„DISCOVER E-VOLUNTEERING” COMPETITION
REGULATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN EDITION OF THE COMPETITION

 

I. Organisation and purpose of the competition.

 

1. European edition of the „Discover e-volunteering” is organized by the Good Network Foundation, hereinafter referred to as GNF, and Fundacja Orange – co-organiser of the e-volunteering portal, in cooperation with Competition Partners operating in the European Union countries.
2. ‘Discover e-volunteering’ competition is pursued under the project "Values and activities of volunteering and e-volunteering" co-financed by the European Union. The European Union is not responsible for any content generated by the project.
3. Competition objectives include:
   1. Promotion of e-volunteering (volunteer work on-line) understood as aid-related activities or volunteer work performed the Internet,
   2. Building data base and exchanging best practices of e-volunteering at the European level,
   3. Studying the e-volunteering phenomenon in Poland and Europe
   4. Working out e-volunteering organisation standards,
   5. Popularisation of pro-bono activity in the Internet, developing the internauts’ reputation,
   6. Promotion of volunteering and volunteer cooperation in the European dimension

 

II. Terms of participation in the Competition.

Candidate.

 

1. E-volunteering Projects implemented by non-governmental organizations, with the use of Internet tools, for the purpose of implementing activities addressing communities or individuals in the area of culture, education, consultancy, sharing know-how and skills, building common good and other socially urgent goals, may be submitted to the “Discover e-volunteering” Competition.
2. Projects based on permanent cooperation, recurrent activities or single action may be submitted.
3. Applications to the Competition may be submitted by non-governmental organizations operating in the EU, legally registered and conducting internet website or other on-line activity, and cooperating with volunteers through the Internet.
4. Application to the Competition shall be entered through filling out the application form available in the two language versions (Polish and English) at the www.e-volunteering.eu/competition. Applications shall be submitted only on-line.
5. Candidates applying to the Competition may take advantage of the support of e-volunteers and Competition Partners in translating applications into English language.
6. Registration of the application is completed after confirming the application form at the Competition website and after the formal verification of the GNF team,
7. Each organisation may submit unlimited number of Projects, provided, that they are presented in separate application forms and concern various forms of e-volunteering.
8. Projects under implementation or already accomplished may also take part in the Competition, provided that were not completed before January 1, 2010.
9. Applicant to the Competition agrees for processing the data included in the form for the use of the www.e-volunteering.eu portal, with reservation of the right to view, correct and delete the data.

 

III. Course of the Competition

 

