Terms & Conditions – Green Incubator Challenge

Please read these Terms & Conditions carefully and ensure that you understand them.

Your agreement to comply with and be bound by these Terms & Conditions is deemed to occur upon your submission of an application to participate in the Green Incubator Challenge. If you do not agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms & Conditions, you must not submit an application and participate in The Green Incubator Challenge.

By submitting an application and participating in the Green Incubator Challenge, you accept these Terms & Conditions, both on your own behalf and on behalf of any, team members, company or partnership through which you enter The Green Incubator Challenge.

1. Definitions

Deloitte: DDeloitte & Touche (M.E), a company organised and existing under the laws of the United Arab Emirates, holding licence number 100025906700003 and having its contact address at Emaar Square 2, floor 3, Downtown, Dubai.

Falcon:Falcon and Associates LLC-FZ a free zone company, holding licence number 2313968.01, incorporated and registered in the Meydan Free Zone, whose principal place of business is located at, 7th floor, the Meydan Grandstand, Nad Al Sheba 1, PO Box 214332, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, acting through its branch, holding Dubai Economy and Tourism professional licence 1332953

HDDC: Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Participant: any person (minimum age is 18 years old) or team who/which applies to participate in the Green Incubator Challenge.

Personal Data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (or legal person, where the applicable data protection law so provides); an identifiable person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier, such as name, an identification number, location data, or an online identifier.

Green Incubator Challenge: This competition was created to encourage creative and practical solutions that address the specific sustainability challenges faced by sports and entertainment events, promoting innovation in environmental stewardship

2. Eligibility

Age: minimum 18 years of age.

Language: All registration and submission information must be in English.

Scope of Submissions: Submissions to the Green Incubator Challenge are expected to propose solutions aimed at encouraging the development of creative and practical solutions that address the specific sustainability challenges faced by sports and entertainment events, promoting innovation in environmental stewardship. The total cost of implementation of the solution is to be between AED 30,000 and AED 200,000 – and the solution must not exceed the total cost of AED 200,00 for potential implementation at the HDDC 2027. The total cost specified on the application form must be the final cost of the solution for delivery and potential implementation at the HDDC 2027.

By submitting an application and participating in the Green Incubator Challenge, you warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set out in this section 2.

3. Submission and Evaluation Phase

The Green Incubator Challenge is a multi-phase competition:

3.1 Submission Phase: 08.09.2025 – 31.10.2025

Participants sign up and submit their solution through the online application form on the HDDC website. Only one submission is allowed per Participant. Once the Submission Phase has ended, no new Participants will be accepted.

3.2 Shortlisting Phase: 31.10.2025 – 17.11.2025

Deloitte will evaluate the applications against the criteria referred to in the application form or as notified in writing. Subject to any additional screenings and any independent checks, up to 10 Participants will be shortlisted and invited to pitch their solution to an expert panel.

3.3 Shortlist Presentation: 18.11.2025

The shortlisted Participants will participate in online interviews/presentations with Deloitte.

3.4 Final Shortlist: 19.12.2025

BBased on the online interviews/presentations, Deloitte will shortlist a final 3 Participants. The 3 shortlisted Participants will be provided with support sessions with Deloitte to prepare for the final.

3.5 Green Incubator Challenge Final/Awards Ceremony: 16.01.2026

The final 3 Participants will present their solutions at The Green Incubator Challenge Final/Awards Ceremony. The judging panel will comprise 5 judges, 2 from Falcon, 2 from Deloitte, and 1 from GEO Foundation for Sustainability Golf. The Participants will have 10 minutes each to present their solution. The assessment will be based on the following:

• 50% for the technical aspects of the advanced assessment
• 50% for the quality of the presentation

Green Incubator Challenge winner will be announced at the awards ceremony.

 

4. Participation

4.1 Cost

Registration and participation in the Green Incubator Challenge are free of charge. No purchase is necessary to enter or to win. Participants will never be asked to make any payment at any stage of the competition.

Falcon takes no responsibility for any fees or costs that may be incurred by Participants in participating in the Green Incubator Challenge (including expenses, travel, taxes). Such costs remain the full responsibility of the relevant Participant.

4.2 Withdrawal

Participants (individuals as well as entire teams) are allowed to withdraw from the Green Incubator Challenge at any point in time without consequences.

4.3 Conflict of Interest

To avoid conflicts of interest, no employee or contractor of, or individual affiliated to, Falcon or Deloitte, nor any of their relatives or close friends, are allowed to participate in the Green Incubator Challenge.

5. Scoring

All successfully submitted ideas will be evaluated according to the criteria set out below and/or as notified in writing by Falcon or Deloitte. Participants whose submissions have reached outstanding standards according to these criteria, as determined by the final score ranking, will be recognised as the winner of the Green Incubator Challenge.

5.1 Criteria

6. Recognition and Prizes

6.1 Recognition

All shortlisted Participants have the right to recognize and promote themselves as “Green Incubator Challenge Participants”.

The winning Participant is entitled to recognize and promote themselves as “Green Incubator Challenge Winner”.

