Spark Design Awards Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to all Spark Awards and categories, including, but not limited to: Student; Product; Graphic; Digital; Spaces; Transport; Health; Package; Experience; Spark-E and the AllSpark Awards. By registering at https://competitions.sparkawards.com/ registrants, specifically agree to being contacted by email, text and phone for matters regarding their entry, deadlines, payments and competition news. Registrants may unsubscribe at any time. This will also remove all registration data from the entry system and Spark website, including past winner listings and gallery exhibits. The entrant’s completed registration application and fee payment constitutes confirmation that they have read, understood and agree to the following General Terms and Conditions.

OWNERSHIP
The Spark Awards are design competition awards, related events and media. The organizer is the Spark Design Awards, a wholly owned unit of Encenta, LLC, which is incorporated in the State of New York, USA. Questions in all matters should be referred directly to The Spark Awards, PO Box 341, Croton on Hudson, NY 10520-2017 USA or by email via the Spark contact form.

TERMS OF USE
All copyrighted images, trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on the Spark Design Awards website are the property of their respective rights-holders and owners, and used on this website for reference purposes only.

WHO MAY ENTER
1. The Spark competitions are open to designers, firms, practices, agencies, organizations, schools, businesses, students and non-professionals. Spark is for designs launched from January, 2000 forward.  All Professionals, companies and organizations may enter any award category, if their work fits into that category’s description. Students may only participate in the Spark Student award category. Each entrant may enter as many projects as they wish, upon completion of registration and payment of appropriate fee(s). Entries may be submitted by individuals, companies, organizations, teams, or by teachers for classroom projects. Entrants must be at least eighteen (18) years of age to enter as an individual. (Designers under 18 may have their work submitted by a parent, legal guardian or teacher. Student fees will apply.) The Spark Competitions are open to creative professionals wishing to share and promote their designs. The Spark Awards are for design submissions. Designs are tools that enhance the quality of life. They are modern design, produced, or conceived to be produced, in large quantities. They are not fine art, one-off installations, cultural or craft projects.

There are several general categories of contestants: – Currently or recently enrolled university-level students (grades 13 and above) – Creative Professionals (designers, architects, etc.) – Design Consultancies – Corporate Design or Marketing Departments -PR Firms and agencies representing creative clients.

2. The entry fees are established by the price list in effect at the time of registration. Entrant’s payment, fully completed registration form, the design and supporting documents must be received by the competition’s published closing date. This requirement is for Phase 1 registration fees and if certified, Phase 2 Finalist fees. If selected at check out, additional optional items like the Spark  Value-added Marketing Packages may be paid at any time. Entry fees may change without notice. However, entrants who have registered and paid their fee are guaranteed entry at their original fee.

3. Spark is a two-stage competition process. This will entail an online entry submission of a fee, photo’s, video and descriptions of the design entry.  If shortlisted, there is a Finalist fee due prior to the final jury to choose winners. Only fully paid finalists who have paid both their basic fee and their finalist fee will be judged.

4. Refunds are available, up to 6 weeks prior to the final deadline for that competition.

DELIVERY AND COLLECTION OF ENTRIES
(Note: currently no entries of any kind will be collected or received. All entries are now online uploads only)

JUDGING
A multi-disciplinary jury of experts is selected by the Spark Awards administrators. This independent jury chooses the Spark Award Shortlist Finalists and Winners. The jury is not required to justify or comment upon its decisions. Not every entry category will necessarily have a winner. Conversely, the Jury may, at their option, chose multiple winners in a category. The judge’s decisions are private and completely confidential.

OFFICIAL SPARK ENTRANT & WINNER BENEFITS
Online Exhibition Gallery
All nominees and award-winning designs will be presented in the Spark Awards online exhibition gallery for at least one year. Only entries that fit Spark’s design guidelines, are in generally acceptable good taste and are in fully-paid good standing with Spark will be published in the public sections of the Entrant Gallery or Archive. The Archive Administrator reserves all rights to determine whether works will be accepted, and may at our discretion edit submission copy and images. If an entrant’s work is chosen for exhibition or publication, they may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, liability and publicity release and a license grant.

  • Exhibition of Winning Designs Spark will occasionally present selected winners in live Exhibitions.  To date, over 500,000 visitors have enjoyed the Spark Winners Exhibitions. Spark and its Exhibition partners will curate and determine the exact format and presentation details of each display. Large-scale exhibits may entail additional entrant cost, if entrant chooses to participate. This is optional to the entrant.
  • Spark Winner Publicity A press release winners announcement will be published after the juries make their selection . In addition, various media partners publicize the events and selected winners. Upon request, Spark will produce press release templates, which may be used for the Entrant’s publicity purposes.
  • SparkMark Logo Package Certified entrants and winners may utilize the Spark logo and artwork for marketing usage on packaging, point of sale, advertising, product placement and other applications, if Spark determines it is positive, fair and reasonable use.
  • Spark Award Certificates Certified and Winning designers, design firms and manufacturers will receive a downloadable awards certificate PDF upon request. Printed certificates are available for purchase.

PUBLICITY
By entering your work in this competition, you and your company or organization grant consent and license to the Spark Design Awards for the use of your name, design and representations of your design in any media, anywhere in the world, without compensation or credit, for Spark promotional and editorial reasons.

PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
By entering this competition, you and your company affirm that your entry is original and does not infringe upon the rights of any person or entity. You acknowledge that you own, are solely responsible or otherwise control all of the rights to the content or entries that you submit; that use of the content or entries you supply does not violate these Terms of Use and will not cause injury to any person or entity; and that you will indemnify the Spark Awards or its affiliates for all claims resulting from the materials you submit. The Spark Awards are not liable for any copyright or trademark infringement on the part of the entrant. Spark entrants are advised and required to obtain third party consents where required by law or by best ethical practices.

OWNERSHIP OF WORKS
Entrants own the I.P. rights to the original work they submit to the Spark Awards competitions. Spark does not own original I.P. rights or works entered into the competitions, but has a royalty-free, perpetual right to use that work in connection with publicity and promotion of Spark programs. Spark Award sponsors or partners (Businesses and Organizations) do not own design entries, original research, or design materials that they sponsor unless a written license or other transfer of rights in those works is executed by the author(s) and acknowledged in writing by all parties, including Spark.

DISCLAIMER
By entering the Spark Awards Competition, participants release the Spark Advisory Council and Community Board members, sponsors, Jury participants and their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers, employees, volunteers, families and shareholders from all liability of any kind relating to these competitions.

DISPUTES
The liability of SPARK to the Entrant, whether said liability stems from any breach of contract or duty, for any damages, costs, loss of goodwill or financial income suffered by the Entrant, will be limited to the entrant’s paid fees. These rules will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to New York’s conflicts of law principles. The legal relationships shall be governed exclusively by United States law. This shall also apply when the entrant or any Spark event is located outside the USA. Any dispute relating to the competitions or related events and media or these rules will be resolved by arbitration in New York, NY, or Westchester County, NY, in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution. Should any of the above provisions be rendered ineffective in whole or in part, all other provisions shall remain effective. Terms that differ from these Terms and Conditions shall not apply unless the Spark Administrator has given specific written consent. All published data subject to change.