Sugar Surfactant Open Innovation - Official Rules

BY SUBMITTING A TECHNOLOGY PROPOSAL, PARTICIPANTS AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE OFFICIAL RULES HEREIN AND BY DECISIONS MADE BY THE JUDGING PANELS, WHICH ARE FINAL.

1. Program period

The Open Innovation challenge will start on 19 November 2020 and end by July 2021. Two webinars will be conducted on 19 November 2020 at 08:00 and 17:00 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) to officially launch the Open Innovation challenge. All proposal submission must be completed by on 18 April 2021 at 23:59 GMT.

2. Eligibility

  1. a) The Open Innovation challenge is open to participant as an individual or as an organization. Individual participants must be at least aged eighteen (18) years old and/or with full legal capacity. Organisation, either as a business or academic entity can submit more than one proposal. All participants must have valid contact information.
  2. b) This challenge is not open to employees of Clariant and members of their families.
  3. c) Entry and participation in the Open Innovation Challenge is free of charge.
  4. d) Before submitting a proposal, you will be asked to indicate that you have read the Official Rules and that you are in agreement with them.
  5. e) Clariant may at its sole discretion, remove or disqualify any submission and participant it deems inappropriate or non-compliant.

3. Challenge Topics and Submission Criteria

Clariant is seeking new opportunities for our sugar surfactant technology in three challenge topics.

  1. a) Novel compound – Material discovery derived from N-methyl glucamine (NMG).
    Submission criteria (Technical Specifications)
    • i. Highest interest is in new surfactants and polymers
    • ii. Preferably sustainable compounds
    • iii. Estimation of cost of synthesis [CHF/kg]
    • iv. Solution with limited number of synthesis steps (preferably <3, max 5)
    • v. Physical compounds must be available for testing along with supporting analytical data and evidence that synthesis is reproducible (250 g)
  2. b) Formulations – Innovative formulations containing at least one of our provided surfactants for any application (e.g. homecare, personal care, crop solution etc.).
    Submission criteria (Technical Specifications)
    • i. Comprehensible recipe and preparation instruction
    • ii. Define potential application area
    • iii. Physical and analytical test results of the formulation (viscosity, pH, appearance, storage test results)
    • iv. Providing logical reason for applying ingredient in the formulation
    • v. Reproducible formulation based on the information submitted
  3. c) New Markets – New disruptive business opportunities based on at least one of the provided Glucamides for application outside of homecare, personal care and crop solution.
    Submission Criteria (Technical Specifications)
    • i. The concept should not include more than 15 slides which must contain
      1. – Problem statement (which problem will be solved)
      2. – Solution/ Value proposition (how does the solution look like? Unique selling point, Focus Market, its estimated size and attractiveness)
      3. – Competition: Competitive advantage, “preferably Go-To-Market-Plan”
      4. – Proof of concept: The concept is tried and tested, and ready to be applied by consumers and/or at industrial scale (TRL>5)
      5. – Business model: Concept based on new business models e.g. ecommerce/digital business will be considered as well.
    • ii. It might be needed to submit a minimum viable product.