1. Application to the Competition shall be collected on-line at the Internet website www.e-volunteering.eu from May, 25 till September 16, 2011. The application form is available and may be completed only at the Internet webpage www.e-volunteering.eu/competition.
2. Applications must be submitted by September 16, 2011.
3. Submitted applications shall be verified immediately and the verification process shall be finished no later than 5 days after the imposed deadline.
4. Formal verification of the submitted e-volunteering Project shall be conducted by the GNF team in cooperation with Competition Partners, with the use of the following criteria:
   1. Submitting application in due time on the application form available at www.e-volunteering.eu/competition portal, in compliance with guidelines included in the Terms of the Competition;
   2. Completeness of the application,
   3. Reliability of the applicant
5. Applications to the Competition submitted by NGOs that pass through the formal verification, shall be examined by the Competition Selection Committee. The Committee shall be appointed by the GNF and Fundacja Orange: candidates shall be put up by Competition organisers, Competition Partners, representatives of Embassies, cultural institutions, in accordance with the sequence of presenting candidacies.
6. The International Selection Committee shall be composed of individuals guaranteeing representativeness and transparency of the whole body. The Committee shall be composed of 9 people, out of which 4 shall be proposed by Competition organisers, 1 of them being a representative of the EU institutions; 3 – shall be candidates of the Competition Partners, and another 2 – by representatives of Embassies and cultural institutions.
7. The Works of the Selection Committee shall be conducted in English
8. The GNF team shall not be members of the Selection Committee,
9. Members of the Committee shall select the finalists of the Competition, e.g. organisations to take part in the final on-line voting,
10. In evaluation of applications the Committee shall take into consideration the following criteria:
    1. Real use of the Internet in the e-volunteering activities,
    2. Innovativeness and effectiveness of the e-volunteering actions.
11. The Selection Committee works are compliant with the document called “Rules of the International Selection Committee for the European Edition of 'Discover e-volunteering' Competition”, approved by the GNF and Fundacja Orange.
12. On the basis of evaluations submitted by Committee Members, the ranking list of Projects shall be prepared by the GNF team; Projects with the best point scores shall qualify to the final on-line voting (Committee Final List)
13. Descriptions of projects tipped to the final of the Competition by the Competition Selection Committee, hereinafter referred to as finalists, shall be placed at the www.e-volunteering.eu website and shall undergo on-line voting. The voting shall continue from October 12th till November 3rd, 2011. The period of voting may change – the information on any changes shall be announced by the organizer not later than two weeks before the start of voting.
14. On the basis of outcomes of the on-line voting, the voting ranking list shall be developed.
15. Procedure of selecting Winners of the Competition shall be as follows:
    1. Finalists shall be awarded number of points inversely proportional to their position on the Committee Final List (e.g. project occupying the last place shall get 1 point, project from the last but one place – 2 points, etc.); in case of score draw projects shall be granted the same number of points.
    2. Simultaneously, finalists shall get number of points inversely proportional to their position on the on-line voting ranking (e.g. project occupying the last place shall get 1 point, project from the last but one place – 2 points, etc.); in case of score draw projects shall be granted the same number of points.
    3. The final ranking – the base for selection of Competition Winners shall be calculated by summing up points obtained by the Finalists in two ranking lists: Committee Final List and the on-line voting ranking list.
16. In order to take part in the on-line voting , the voter must give the e-mail address in the voting form available at www.e-volunteering.eu website. Each e-mail address may vote one time in every 24 hours.
17. GNF team shall not take part in the final on-line voting.
18. The Committee may exclude a Competition participants for breaking terms of these Guidelines and for braking the fair play principle in the on-line voting. The Committee’s decision is irrevocable.
19. Final decision on selection of Winners is made by the Selection Committee.
20. Announcing outcomes of the Competition and presenting awards to the winners shall take place during the Final Gala. Gala event shall be held in November/December, 2011, in Warsaw. The date of Gala shall be announced no later than two weeks prior to the event.

 

IV. Prizes in the Competition.

 

1. Winners shall be awarded prize money to cover costs of developing e-volunteering – related activities.
2. The total sum of prizes in the Competition is 6 000 euro. The total sum of prizes may increase in the course of the Competition.
3. Rewards are funded by the Fundacja Orange, Competition Organizer (1st prize), Fondation Orange, Competition Partner (2nd prize) and Intel Technology Poland Ltd. (3rd prize).
4. In case the total sum of prizes increases in the course of the Competition, the founder of the remaining prize or prizes will be announced later.

 

V. Other terms of the Competition.

 

1. Organisers of the “Discover e-volunteering” Competition and Competition Partners have sole rights to use logos of the project and of the Competition. Other institutions or persons may use e.g. materials on GNF terms.
2. Using the logo by the Winners is regulated by the terms of separate agreements between the GNF and each winner. General rule of using the logo by winners assume, among others, possibility to place the logo and the information on the awarded title in the promotional campaigns and materials.
3. Competition participants give their consent to collect and process data by the Good Network Foundation for non-commercial purposes related to the Competition, in accordance with the Act of law on protection of personal data of August 29th, 1997 (Journal of law no 133, item 833).
4. GNF shall promote names of Competition Winners in materials devoted to the current edition of the Competition and – whenever it is possible – in the media communication concerning current and subsequent editions of the Competition.
5. List of organizations participating in the Competition may be publicised by the GNF. Content of the application forms may be used by the GNF in other actions aimed at popularisation of e-volunteering.
6. The GNF, Fundacja Orange and Competition Partners have right to verify and confirm information included in applications.
7. All participants of the Competition may inform about their participation in the course of the Competition.

 

VI. Final provisions.

 

1. In cases demanding interpretation of terms and stipulations, the final decision is taken by the GNF Executive Board.
2. The GNF reserves the right to change guidelines in the course of the Competition. Information about any changes shall be immediately announced at the internet website www.e-volunteering.eu. In case that the change is not acceptable to the participant, the application may be withdrawn till the imposed deadline. Data of the withdrawn candidate shall remain in the www.e-volunteering.eu portal data base.

 

The Good Network Foundation

„Discover e-volunteering Competition

Marszałkowska Street, no 6/6

00-590 Warsaw POLAND

phone +48 22 622 01 22, fax: +48 22 622 02 11

e-mail: competition@e-volunteering.eu

www.e-volunteering.eu