TERMS AND CONDITION
INTRODUCTION
These Terms & Conditions (“T&Cs”) set out the rules for entry to the Investec Easies: Early Stage Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (the “Awards”), organised by OPUS Community Limited (“OPUS”, “we”, “us”, “our”). By submitting an application, you (“Entrant”,“you”, “your”) agree to be bound by these T&Cs. Please read them carefully before applying.
1.Eligibility
1.1 Entrants must:
· Be aged 18 or over.
· Be the founder of a legally registered company.
· Have a business less than 4 years old.
· Be at pre-Series A stage (bootstrapped, angel or seed funding welcome).
· Demonstrate real momentum through product, prototype, traction, or early users.
· Be founder-led.
· Be based anywhere globally (OPUS membership is not required).
1.2 Applications must be submitted by a lead founder on behalf of the founding team. If selected as a winner, the lead founder named in the application will represent the company at Davos.
1.3 Each company may submit one application only, but OPUS reserves the right to consider entrants for more than one category.
1.4 In submitting the application, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and eligible to claim the Prize. OPUS may require each Entrant to provide proof that they are eligible to enter the competition.
2.Entry & Submission
2.1 Entries must be submitted via the official Easies application form before 5 November 2025 at 11:59pm (UK time).
2.2 Late, incomplete, or illegible entries will not be considered.
2.3 Required materials:
· Completed application form.
· Pitch deck (mandatory).
· Optional video upload.
2.4 Shortlisted entrants may be asked to provide additional information at OPUS’s discretion.
2.5 Entry is free of charge. Any costs incurred in submitting an entry shall be the responsibility of the Entrant.
3.Judging & Selection
3.1 Judging will be based on pre-determined criteria ,which include founder quality, execution momentum, market ambition and cultural and social relevance.
Every applicant will be assessed not just by their idea, but the individual/s behind it.
3.2 A public vote may contribute to the judges’ decision, but will not be determinative.
3.3 The judging panel’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding outcomes.
3.4 Judges must declare any conflicts of interest and may recuse themselves where appropriate.
3.5 Short listers and the winners will be announced via OPUS communications channels (social media, newsletters, broadcasts) and notified directly by the OPUS team (such date to be the“Announcement Date”).
3.6 OPUS will make all reasonable efforts to contact the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted or is not available, or has not claimed their Prize within thirty of days of the AnnouncementDate, OPUS reserves the right to offer the Prize to the next eligible entrant selected from the correct entries that were received before the ClosingDate.
3.6 OPUS must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation OPUS will publish the name and town of each Prize winner and within one month after the Announcement Date.
3.7 If a founder objects to such founder’s name or town or county being published or made available, please contact OPUS at theeasies@joinopus.org. In such circumstances, OPUS must still provide the information to any relevant authority on request where required bylaw.
4.Prizes
4.1 Each category winner will receive:
· £10,000 GBP
· A trip to Davos during the week of the WorldEconomic Forum in January 2026.
· Accommodation and travel (capped at £1,500) for the lead founder
(together the “Prize”).
The Prize does not include travel insurance, food and drink, spending money, tax or personal expenses. Any other costs incurred in addition to those set out above and that are incidental to the fulfilment of the Prize are the responsibility of the winner(s).
4.2 Only the lead founder listed in the application may attend Davos. The lead founder will be responsible for ensuring that they are available to travel and hold a valid passport, any necessary visas and travel documents for the journey in question on the travel dates specified.
4.3 Winners may withdraw only before the shortlist is announced.
4.4 Prizes are subject to availability. OPUS reserves the right to substitute the Davos prize with an equivalent alternative if circumstances beyond its control make fulfilment impossible.
5.Data Protection & Privacy
OPUS will only process your personal information, including any personal data comprising the founder photo, as set out in the Privacy Policy.
6.Intellectual Property & Publicity
6.1 Entrants must warrant that they own all rights to the materials submitted and that submission does not infringe third-party rights.
6.2 OPUS does not claim any rights of ownership in any Entrant’s application or any material submitted by an Entrant.
6.2 By applying, you grant OPUS, judges, and sponsors a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, and publish your company name, logo, and to use, publish, alter and modify the founder photo, a summary of your application, and short description that were uploaded as part of the application for marketing, publicity, and promotional purposes in connection with the Awards in print and digital media formats throughout the world (“Permitted Activities”). Each lead founder agrees to OPUS storing copies of the application for as long as necessary to fulfil thePermitted Activities.
6.3 Winners agree to take part in reasonable publicity and promotion as requested by OPUS.
6.4 Shortlisting & Announcement Rules:
· If you are shortlisted, you must not publicly claim, imply, or announce this status until OPUS has made the shortlist announcement.
· If you are selected as a winner, you must not publicly claim, imply, or announce this status until OPUS has officially announced the winners.
6.5 OPUS reserves the right to withdraw or disqualify an entrant who breaches these publicity restrictions.
7.Disqualification
OPUS reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who:
· Provides false, misleading, or incomplete information.
· Fails to meet eligibility criteria.
· Breaches these T&Cs.
· Engages in behaviour that could bring OPUS, its partners, or the Awards into disrepute.
· Displays conduct that is contrary to the spirit or intention of the prize competition.
8.Liability
8.1 OPUS is not responsible for:
· Late, lost, or misdirected entries. In particular, OPUS will not accept responsibility for competition entries that are corrupted, not successfully completed or transmitted, damaged or delayed in transit, regardless of cause, including, for example, as a result of any postal failure, equipment failure, technical malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, website, computer hardware or software failure of any kind.
· Any reliance placed on publicity, advice, or opportunities connected with the Awards.
· Any failure to deliver a prize due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
8.2 Nothing in these T&Cs limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
8.3 To the extent permitted bylaw, OPUS will not be liable for
any loss, damage, injury or disappointment suffered in
connection with the awards event(including any damage to your or any other person’s computer or mobile phone equipment as a consequence of downloading or accessing
any materials), or any delays or failure(in whole or in part) to perform any of its obligations if such delay or fail .
9.General
9.1 OPUS may cancel, amend, or suspend the Awards if required by unforeseen circumstances or force majeure or where it otherwise becomes necessary to do so.
9.2 OPUS reserves the right to amend these T&Cs at any time. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted any updated version upon continued participation.
9.3 These T&Cs are governed by the laws ofEngland & Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England & Wales.
📩 For any questions, please contact theeasies@joinopus.org.