Terms & Conditions

Agrifood Innovation Award Terms & Conditions

The Agri-food Innovation Awards are intended as a celebration of innovation, sustainability, and excellence in the Lebanese food and beverage industry. The Awards will be conducted in an impartial manner by judges selected by QOOT.

The following terms and conditions apply to the 2023 Agri-Food Innovation Awards. By submitting an entry, nomination, or vote or, if applicable, accepting a nomination, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

Product Eligibility

Definitions  

Product: A unique food or beverage item that is entered into the Agri-food  Innovation Awards. 
Variant: A version of a Product that exhibits only slight differences – e.g. product size or flavor.  

  1. Products must be manufactured in Lebanon
  2. Products must be commercially available in the Lebanese marketplace (e.g. retail outlet, online, farmers market, etc., at the time of judging). If there are any doubts, the team reserves the right to require evidence and/or refuse entry into the competition.  
  3. Products must be new or relatively new to the market with the date of the first unit sale in Lebanon having occurred within 18 months from the date of entry into the competition.

Entry

  1. Entry forms must be accurate and complete, failure to complete the form correctly may disqualify the entrant.
  2. Entry forms and payment must be submitted online between March 15 and April 30.
  3. You may enter multiple Variants of the same Product, however, each Variant requires a separate entry.
  4. Entries will be accepted through the Agri-food Innovation Award’s application: https://form.jotform.com/230542121113032

Fee and payment terms

  1. You may enter each Product or Variant in up to three categories for an entry fee depending on the time of submission. Early Bird special prices of $20 per entry apply if you submit your entry between March 15 and March 31st, regular price of $35 per entry apply if you submit your entry between April 1 and April 20, and late registration price of $50 per entry apply if you submit your entry between April 20 and April 30.
  2.  Payment must be made via OMT or in any Berytech branch.
  3. If payment is not received by 11:59 pm on April 30, without any prior communication to QOOT Team, that entry will not be valid.

Product samples

  1. All valid entrants into the competition will receive an email from the QOOT Team with clear instructions on the requirements and process to be followed to get the Products or Variants judged. Entrants must present the Product or Variant for judging according to the instructions set out in the email, or as agreed in writing with the QOOT Team, otherwise the entry may be removed from the competition.
  2. It is the responsibility of the entrants to ensure the prompt delivery of all Products and Variants for judging and to ensure the integrity of the Products and Variants.
  3. Products and Variants must not be submitted for judging until entrant information, including labeling instructions, has been received by email.
  4. QOOT will not accept responsibility for Products and Variants which are not delivered correctly.
  5. Products or Variants received after stated timeframes may not be judged – see refunds clause.
  6. Finalists and winners may be asked to provide further samples for use in publicity purposes.

Category Rules

  1. In case of a dispute, the Head Judge will have the final decision on which category a Product or Variant falls under. The QOOT Team will seek to communicate with entrants and resolve uncertainty prior to deferring to the Head Judge.
  2. Specific Category Criteria will be published on the Agri-food Innovation Awards micro-site.

Selection of Finalists and Category Winners

  1. The Judges will select the group of finalists, for each of the 6 categories determined, out of the entrants and nominees by May 5 (the Selected Finalists).
  2. Out of the Selected Finalists who have been approved, the Judges and the public voting will appoint one winner for each of the 6 categories.
  3. The decision of the Judges in relation to the Selected Finalists, Appointed Winners, and People’s Choice Winner will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  4. QOOT may use the information of the Selected Finalists, Appointed Winners, and People’s Choice Winner for advertising, promotional, and marketing purposes.

People’s Voting

  1. The Selected Finalists will be listed on a dedicated voting page where the public can submit one vote for the Selected Finalist of their choice between May 5 and May 21 (the Voting Period).
  2. Voters will register to vote in the People’s Choice Award by entering their name and email address on the form provided (“Voter Registration Details”).  Voter Registration Details will only be accessed by the QOOT Team and will not be disclosed to any third party unless otherwise required by law.
  3. Only one vote per Voter Registration Details will be eligible to be counted.
  4. Votes received outside of the Voting Period will not be counted.
  5. The QOOT Team will not be allowed to vote for any of the Selected Finalists.
  6. If there are any doubts as to the eligibility of a vote or fraudulent behavior is suspected, the QOOT Team reserve the right to discount the vote at their sole discretion.
  7. By submitting a vote, voters are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions and agree to be bound by them.

Use of the Agri-food Innovation Awards Quality Mark

  1. The quality mark is available only to finalists and winners and will be provided in printed format by the QOOT Team.
  2. Costs to reproduce additional quality marks will be at the expense of the holder (not the Agri-Food Innovation Awards).
  3. Award finalists and winners agree to adhere to the quality mark terms and conditions of use which will be provided with the quality mark.

Additional Prizes

Memberships won as part of the prize qualify winners to choose one QOOT Cluster event amounting up to $300.

Refunds

Entry fees are non-refundable however if you feel that you need to speak with one of the QOOT Team regarding this, please contact the emails info@qoot.org or therese.maalouf@qoot.org

Changes to the Terms and Awards Process

  1. You acknowledge that circumstances may arise that necessitate changes to either or both of these Terms and Conditions and the Agri-food Innovation Awards process.
  2. QOOT reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions and the processes relating to the Agri-food Innovation Food Awards, including a postponement or cancellation of the awards, as QOT considers reasonable (including the health or safety of any person or as a result of government orders or directions), without notice to you although QOOT will make all reasonable efforts to post any such changes to its website.

General

  1. Judges reserve the right to purchase other supplies of a Product or Variant if they believe the Product or Variant supplied is not representative of Products or Variants sold to the Lebanese market.
  2. The decision of judges in relation to any aspect of the competition is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  3. QOOT and all Agri-food Innovation Food Awards sponsors may use the Product and/or Variant information supplied by you for advertising, promotional, and marketing purposes.
  4. In entering this competition entrants confirm there is no actual or perceived conflict of interest relating to the entry. If an actual or perceived conflict of interest exists, entrants must disclose it to the QOOT Team.
  5. By entering this competition, you agree that if you are a finalist or a winner, you consent that your name, likeness, image, or video can be used by QOOT Team for publicity or marketing purposes.
  6. QOOT will collect, store, use, and disclose the information entrants, nominators, and nominees provide for the purpose of administering this competition in accordance with the provisions of these terms and conditions.