding. The Entry presented and submitted for judging, alongside any subsequent ideas discussed at the Hackathon will be immediately made publicly available and accessible in the public domain. The Team whose entry is judged in first place will receive a support package. There will be no runners up only one winning team. The support package will be devised post hackathon to ensure we respond to the needs of the winning team. Agri-EPI will use information of those in the Teams, full names and company details in press and promotion about the Hackathon. This does not include any know-how, trade secrets or information on the technology.