4. Incentive

  1. a) Cash Prizes
    1. i. Top two winners will stand to win CHF 10,000 and CHF 5,000 respectively if their proposal meet our business interest and submission criteria.
    2. ii. Individual winner who qualify for the cash prize must be aged eighteen (18) years and/or with full legal capacity at the time of registration, and who can pledge, as far as applicable law permits, to incorporate a business entity within three (3) months after the end date of this challenge.
    3. iii. Winners are solely responsible for the payment of taxes on their respective prizes. No prize substitution may be offered except at Clariant’s sole discretion. Prizes are not transferred.
    4. iv. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded and will be processed in a manner compliant with the law. If the prize cannot be awarded for whatever reason, Clariant reserves the right to substitute the prize for another of equal value.
  2. b) Funding
    1. i. Enterprise Europe Network will support EU grant applications by finalists partnering with Clariant in the EU regions.
    2. ii. This is subject to funding/grant calls availability and the eligibility of the participants and Clariant.
    3. iii. Participants are encouraged to indicate the type of funding programmes and their requirements in the proposal. Clariant and Enterprise Europe Network will review funding request after the challenge ends i.e. July 2021.
  3. c) Partnership
    Four partnership models are considered in this challenge call. Joint-patent application will be considered if there are new IP is derived from Clariant background IP.
    1. i. Research Collaboration – Clariant will work together with one or more universities or research institutes for example within the framework of financing of under/postgraduate thesis, contract research, participation in calls for proposals for external funding or providing access to industry equipment.
    2. ii. Joint-development– Clariant and participant will work together to develop or enhance their products, combine or integrate their technologies, or jointly commercialize a new product.
    3. iii. Licensing – A business arrangement in which the participants will give Clariant permission to manufacture its product for a specified payment.
    4. iv. Distribution Service – Participants could serve as a distribution channel for further distribution of the innovative solution on a stand-alone basis or integrated into a broader product or service offering of Clariant.
  4. d) Market accessibility
    Clariant global business network is available to amplify participants innovation for various regional markets. Accessibility is subject to Clariant regional business focus and restrictions i.e. freedom to operate (FTO).
  5. e) Expertise and Facilities
    Clariant in-house experts will support participates from scientific R&D to business development along the entire innovation chain. This include unitising our global labs and facilities when necessary.

5. Material Transfer

  1. a) Samples are provided to participants solely for the purpose of research and development relating to the challenge topics. Nothing herein shall be deemed to grant participants any rights under patents or other proprietary rights of Clariant.
  2. b) Samples are free of charge and are available upon request on the program website. Participants must agree not to transfer the samples to any third party without the prior written consent of Clariant.
  3. c) Participants are not obligated to commit to the challenge call and submit a proposal after they received the samples.
  4. d) Clariant may at its sole discretion, decline any sample request if it deems inappropriate or non-compliant.

6. Proposal Submission

  1. a) All proposal submission must be completed on https://clariantsurfactantchallenge.innoget.com/ by 18 April 2021 at 23:59 GMT.
  2. b) All participants must register online and agreed on the Open Innovation Challenge Official Rules, T&Cs and Data Privacy regulation before their proposals are accepted. An acknowledgment email will be provided within 24 hours after a successful submission.
  3. c) Incomplete proposal especially with missing submission criteria/technical specifications may be subject to disqualification.
  4. d) All proposal must include the following fields:
    1. – Contact name
    2. – Country
    3. – E-mail
    4. – Phone
    5. – Company (if participant is representing an organisation)
    6. – Designation
    1. i. Title/Problem Statement and challenge focus
    2. ii. Technology Overview/Applications
    3. iii. Criteria/Technical Specifications (Please refer to #3. Challenge Topics and Selection Criteria for more information)
    4. iv. Stage of Development/TRL
    5. v. Benefits/Business problem solved
    6. vi. IP information
    7. vii. Preferred partnership model

7. Review Process

  1. a) Clariant is free upon its sole discretion in the selection of the proposals and to elect winners.
  2. b) Once selection has been completed, participants will be notified by email on the instructions on the next steps.
  3. c) In the semi-final round, a maximum of fifteen (15) participants will be invited to a one-on-one meeting with Clariant in-house experts to refine their written proposal in May 2021. Participants qualified for the final round will be informed by end of May 2021.
  4. d) In the final round, a maximum of eight (8) participants from the semi-final round will be invited to pitch their proposal to Clariant jury panel in June 2021. The ranking decided by the final jury will be announced on the pitch day.
  5. e) Clariant will be free to alter the dates on which results are released should this become necessary due to the number of projects to be assessed.
  6. f) All qualified participants must acknowledge and consent that Clariant can use their personal data related to this challenge for event publicity and marketing purposes.

8. Applicable Law

These Sugar Surfactant Open Innovation – Official Rules and thus your use participation in the Surfactant Open Innovation Challenge shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Switzerland and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts and Tribunals of Zurich, Switzerland.