PLEASE READ CAREFULLY – THESE OFFICIAL RULES ADDRESS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HEALTHY HOMES STARTUP CHALLENGE (“Challenge”) IS A JUDGED CONTEST.
NO ENTRY FEE OR PURCHASE IS REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN.
INDIVIDUALS WHO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE WILL BE DOING SO ON BEHALF OF THEIR COMPANY AND SHALL HAVE OBTAINED ALL NECESSARY PRIOR APPROVALS TO BIND THE ENTITY.
1. Overview:
People spend nearly two-thirds of their lives at home. Knowing the power that home environments can have as tools to support human health, wellness, safety, and security, we created our Healthy Homes Program. A healthy home is one that has been optimized for health, safety, and wellness. At Carrier, we focus on all these elements through our solutions for comfort, air quality, fire safety, and elements of access control.
Carrier is inviting startup companies and founders to submit their ideas and solutions for an opportunity to shape the future of healthy homes. Unique solutions and services can provide homeowners and families with options that were never available before, and once in use, may not be able to imagine living without again. Your solution could disrupt how we think about our homes and our home lives and Carrier has the resources and channels to make disruption possible.
For the Challenge, we have identified 5 opportunity areas (“Opportunities”), which are:
- Make sure my child’s bedroom environment is as healthy as it can be.
- Manage my family’s everyday health and well-being.
- Help me care for my aging relatives.
- Help me take care of me.
- Make it easy for me to host and entertain.
When you apply to the Challenge you will be submitting a response to Carrier’s request for information (“RFI”) for one or more of the opportunities. The RFI will include collecting information about your company and a non-technical, and non-confidential description of your solution. The selection process will be at Carrier’s discretion on its needs and fit and alignment with solution priorities. A Carrier representative will contact one or more identified companies to explore opportunities for further engagement with Carrier. Upon mutual agreement on the engagement, a cash prize of twenty-five thousand ($25,000) dollars will be awarded. Up to five (5) cash awards are expected.
2. Who Can Enter:
A startup, early-stage small business, or an established company that has commercially proven technology, that can potentially solve one of the Opportunities (or even part of it).
The Challenge is open to United States-based entities (collectively “Companies”). Companies that are under bankruptcy protection or have judicial liens or attachments are not eligible to participate. To be eligible, Companies must have a valid Federal EIN Tax Identification Number (“Tax ID”) and must meet all the eligibility requirements at the time of their application. Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of a Company’s eligibility to apply for this Challenge including, but not limited to, the Tax ID, local registration, and business license or permit. Employees and directors of Sponsor or any of its parents, subsidiaries and/or affiliates (and their respective IRS dependents, immediate family members and individuals residing in their same household) are not eligible to participate. A Company who submits an application, pitch deck (as defined below) or POC (as defined below) for a business that is for sale or sold at any time through 11/10/22 may be disqualified from receiving any monetary award at Sponsor’s sole discretion. All applications and Companies are subject to verification. All applicable federal, state, and local laws apply. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
3. Background
Carrier is looking for new, emerging, disruptive, and unique solutions and services that can provide homeowners and families with options that were never available before, and once in use, may not be able to imagine living without again. By submitting your application, you will have the chance to receive funding and/or the opportunity to work with Carrier to bring your solution to life in the home.
Learn about Carrier’s current Healthy Home Solutions:
4. Submitting an Application
a) In order to submit an application, you must register on SwitchPitch, LLC and complete and fill in all mandatory fields and answer all questions within the application form on the program website.
b) An application must not contain any Company non-public, confidential or proprietary information, trade secrets or other intellectual property, that has not already been properly protected.
c) Applications must be submitted in English.
d) We will begin to accept applications on September 15th. The application submission deadline is October 15, 2022.
e) By submitting an application, the submitter affirms that he/she has the legal authority to submit an application on behalf of the Company named in the application.
5. Timeline
After the applications have been submitted, the program will run in accordance with the following indicative timeline. We reserve the right to change any of the timeframes indicated on our program website (changes will be posted on the program website):
Challenge Open to Applications – Sept 15, 2022
Challenge Application Due Date – Oct 31, 2022
Evaluation and Downselect – Nov 1, 2022 - Nov 15, 2022
Awards Announcement – Dec 20, 2022
6. Public Relations
The program engages the start-up and small business community in a variety of ways and through various modes of public communication including Carrier’s websites, social media sites, and other third-party forums or other media outlets. By applying to the program you agree that your Company or solution may be mentioned in in any of the above.
7. Selecting the Startups for the Announcement
a) The startup(s) that will be selected in the Challenge will be selected by a team (the "Team"). The composition of the Team consists of technical and product-oriented members. The exact composition may vary.
b) The Team will make its decision for the Challenge based on the application forms, the demos, workshops and based on the startup's fit to solve the challenge.
c) The Team will select the startups at its sole discretion.
d) Decisions made by the Team are final. No correspondence will be possible.
e) Whenever we need to contact you in connection with the challenge, we will use the contact information provided by you in the application form. We are not responsible for incomplete or incorrect contact information provided.
8. Intellectual Property Rights, Information and Publicity
a) By submitting your application, you confirm on behalf of your Company, that all intellectual property identified or described in your application, including, but not limited to ideas, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, trade names, logos, corporate names, copyrights, derivations, or inventions, and patents, patent applications (“Intellectual Property Rights ("IPRs")) are lawfully owned by the Company without restriction, and that your IPR do not infringe on any third party's IPRs. You further affirm that you have obtained all required permissions from third parties to use their IPRs in your application. We reserve the right to disclose the name of your Company and your identity to any third party claiming that the material posted or uploaded by you, constitutes a violation of their IPRs, or their confidentiality or privacy rights. We reserve the right to ask for additional evidence or documents to validate that that the information you supply is true and complete.
b) Carrier does not retain any equity or ownership of any IPRs identified by you in the application. You retain full and exclusive ownership of your information and IPRs. The information you submit will be used only for the purpose of evaluating your application and future opportunities to work with Carrier..
9. Changes and Program Cancellation
a) We may cancel the program or vary these terms and conditions at any time at our sole discretion.
b) We reserve the right to suspend the program at any time and to change the form and substance, dates for deadlines, and events, locations, and/or specification of the program.
c) Any changes to the terms and conditions will be posted only on the program website.
d) We reserve the right to not select startups for the Challenge.
e) By applying to the program you give your consent to such modification or cancellation in advance.
10. Use of Your Information and Privacy Statement
b) Confidentiality – Unless stated otherwise, information submitted in any application will be used by Carrier for the purposes of the program.
c) We may also use the information for other purposes, at our sole discretion, including for marketing purposes, or to send you promotional materials or communications regarding services provided by us or other members of Carrier that we feel may be of interest to you.
11. Code of Ethics
Applicants responding to the Challenge confirm they have read and understood Carrier’s COE, and agree to abide by them throughout the entire process.
12. Miscellaneous provisions
a) Headings of Sections herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of these Terms and Conditions.
b) If there is any conflict between these terms and any other conditions regarding the program, these terms shall prevail in Delaware .
c) We may update these terms at any point in time without providing you with a personal notification. The updated Terms and Conditions will be posted on the program website. By utilizing this site, you are consenting to be bound by the then current form of these Terms and Conditions of Use.
If you have any further questions about the program, please submit an inquiry .
