The 2023 Halifax Innovation Challenge

Challenge Period

The Innovation Challenge (the “Challenge”) begins on October 13, 2023 at 5.30 PM Atlantic Daylight Time (“ADT”) and ends on October 14, 2023 at 8.00 PM ADT (the “Challenge Period”).

Who Can Participate

The Challenge is open to all legal residents of Canada who are students currently attending a post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Challenge is not open to employees, representatives, or agents of Royal Bank of Canada, its subsidiaries, affiliates, prize suppliers, advertising/promotion agencies and any entity involved in the development, production, implementation, administration, judging or fulfillment of the Challenge (collectively, the “Challenge Parties”).

By participating in the Challenge, any entrant who is not the age of the majority in his/her province of residence as of the start of the Challenge Period, represents and warrants that he/she has obtained the consent of his/her parent or legal guardian to participate in the Challenge.

How to Register

Registration starts on September 1st, 2023 at 8:00 AM ADT and closes on October 4th, 2023 at 11:59PM ADT (the “Registration Period”).

To register for the Challenge, go to http://innovationchallenge.agendamanagers.ca/ during the Registration Period and complete the registration form. To complete the registration form, you will need to provide the following information: your email address, first name, last name, university or college, phone number, faculty, program, anticipated graduation date, type of work you are looking for (if applicable), availability for work, resume, preference on problem statement and workshop, and teammates names and email address (if applicable). You must also agree to the photo disclaimer included in the registration form.

Upon registration, students will have the option to sign up as an individual, group of two (2), or group of three (3). The Sponsor will then place registered students/groups into teams of six (6) or less (each a “Team”).  EACH PERSON CAN ONLY BE A MEMBER OF ONE TEAM. If it is discovered that a student is a member of more than one Team, all Team entries for all Teams on which that student participates may be disqualified. The number of Teams participating in the Challenge will depend on the number of entrants registered at the end of the Registration Period.

If necessary, a Team may change Team Members during the Registration Period only. Any change to Team membership during the Registration Period must be sent in writing to innovationchallenge@agendamanagers.com and received no later than the end of the Registration Period. All registrations are subject to verification at any time and for any reason. The Sponsor reserve the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to require proof of identity and/or eligibility (in a form acceptable to the Sponsor – including, without limitation, government issued photo identification): (i) for the purposes of verifying an individual’s eligibility to participate in this Challenge; (ii) for the purposes of verifying the eligibility and/or legitimacy of a Submission (hereinafter defined); and/or (iii) for any other reason the Sponsor deem necessary, in their sole and absolute discretion, for the purposes of administering this Challenge in accordance with these Rules and Regulations. Failure to provide such proof to the satisfaction of the Sponsor in a timely manner may result in disqualification in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor.

Consent to Send Commercial Electronic Messages

By entering this Challenge, you permit the Sponsor and their respective agents, promotional agencies, representatives and judges to collect the information submitted with your registration and Submission (hereinafter defined) and to use it to administer the Challenge.  If you have also consented to the use of your personal information for marketing and promotional purposes, you agree that the Sponsor may send you offers, promotions and information about their products and services.  The Sponsor may communicate with you through various channels, including email, telephone, social media or mail, using the contact information you have provided.  The Sponsor will respect your preferences otherwise recorded with them. You may withdraw your consent at any time.  For additional information please see the Sponsors’ Privacy Policies at http://www.rbc.com/privacysecurity/ca/our-privacy-policy.html.

Prizes and Winners

The Challenge will center on three subtheme topics: Building Client Relationships and Trust with AI, Creating Attractive Jurisdictions for Digital Talent and Companies, Accessing the Global Skilled Trades Talent through Technology (each a “Topic”).

There will be one winning Team per Topic for a total of three (3) winning Teams (each, a “Topic Winner”).

Topic Winners. Each Topic Winner will receive a cash prize of $1200 which will be divided equally among registered Team members (rounded to the nearest dollar).

Special Awards. Each Sponsor may award various nominal prizes during the Challenge to Teams and Team members in their sole and absolute discretion. To be eligible to receive a Special Award, you must attend the Closing Ceremony (hereinafter defined).

Prizes must be accepted as awarded and are not transferable, assignable or convertible to cash (except

 as may be specifically permitted by  the Sponsor in their sole and absolute discretion). No substitutions except at Sponsors’ option.  The Sponsor reserve the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to substitute the prizes or a component thereof with a prize of equal or greater value, including, without limitation, but at the Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion, a cash award. Prizes will only be awarded to the person whose verifiable full name and valid email address appears on the registration form. Potential prize winners may be required to provide the Sponsors with additional information necessary to award the prize before being declared the prize winner.

Deadlines and Milestones

• 1. The Challenge will commence at approximately at5.30pm ADT on Friday, October 13^th 2023 at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At this time, Teams must sign-in.

