Competition Rules

1. The Promoter

The Ferraldo Grant Programme is promoted by Douglas, trading as Ferraldo under the business name FitzcaraldoFerris ("the Promoter"), registered in Ireland. Contact: hello@ferraldo.com.

2. Eligibility

The Programme is open to individuals who meet all of the following criteria at the time of application:

• Aged 18 or over
• Legal resident of Ireland or a member state of the European Economic Area (EEA)
• Operating or developing a micro-enterprise, early-stage business, or pre-revenue venture
• Not an employee, officer, or immediate family member of the Promoter, its affiliates, or any member of the judging panel

The Promoter reserves the right to verify eligibility and to disqualify any applicant who does not meet these criteria.

3. How to Enter

3.1 Online Entry

Complete the application form at ferraldo.com/apply. The form comprises approximately 30 questions across seven sections covering personal details, business fundamentals, market and traction, financials, grant use, pitch and ambition, and declarations. The application fee of €27 is payable by credit or debit card via Stripe at the end of the form. Applications are not considered submitted until the fee has been successfully processed.

3.2 Free Postal Entry

A free alternative entry route is available by post. To enter by post, send a handwritten or printed document on A4 paper containing your full name, email address, phone number, date of birth, and postal address, along with written answers to each question in the application form (available to view at ferraldo.com/apply). Post your entry to:

Ferraldo Grant Programme — Cycle 001
[Postal address to be confirmed]
Ireland

Postal entries must be received by the closing date. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, or damaged in the post. Postal entries will be assessed on the same criteria and by the same judging panel as online entries.

4. Application Fee

The online application fee of €27 is non-refundable. The fee covers the administrative cost of processing and evaluating applications. Payment of the fee does not guarantee any award, feedback, or outcome. No purchase or payment is necessary to enter — a free postal entry route is provided as described in Section 3.2.

5. What We Assess

Applications are evaluated against five equally weighted criteria, each scored from 0 to 20 points for a maximum total of 100 points:

Criterion	Weight	What We Look For
Problem & Solution	20 pts	Clarity of the problem being solved and the quality of the proposed solution
Market Understanding	20 pts	Evidence of market research, customer insight, and competitive awareness
Execution & Traction	20 pts	Progress to date, practical steps taken, and evidence of momentum
Grant Impact	20 pts	How the grant would be used and the impact it would have on the venture
Founder Ambition	20 pts	Drive, resilience, vision, and commitment demonstrated in the application

6. Judging Process

All eligible applications are reviewed by an independent judging panel. Each application is assessed by at least two judges. Judges score independently using the rubric above before any discussion. Where judges' scores differ by more than 15 points, a third judge reviews the application. The final score is the average of all judges' scores.

Judges may not assess applications from anyone known to them personally or professionally. Judges are bound by confidentiality obligations. All judging decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding individual scores, feedback, or outcomes.

7. Awards

The award pool for Cycle 001 is up to €2,500. The Promoter may distribute this as a single award of €2,500, or as multiple awards (for example, €1,500 and €1,000, or €1,250 and €1,250) at its sole discretion, based on the quality of applications received.

The Promoter reserves the right to make no award if no application meets the minimum quality threshold (60 points out of 100). Awards are paid by bank transfer within 21 days of the results announcement. Awards are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered in lieu of the stated award.

Award recipients may be required to participate in reasonable publicity activities, including a brief written or video testimonial about their experience and how the grant was used.

8. Notification of Results

Results will be published on the Ferraldo website within 14 days of the closing date. All applicants will be notified of the outcome by email. Successful applicants will be contacted directly with details of the award and next steps. The Promoter will use reasonable efforts to notify all applicants, but accepts no responsibility for emails that fail to deliver.

9. Data Protection

Personal data collected through the application process will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Application materials will be shared with the judging panel for assessment purposes only. We will not sell or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

10. Publicity and Social Media

This competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc., X Corp., ByteDance Ltd., Microsoft Corp., or any other social media platform. By entering, applicants agree to release all such platforms from any liability in connection with the Programme.

11. Limitation of Liability

The Promoter accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury suffered by any applicant in connection with the Programme, except where such liability cannot be excluded by law. The Promoter's total liability shall not exceed the application fee paid by the applicant.

12. General Provisions

The Promoter reserves the right to cancel, amend, or suspend the Programme or these Rules at any time if circumstances beyond its reasonable control make this necessary. Any such changes will be published on the Website. The Promoter's decision on all matters relating to the Programme is final.

If any provision of these Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

13. Governing Law

These Rules are governed by the laws of Ireland. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these Rules shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ireland.

14. Contact

For questions about these Rules or the Programme, please contact hello@ferraldo.com.