Terms and Conditions
Forge Track 2025
By registering to participate in the BioIncubate Forge Track offered by Student Biolab Zürich Society (“SBL”) and Lonza ("Sponsor"), you, the Participant, hereby acknowledge and agree to the following terms and conditions:
1. Definitions
“Selection Event” is the event in which applicant teams invited by SBL and the Sponsor pitch their proposal, resulting in two teams being selected to access the Build Phase.
“Sponsored teams” are the two teams selected to access the Build Phase at the Selection Event.
“Ideation phase” describes the application period of the BioIncubate Forge Track, i.e. between the release of the challenge statement and the Selection Event.
“Build Phase” describes the period after the Selection Event when the sponsored teams are admitted into the BioIncubate Forge Track and develop their proposal, concluding with the Final Pitch Event.
“Final Pitch Event” is the final event at which the sponsored teams pitch their proof of concept, resulting in one of them being selected as the winner.
“Winning team” is the sponsored team selected as the winner at the Final Pitch Event.
“Runner-up team” is the sponsored team not selected as the winner at the Final Pitch Event.
2. Confidentiality of Information
2.1 The Participant agrees to treat all information provided by SBL and the Sponsor, meaning information not earlier publicly disclosed by SBL or the Sponsor, as Confidential. This includes any information disclosed to the Participant by SBL or the Sponsor on or after the date of registration. Confidential Information may encompass trade secrets, proprietary knowledge, and other sensitive data belonging to SBL or the Sponsor. The obligations of confidentiality and non-disclosure shall remain in full force and effect until December 31th, 2025 except for trade secrets and unless stated otherwise.
3. Respect for Third-Party Agreements
3.1 The Participant is responsible for upholding any pre-existing contractual obligations related to non-disclosure of confidential information, trade secrets, and proprietary knowledge from past or present employers, internships, or other engagements.
4. Non-Concurrency and Non-Competing Clause
4.1 The Participant agrees to adhere to any non-concurrency or non-competing clauses that may apply to current or future employment or business activities. This commitment is crucial to prevent conflicts of interest.
5. Intellectual Property Ownership
5.1 All rights, interests, and titles to any Intellectual Property (IP) resulting from the winning team within the BioIncubate Forge Track remain the exclusive property of the Sponsor. Intellectual Property registration remains at Sponsor’s discretion and shall name, accordingly, members of the winning team as inventors.
5.2 All rights, interests, and titles to any Intellectual Property (IP) resulting from the runner-up team within the BioIncubate Forge Track remain the exclusive property of the runner-up team. In the case where the runner-up team wishes to commercially develop their idea, they shall notify the Sponsor during a period of 12 months starting from the Final Pitch Event date to enter into good faith negotiations to exercise mutually agreed terms. The Sponsor has the first right of refusal during this 12 month period, meaning they may enter into good-faith negotiations with the runner-up team to exercise mutually agreeable terms.
5.3 The Sponsor does not own any IP created by any of the applicant teams in the Ideation phase, excluding IP developed during such phase by the winning team.
6. Research Use Rights
6.1 The Sponsored Teams and SBL shall be granted a non-exclusive, fully paid, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right for research purpose of the Sponsor Intellectual Property including prototype(s), concept, data and any arising IP thereof from the teams that worked on the Sponsor’s Challenge.
6.2 The Sponsor shall be granted a non-exclusive, fully paid, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license for research purposes of the Sponsored Teams (excluding Winning Team) Intellectual Property including prototype(s), concept, data and any arising IP thereof from the teams that worked on the Sponsor’s Challenge.
7. Advancement to Next Levels
7.1 In order to access the Build Phase, sponsored teams may be required to sign a separate non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement to protect the Sponsor’s confidential information and intellectual property.
8. Terms of Funding
The following terms of funding apply for the sponsored teams entering the Build Phase:
8.1 Purpose of Funds: The funding is intended to support research, project development and prototyping. Some examples of appropriate funding use include laboratory expenses, consumables and materials. This grant funding cannot be used to pay salaries of team members. Sponsored teams will have to provide a budget with the intended spending per category. This will be approved by the BioIncubate Committee before the funds are disbursed.
8.2 Timeline for Spending: Funding should be spent on materials or activities performed during the Build Phase (April 2025 through September 2025).
8.3 Budget Submission & Final Approval: After admission into the Build Phase, sponsored teams must submit a detailed budget categorizing spending of the funds. The budget must be submitted within 2 weeks of admission into the Build Phase unless exceptions are approved by the BioIncubate Committee, who will review the budget and provide the final approval. Any significant deviation from the approved budget during the course of the program must be communicated and approved in advance.
8.4 Fund Disbursement: In most cases, SBL will have favorable access to reagents, consumables, discounts, etc, and thus most purchases will be made by the BioIncubate Committee for the sponsored teams. A purchase or multiple purchases can be made by the team and reimbursed, but this should be made clear in the budget proposal and have a distinct purpose.
8.5 Transparency & Reporting: Sponsored teams are required to provide regular updates on their progress and financial expenditure to the BioIncubate Committee.
8.6 Misuse of Funds: Misallocation or misuse of funds can result in penalties, including but not limited to immediate exclusion from the BioIncubate Forge Track.
9. Participation & Expectations
The expectations for the team admitted into the Build Phase of the BioIncubate Forge Challenge are outlined below.
9.1 Team Eligibility: Since one of BioIncubate’s stated missions is to promote student entrepreneurship, we require that at least one team member is enrolled (either a bachelor's, master’s or PhD student) at a recognized Swiss university.
9.2 Workload & Presence: We do not require any fixed number of hours per week working on the proposed solution, and we understand that most participants will have other study or employment commitments. Thus, it is permissible to work on the project alongside such commitments. We do, however, expect that the team is fully committed to pushing the project forward to achieve significant milestones, as outlined in their proposal, during the Build Phase and are willing and able to dedicate the necessary time to achieve this. A clear lack of commitment may lead to disqualification if not addressed promptly upon warning by the BioIncubate Committee.
9.3 Regular update meeting: We expect bi-weekly check-in meetings with the BioIncubate Committee where at least one person from the team presents updates on the project. These should be transparent updates on progress towards the milestones defined in the application and any challenges being faced. Any deviations from the initial project plan should be discussed in detail and mutually agreed upon by both parties.
9.4 Usage of BioIncubate Laboratory: Safety is the foremost priority in any lab work. All teams are expected to adhere to safe lab practices, and any additional regulations or guidelines set out by the laboratory or the BioIncubate Committee. Any breaches of safety protocols can result in immediate disqualification from the program and potential legal consequences. Find more details about the BioIncubate Laboratory space and relevant restrictions here: https://www.bioincubate.ch/lab
9.5 Transparent Communication & Updates: Open communication fosters trust and enables the BioIncubate Committee to provide support and guidance when necessary. Teams must disclose any significant challenges, setbacks, or unforeseen circumstances that might impact their project's progress. This will allow the BioIncubate Committee to help identify solutions or alternative strategies to navigate through potential challenges.
9.6 Participation in Events: We expect that the majority of team members will attend all relevant BioIncubate events.
10. Prize
10.1 Participants in the sponsored teams are responsible for ensuring that all applicable financial obligations concerning the reception of the cash prize awarded at the Final Pitch Event are fulfilled.
11. Acceptance of Terms & Conditions
By clicking the "Agree" button during registration & application, the Participant confirms to have read, understood and agreed to be bound by the terms of this disclaimer. Failure to adhere to these terms may result in consequences, including but not limited to disqualification from the BioIncubate Forge Track.