• 2. Teams will be required to work within the work space designated by the event organizers to complete their Submissions. There will be several mentors available for Teams to consult with

ALL TEAMS MUST RETURN AND CHECK-IN BY 9.30 AM ADT on Saturday October 14^th, 2023

• 4. Submissions (hereinafter defined) must be submitted by 3:30 PM ADT on Saturday October 14^th, 2023.Submissions must be submitted in accordance with Section G below.

• 5. Teams will present their Presentation (hereinafter defined) to judges from the Judging Panel (hereinafter defined) in person on Saturday October 14^th, 2023 at a time to be determined by  the Sponsor in their sole and absolute discretion. Details regarding the timing of the Presentations will be communicated by email to every participant in advance of the Challenge and will be available on the Challenge website at https://silver.rbcroyalbank.com/lp/enterprise/halifax-innovation-challenge.

• 6. Upon completion of the Presentations, the Judging Panel will select three (3) Topic Winners to present their Presentation at the Challenge’s closing ceremony in front of all participants of the Challenge and judges from the Judging Panel (the “Closing Ceremony”). The Closing Ceremony will take place on Saturday October 14th, 2023 at a time to be determined by Sponsors in their sole and absolute discretion. ALL TEAM MEMBERS MUST ATTEND THE CLOSING CEREMONY. IF ALL TEAM MEMBERS ARE NOT IN ATTENDANCE THE TEAM MAY, IN THE SPONSORS’ SOLE DISCRETION, BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE CHALLENGE.    Details regarding the timing of the Closing Ceremony and the Presentations to be presented at the Closing Ceremony will be communicated by email to every participant in advance of the Challenge and will be available on the Challenge website at https://silver.rbcroyalbank.com/lp/enterprise/halifax-innovation-challenge

Submission Details

In order to be eligible for the Topic prizes, and special prizes (as described above), Teams must submit a complete submission that shall include a written solution to the problem statement that the Team was assigned and a presentation of such solution (a “Submission”).

Written Submission. A Team’s written Submission must include a PowerPoint presentation and may include coding for an application. All Submissions must be submitted by 3:30 PM ADT on Saturday October 14th, 2023 through the Challenge website at https://innovation-challenge.mybluemix.net and any code must be submitted through GitHub.

Presentation. Each Team must prepare and present an in-person 5 minute presentation of their solution and participate in up to 3 minutes of questioning from judge(s) on the Judging Panel (“Presentation”).

Submission and Presentation Parameters.

• Submissions can be developed to run on any reasonable platform (web/mobile/desktop/tablet etc.).

• Web applications must run in the web browser (either on a computer the Team provides or via a URL that the Judging Panel can access from their own computers).

• Mobile applications must run on an iOS, Android, Blackberry, or Windows Phone device. Applications must be installable by the Judging Panel, and/or allowed access to the device(s) the code is installed on.

• Desktop applications must be installable for the targeted platforms (Windows, Android, and/or iOS).

• Teams are expected to produce well-rounded Presentations including visual design and business analysis.

• Teams must bring their own equipment to the Challenge including computers, screens, headphones, mouse, etc. The event organizer will provide a work space for each Team, access to power outlets and access to a public Wi-Fi connection.

• Each Team will be required to reveal the application and access to the source code to the Judging Panel at the end of the Challenge if applicable

• Any licenses for code existing in the public domain and any open source code must be carefully reviewed by the Teams, especially licenses where derivative works are deemed to be licensed under the same terms and conditions.

• For code having licenses where derivative works are deemed to be licensed under the same terms and conditions, the Team will segregate independently developed code such that the independently developed code would not be considered derivative works of said licensed code.

Challenge Judging

The judging panels shall be comprised of 3 persons. At least one judge from the Sponsor and the remainder provided from a partner chosen by the Sponsor (“Judging Panel”). There shall be six Judging Panels.  The Judging Panels will evaluate Submissions based on the following criteria that shall be weighted evenly: Innovative thinking; business value and scalability potential, quality of presentation, and execution of solution. Teams will be given a score out of 20 based on this criteria and the top scoring Teams will be deemed the winners.

The Judging Panel’s decisions are final and conclusive on all matters without right of appeal.

In order to be declared a winner, a Team must meet all the conditions described in these Rules and Regulations.

Certification and Acknowledgment

By entering this Challenge, all Team members certify that:

• They have read and agree to be bound by the terms of these Challenge Rules and Regulations;

• The ideas submitted are original work and that they are the creators;

• They accept that the ideas submitted are being submitted on a confidential basis; and

• All trademarks and copyrighted material have been properly acknowledged.

