Please read these Terms of Service carefully before registering for or participating in any GRIC program. These terms create a legally binding agreement between you (or your institution) and the Global Robotics & Innovation Consortium. We've written them to be as clear and fair as possible.
Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using GRIC's platform, registering for any competition, event, or program, or interacting with any GRIC service, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you are accessing GRIC on behalf of an educational institution or organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these terms.
If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you must discontinue use of GRIC services immediately. GRIC reserves the right to update these terms at any time, with material changes communicated at least 14 days in advance.
Eligibility & Registration
GRIC programs are open to students, educators, researchers, and innovation professionals globally. To participate, you must:
Age Requirements: Participants under 16 years of age require verifiable parental or guardian consent. Specific competitions may have additional age requirements outlined in their respective rulebooks.
Accurate Information: Provide truthful, accurate, and complete information during registration. Misrepresentation of identity, institutional affiliation, or qualifications may result in immediate disqualification.
Account Responsibility: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.
One Account Per Participant: Each individual may maintain only one personal account. Team accounts must be registered by a designated team captain.
Institutional Registration: Schools and organizations registering multiple participants are responsible for ensuring all participants meet eligibility requirements and have provided any necessary consents.
Competition Rules & Conduct
Participation in GRIC competitions is subject to both these general Terms and the specific rules published for each competition. By entering any GRIC competition, you agree to:
Fair Play: All work submitted must be original and created by the registered team members during the designated competition period, unless otherwise specified. Use of AI-assisted tools must be disclosed and is subject to competition-specific guidelines.
Academic Integrity: Plagiarism, falsification of data, or misrepresentation of results is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification and potential reporting to relevant institutions.
Code of Conduct: All participants must treat fellow competitors, mentors, judges, and GRIC staff with respect. Harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior in any form — in person or online — will result in disqualification and may result in a permanent ban from GRIC programs.
Judge Decisions: All judging decisions are final. While GRIC welcomes feedback through official channels, attempts to lobby, coerce, or improperly influence judges are prohibited.
Disqualification: GRIC reserves the right to disqualify any team or individual found to be in violation of these terms or competition-specific rules, at any stage of the competition.
Intellectual Property
GRIC respects the intellectual property of participants and expects the same in return.
Your IP: Participants retain ownership of all original inventions, projects, and work they create and submit to GRIC competitions. By submitting, you grant GRIC a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, publish, and promote your submission in connection with GRIC's educational and promotional activities. This license does not transfer ownership.
GRIC IP: All content on the GRIC platform — including logos, branding, competition frameworks, curriculum materials, and software — is the intellectual property of GRIC or its licensors. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from GRIC content without prior written permission.
Third-Party Content: If your submission incorporates third-party materials (open-source code, datasets, images, etc.), you are responsible for ensuring you have the right to use such materials and for proper attribution as required by applicable licenses.
User Content & Submissions
When you submit content to GRIC — including project descriptions, media, forum posts, or profile information — you represent and warrant that:
You own or have the necessary rights to the content you submit.
Your content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, privacy, or other rights.
Your content does not contain unlawful, harmful, defamatory, or inappropriate material.
GRIC reserves the right to remove any content that violates these terms or that we determine, in our sole discretion, is harmful to our community.
Fees & Payments
Some GRIC programs require a registration fee. Where fees apply:
All fees are stated in the relevant competition or event details prior to registration.
Payments are processed securely through our third-party payment providers. GRIC does not store payment card details.
Refund Policy: Registration fees are generally non-refundable once a team's registration is confirmed, unless a competition is cancelled by GRIC. If GRIC cancels a competition for any reason, registered participants will receive a full refund within 14 business days.
Fee waivers or scholarships may be available for participants from underserved communities. Contact support@gric.org for inquiries.
Prizes & Awards
GRIC competition prizes and awards are subject to the following conditions:
Prize details, values, and distribution timelines are specified in each competition's official announcement. GRIC reserves the right to modify prize structures with advance notice.
Prize recipients are responsible for any applicable taxes, duties, or charges in their jurisdiction resulting from receiving an award.
Prizes will only be awarded to participants confirmed to be in good standing and in compliance with all competition rules at the time of award distribution.
GRIC may withhold or reclaim prizes if post-award review reveals a violation of these terms or competition rules.
Media & Publicity
GRIC may photograph, film, or record events, competitions, and participants for use in educational materials, promotional content, and public communications. By participating in GRIC events, you grant GRIC permission to use your likeness, name, and statements for these purposes, unless you explicitly opt out in writing prior to the event.
For minors, this consent must be provided by a parent or legal guardian. GRIC will not use images of minors in commercial advertising without explicit written consent.
Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability
GRIC's platform and services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GRIC does not guarantee that:
The platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure at all times.
Competition results will meet your expectations.
Any specific outcome, opportunity, or benefit will result from participation.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GRIC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our services. GRIC's total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid to GRIC in the 12 months preceding the claim.
Governing Law & Disputes
These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable international standards and the laws of the jurisdiction in which GRIC's primary operations are registered.
Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of GRIC services will first be subject to good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes will be referred to binding arbitration under internationally recognized arbitration rules.
Termination
GRIC reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to our services at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that violates these Terms, is harmful to other participants or our community, or for any other reason at our discretion.
Upon termination, your right to access GRIC services will immediately cease. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including IP rights, disclaimers, and dispute resolution) will continue to apply.
You may terminate your account at any time by contacting support@gric.org.
Contact & Questions
If you have questions or concerns about these Terms of Service, please reach out to us:
Email: legal@gric.org
General Support: support@gric.org
Address: Global Robotics & Innovation Consortium, International Secretariat
We aim to respond to all inquiries within 5 business days.