6.2 Winner’s Prize

Subject to the sole discretion of Falcon (including legal/licensing requirements and costs consideration), the winning *Participant may have their solution showcased and implemented at the 2027 HDDC, with appropriate attribution. No monetary prize or additional compensation will be provided unless otherwise specified by Falcon. Falcon reserves the right to select no winner if no solution meets the judging criteria or is deemed suitable for implementation.  

*In order to implement the winning submission, the Participant must already have or be able to establish a legal entity.

7. Petitioning

The review and all decisions made by Falcon, Deloitte, and the final judges panel is final. No petitions for reviews are allowed.

8. Disqualification

Falcon reserves the right to disqualify and ban from future participation in The Green Incubator Challenge any Participant, on any grounds and without prior notice.

9. Privacy

Participants in Green Incubator Challenge will be required to grant Falcon, the HDDC and its sponsors’ a non-exclusive, royalty free, world-wide licence to use, reproduce, publish, and display Participant’s name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice (collectively Participant Information) for promotional purposes, announcement, or administration of The Green Incubator Challenge in any media without payment or consideration. This includes, but is not limited to, use in marketing materials, social media platforms, websites, and other public communications related to The Green Incubator Challenge. Participation in The Green Incubator Challenge does not require a Participant to consent to the use of the Participant Information for promotional purposes. However, if a Participant chooses not to provide such consent, Falcon may be unable to publicly acknowledge you as a participant or winner in promotional materials, social media or other public communications related to Green Incubator Challenge, therefore limiting your visibility in connection with Green Incubator Challenge.

All Personal Data that is collected, used or disclosed in connection with The Green Incubator Challenge will be handled in accordance with each of the Falcon and Deloitte privacy policies: https://dubaidesertclassic.com/privacy-policy   https://www.deloitte.com/middle-east/en/legal/privacy.html?icid=bn_privacy

 

10. Limitations of Liability

Falcon is not responsible for any (i) incorrect or inaccurate information; (ii) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Green Incubator Challenge or the processing of the Participants; (iii) undeliverable or damaged electronic mail; or (iv) any injury or damage to persons or property, including, but not limited to, Participants’ computers, which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole, or in part, from Participants’ participation in the Green Incubator Challenge, or from downloading any material from Falcon, Deloitte or any partner’s website(s). If, for any reason, a Participant’s submission is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed, or corrupted, the Participant’s sole remedy is another submission. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Falcon, its affiliates, and partners from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from their submission or participation in the Green Incubator Challenge

11. Intellectual Property

Participants’ solutions and intellectual property remain the sole property of the Participant, and any development is for the benefit of the Participant and their solutions implementation.

By participating in Green Incubator Challenge, each Participant:

• warrants that all material that it provides to Falcon and Deloitte as part of The Green Incubator Challenge is its own original work;
• warrants that all material supplied to Falcon and Deloitte as part of the Green Incubator Challenge does not infringe any intellectual property rights of any other person. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Falcon and Deloitte from any claims arising from a breach of this warranty; and
• grants to Falcon a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to use any intellectual property included in their pitches and submissions, including their name, logo, brand and image (including of any corporate entity or partnership participating in The Green Incubator Challenge), the solution, for the purpose of:
  1. administering The Green Incubator Challenge including internal purposes, which may include: (i) sharing application content with judges within and external to Falcon and Deloitte for the purpose of judging and evaluating submissions; (ii) using Participant names, logos and pitch content to promote The Green Incubator Challenge on Falcon’s internal and external websites (including HDDC website) and social media channels;
  2. to use, implement, reproduce, adapt,  and display the winning solution solely for the purpose of implementing the sustainable solution at the 2027 HDDC and in future editions of the HDDC, including for promotional purposes related to the HDDC or The Green Incubator Challenge. Falcon will not commercialise or exploit the winning solution beyond its implementation at the 2027 HDDC and in future editions of the HDDC or related promotional activities without the winner’s prior written consent. 

 

  12. General Conditions

Falcon reserves the right at any time to suspend, cancel, or vary the Green Incubator Challenge, any criteria, and  any of these Terms & Conditions and/or the prizes referred to in section 6, where it (in its absolute discretion) deems it necessary to do so and without liability, including if the HDDC is cancelled or if insufficient or unsuitable submissions are received.  

Falcon reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Participant  who submits false or misleading information, acting in violation of these Terms & Conditions or engages in conduct deemed detrimental to the Green Incubator Challenge or in a disruptive manner.

Falcon’s failure to enforce any term shall not constitute a waiver of any right or remedy.

Falcon assumes no liability and is not responsible for, and the Participants hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, errors and or ambiguity in: (a) Green Incubator Challenge; (b) any related advertising or promotions of Green Incubator Challenge; and or (c) these Terms & Conditions. In the event of any ambiguity(ies) or error(s) in these Terms & Conditions, Falcon reserves the right to modify these Terms & Conditions for clarification purposes or to correct any such error(s).

These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by the laws of the Emirate of Dubai and the federal laws of the United Arab Emirates, and the parties irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Emirate of Dubai.