Rights to Submission and Related Work Products

• The right, title and interest in all inventions, discoveries, industrial designs, topographies, innovations, improvements, works, data, trade secrets and technical or business information, and all associated patent, copyright and design rights, and all other intellectual property rights therein associated with the Submission, including, without limitation, work products and products not specifically filed as part of the Submission (the “Intellectual Property”), where independently created, authored, or developed by you (or your Team) remains with you (or your Team).

• You and your Team shall grant to the Sponsor of the Challenge, a worldwide, perpetual, exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable license to use the Intellectual Property for any commercial purpose.

• Where the Sponsor will be presenting the Sponsor’s own technologies or concepts, the Sponsor retain ownership rights in any of the Sponsor’s technology. You or your Team may from time to time provide to the Sponsor feedback or suggestions regarding the Sponsor’s technology or confidential information of the Sponsor, which may include suggestions for, or feedback concerning, improvements, modifications, corrections, enhancements, derivatives or extensions, as well as branding ideas (“Feedback”). It is agreed that the Sponsor shall have a perpetual, royalty free, exclusive, and transferable license to use such Feedback, without any obligation to compensate you or your Team for providing the Feedback. The Sponsor may develop technology, improvements, modifications, corrections, enhancements, derivatives or extensions (“Improvements”), and further may also develop branding elements, based on such Feedback, and such Improvements and branding elements, and any intellectual property rights therein, as well as any related intellectual property registrations, shall be owned exclusively by the Sponsor. You and your Team agree to sign such further documents as may be required reasonably to confirm such ownership by the Sponsor.

• As a condition of accepting a prize in this Challenge, the winning Team members agree to release the Sponsor, their affiliates and respective advertising and promotions agencies from any liability in connection with this Challenge or the prizes awarded.

• You acknowledge and agree that the right to participate in the Challenge, and to earn the right to win a prize, and the opportunity to collaborate with the Sponsors and other Teams in connection with the Challenge constitute good and valuable consideration for the rights granted or waived herein.

Other Matters

• 1. All costs and travel expenses of participating in the Challenge are at the sole cost of the Team members.

• 2. No responsibility is assumed by the Sponsors, their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, its respective directors, officers, employees and assigns, for any disruption to telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software or failure of any entry to be received because of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, as well as lost, incomplete, destroyed, misdirected, illegible or late entries which for any reason are not received.

• 3. Submissions shall not be returned to Team members.

• 4. The Sponsors, their affiliates and respective advertising, contest administration and promotional agencies are not responsible for printing, distribution or production errors and may terminate, modify, extend any portion of, or withdraw, this Challenge, at any time and for any reason whatsoever, without requirement of individual notice and without liability at their sole discretion.

• 5. The Sponsors reserve the right to modify (including, but not limited to, extending any portion of the Challenge) these Rules and Regulations or to cancel this Challenge for any reason whatsoever including, but not limited to, in the event of technical corruption, virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other technical problems which may arise from time-to-time which in the Sponsors’ opinion undermine or destroy the integrity of this Challenge. No liability or responsibility is assumed by the Sponsors, resulting from user attempts to participate in this Challenge or if required, download any information necessary to participate in this Challenge. In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted an on-line entry, the entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry.

• 6. By entering this Challenge, Team members agree to hold the Sponsor, their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies, their respective directors, officers, employees and assigns, harmless from and against any and all claims and liability arising out of or in any way connected with the operation of this Challenge and use of a prize. Participants of this Challenge assume all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by participation in this Challenge or use or redemption of a prize. By participating in this Challenge, Team members agree to be bound by the Rules and Regulations and the decisions of the Judging Panel as selected by the Sponsors.

• 7. By entering the Challenge, Team members, should their Team win, agree to the use of their names, addresses (city only), photos, and/or images for publicity purposes relating exclusively to this Challenge without compensation.

• 8. All Team members must abide by all protocols relating to the health and safety of all attendees, including those relating to COVID-19, in effect during the Challenge as communicated by the Sponsors in their sole discretion.

• 9. The Sponsor reserve the right to disqualify Team members whom they find to be in violation of these Rules and Regulations or tampering with the entry process. The Sponsor reserves the right to refuse an entry from a person whose eligibility is in question or who has been disqualified or is otherwise ineligible to enter.

• 10. This Challenge and the terms and conditions contained in these Rules and Regulations, shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. The parties hereby attorn to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario.

• 11. If for any reason the Challenge is not capable of being conducted as intended by the Sponsor, including due to computer viruses, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause that corrupts or interferes with the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Innovation Challenge, the Sponsor may at their sole discretion, disqualify any entrant or Team deemed responsible for such misconduct and cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Challenge.

• 12. Participation in the Challenge constitutes acceptance of and agreement with these Rules and Regulations.

• 13. This Innovation Challenge is void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law.